Vital Wellness

Doctor recommends other nutrients: vitamin A, selenium, and zinc. These nutrients play important roles in the health of mucous membranes, your body’s internal skin.

Nutrients Chart

If you have healthy mucous membranes, your chances of having signifi­cant allergy problems will be less. The mucous membrane is a layer of cells that secrete the slimy substance we all know and should love, because it contains an array of infection-fighting bio-chemicals. Mucus also shields cells from direct contact with pollen and other allergens, sub­stances that trigger allergies.

This mucus layer protects cells from the damaging effects of air pollu­tion. Studies show that people who are exposed to both air pollution and allergens are more likely to have severe allergic reactions than those exposed only to allergens. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s no doubt that antioxidants play an important role in almost every function of the body, but scientists have been zeroing in on antioxidants’ ability to defend against respiratory illnesses, such as allergies and asthma. Researchers found out where very few children suffer with allergies. They surveyed 690 chil­dren between the ages of 7 and 18 and gathered data from questionnaires that were completed by their parents.

The researchers discovered that those who ate fresh foods high in antioxidants, such as grapes, oranges, tomatoes, and nuts, were less likely to have wheezing and other respiratory symptoms. In yet another British study of over 2,500 middle-aged men, those who ate five apples a week had greater lung functioning than those who ate no apples. The researchers believed that healthy compounds found in apples, like anti­oxidants, have allergy-fighting effects. Read the rest of this entry »

Food-based vitamin C supplements contain bio-flavonoids. These colorful chemical compounds are intimately related to the

Bio-Flavonoids

ascorbic acid compound of vitamin C. The chemical structure of bio-flavonoids is similar to that of a drug called cromolyn, used in inhalers to reduce asthma-related inflamma­tion.

Bio-flavonoids reportedly help reduce the release of symptom-producing histamine, reduce inflammation, and promote healthy connective tissue. Read the rest of this entry »

Histamine is usually stored in granules inside mast cells. When a mast cell is exposed to a substance that triggers an allergic reaction,

Nose Runs

however, the cell releases its histamine into surrounding tissues.

Histamine plays an important role in certain types of allergic reactions. It causes small blood vessels to widen and become more permeable to fluid, allowing fluid to pass from the bloodstream into sur­rounding tissues, causing nasal congestion, runny eyes and nose, and some­times hives. Read the rest of this entry »

Aside from a thiamin deficiency, excessive drinking can also cause a defi­ciency of vitamin B6, a nutrient needed for formation of red blood cells as well as reactions involved in normal cell functions.

Pyridoxine, or vitamin B6, is more rapidly eliminated from the body during heavy drinking, over 50 percent of those who drink excessively seem to have defi­ciencies. Eating a well-balanced diet that includes 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B6 can correct the problem, but only if no further alcohol is ever consumed. Good food sources of pyridoxine include meat, fish, poultry, or fortified cereals. Read the rest of this entry »