It's a time of year that can be tough going for hay fever sufferers. While the warm and dry weather is welcome for many, it's also a time of high pollen.
A healthy diet is essential for improving your body's response to hay fever and overall health. With that in mind, experts from Bed Kingdom have looked at how pineapple can help improve your body's resistance to hay fever symptoms when the pollen count is high and likely to interfere with sleep.
Pineapples are well known for being packed with vitamin C, which reduces how much histamine your body produces in response to allergens. But they are less known for containing bromelain, an enzyme with natural anti-inflammatory properties. It is useful for allergies, eczema, and asthma.
An enzyme called bromelain is found in pineapple and has been found to improve allergy symptoms. Bromelain produces substances in the body that help fight inflammation, swelling, nasal congestion, and respiratory problems, boosting resistance to the worst hay fever symptoms. It is naturally found in the juice and stem of a pineapple, so including this tropical fruit in your diet can help relieve symptoms caused by pollen like red, itchy eyes, sneezing, and coughing.
Our bodies cannot produce bromelain, so eating pineapple or drinking pineapple juice can help boost our response to allergies. Bromelain is also available in capsules.
With pineapples being one of the only sources of bromelain, it is worth noting how it benefits the body. Bromelain is used to aid digestion and for anti-inflammation and swelling caused by allergies.
When pollen gets into our bloodstream, it can trigger hay fever systems. Pollen is protein-rich, and it is these proteins that can cause swelling, inflammation, and irritation to the nose, eyes, throat, and sinuses.
When taken on an empty stomach, bromelain breaks down these proteins, so more of it gets digested and less in our bloodstream, where hay fever symptoms can trigger. So when you take bromelain, less of these proteins are in the bloodstream, which reduces symptoms.
Another benefit is pain relief. Bromelain has been used to help arthritis sufferers reduce joint pain and stiffness and has shown promising results in clinical studies. Its dual pain and swelling relief properties make bromelain useful for post-dental surgery recovery. It has also been used as a cream to treat burns and remove dead skin.
Bromelain not only helps strengthen the body's resistance to allergens, but it also helps break down food proteins. By doing this, bromelain aids the digestion of meals and helps to pass pollen out of our system. By breaking down pollen proteins, bromelain will help the body wake up the next morning with less severe hay fever symptoms.
Feeling too full at night can also inhibit our sleep and keep us awake. Taking bromelain with a meal will break down food proteins for easier absorption by the small intestine, improving digestion. This means the body feels less full going to bed, typically resulting in better sleep quality.
You should not take bromelain if you are allergic or sensitive to pineapple, celery, carrot, or fennel. Contact your health provider for advice before taking bromelain.
Pineapple is a sweet, healthy snack that can be enjoyed at night. In fact, pineapple contains melatonin, a hormone that helps your sleep cycle by aiding the regulation of your circadian rhythm. However, pineapples are highly acidic, so avoiding them before bed or if you have acid reflux or heartburn is best.
Aside from pineapple, nettle tea contains antihistamines to settle sinus inflammation caused by hay fever. Research suggests quercetin, a powerful antioxidant, can also help relieve inflammation and itchiness and boost the immune system. Quercetin-rich foods include onions, kale, broccoli, and skin-on fruits like tomatoes, blueberries, and apples.
A spokesperson for Bed Kingdom said: "Allergies are sometimes unavoidable, but there’s much we can do with our diet to reduce hay fever symptoms. These tips will contribute to a better night’s sleep when the pollen count is high, helping you wake up refreshed rather than groggy and stuffy."
