If you spend more of your time hitting up your allergist and popping meds to control your itchy eyes, sneezing, and congestion more than you’d like to admit, it might be time to look to another method to help you (finally) get rid of your allergies. And get excited: it involves eating.
Sure, medicine does a great job at keeping your symptoms at bay, but a variety of different foods—from strawberries and walnuts to kale—can help, too. Here are some items to always have stocked in your fridge to help you beat your allergies for good.
Strawberries
One simple way to fight off allergies? Stock up on all things vitamin C, says the Mayo Clinic. Strawberries — which contain about 85 mg per cup — won’t just give you a healthy boost of antioxidants, but they’ll also help reduce your symptoms in the process.
Walnuts
You might want to make walnuts your snack of choice — at least when it comes to ridding yourself of allergies. According to a 2017 study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the high amount of omega-3s it contains can help reduce the symptoms.
Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the healthiest veggies around, and according to a study published in the journal Food and Function, the green machine could also protect your body against pollutants that cause allergies. So stock up: Sneaking it into your meals could make a big difference when it comes to your symptoms.
Apples
An apple a day keeps your allergies away? Well, at least according to a 2016 study published in the journal Molecules, that is true. Quercetin — the plant polyphenol the fruit contains — has been found to help reduce the inflammation that often comes hand-in-hand with allergies, preventing it from affecting you.
Cocoa
Listen up, chocolate lovers: eating cocoa on the reg actually has some anti-allergy benefits, says a study published in the journal Pharmacological Research. Add some into your morning smoothie to feel like you’re eating breakfast for dessert, or sip it in your warm and cozy beverages.
Chia seeds
There are plenty of healthy reasons to toss some chia seeds into your meals, and according to one 2017 study, one of them is because of their super-powerful, allergy-combating omega-3 content. Add some into your smoothies, use them to make a creamy pudding, or throw some onto your salad.
Kale
Kale salad, anyone? Aside from being a low-calorie, high-fiber superfood that belongs in every diet, one cup of chopped kale also contains 80 mg of allergy-fighting vitamin C. Yeah, it’s a keeper.
