7 spring allergy supplements for you   

How do I know if I have spring allergies? 

If you don’t already know whether you have spring allergies, one good indicator would be that you have a stuffy nose, scratchy throat or sneezing every spring (1). These symptoms are because of our immune systems going into overdrive due to exposure to allergens.  

Since the symptoms are very similar to asthma or a regular cold, you will have to undergo allergy testing with your primary care physician to confirm that you have a spring allergy and to identify the allergen(s) that you need to be wary of. 

How can I deal with hay fever? 

The best way to avoid getting affected in the first place, is to be pro-active. This includes taking your preferred allergy medication before the allergies hit. Your doctor can provide you options that include oral antihistamines, eye drops, nasal steroid sprays or hydrocortisone creams to treat the symptoms.  

One could also take certain supplements to help relieve the symptoms of a spring allergy. However, as with any food supplement, please do not self-medicate. Consult your health practitioner as to the best supplement for you.  

Is there a natural supplement to help me with my allergies? 

Several food supplements containing natural extracts are recommended to treat spring fever. We have listed a few below. 

Quercetin: Naturally anti-allergic 

Known for its potent antioxidant properties, quercetin is also naturally anti-allergic (2).  It inhibits the release of histamines, decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines, leukotrienes creation, and suppresses interleukin IL-4 production (3). In fact, quercetin has been shown to be a better anti-allergy substance than an anti-allergic drug, disodium cromoglycate.  

You can read our botanical supplements blog post for more information on quercetin. You can also read a LinkedIn article from our customer on this pollen allergy-reducing compound. 

How can we use botanicals as dietary supplements?

Reishi mushrooms: Preventing pollen-induced allergic rhinitis 

Botanically known as Ganoderma lucidum, Reishi mushrooms are also known as the lingzi mushroom (4). The mushroom is popular in traditional Eastern medicine as a powerful anti-oxidant and for its anti-inflammatory effects. It has been shown to be especially useful in preventing pollen-induced allergic rhinitis (5).  

Particularly, liposomal encapsulation of reishi mushrooms has been proven to increase its immunological effects (6).  

Non-liposomal supplements using the powdered form of the whole mushroom are recommended up to a 5.2 g daily dose (4). Daily dosage recommendations differ if the mushroom is extracted into water-soluble and water-insoluble forms.  

Talk to our Business Development Officers today and find out more about the liposomal Reishi mushroom formulation that we can produce for you. 

Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) 

Better known as grape-seed extract, OPCs are interesting as a food supplement thanks to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This has made it an interesting candidate to treat asthma and other airway inflammatory diseases (7, 8).  

Polyphenols, in general, suffer from low solubility. Their stability in biological fluids is also low. Consequently, they are minimally bioavailable at the target sites, especially when orally administered (9).   

Several scientific reports have shown that the bioavailability and efficacy of polyphenols are improved by liposomes (10). Especially the oral bioavailability is improved with liposomal encapsulation. 

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Vitamin supplements for spring fever 

A review of several scientific studies found that vitamins C, D and E, are helpful in treating allergic rhinitis (11).  

Vitamin C: Reduces allergy symptoms 

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a key physiological antioxidant (12). It prevents excessive inflammation without reducing the defensive capacity of the immune system. Allergic diseases are, therefore, associated with reduced plasma levels of ascorbate (12).  

Our liquid liposomal vitamin C formulation is 12-times more bioavailable than a non-liposomal supplement.  

Contact our team today to find out how liposomal vitamin C can help you deal with pollen allergies. 

Vitamin D: Protection minus the stuffy nose 

We often associate vitamin D supplementation only with winter and a lack of sun exposure. In our winter supplement blog post, we even briefly explained the skin moisturizing and immune supportive properties of this vitamin.  

But did you know that vitamin D is also beneficial in the spring? Vitamin D can help (13, 14)  

1. mount a tolerable immune response,  
2. enhance epithelial barrier function, and 
3. promote the defence mechanism against pathogens. 

Supplementation with vitamin D can therefore help protect your body from those nasty allergens, minus the stuffy nose.  

Vitamin E: Effective control 

This fat-soluble antioxidant is found in higher concentration in immune cells compared to other cells in our blood (15). Vitamin E is, therefore, one of the most effective nutrients known to modulate immune function. 

In a mouse model of allergic rhinitis, vitamin E supplementation could control allergic mediators and the symptoms of rhinitis (16). Similar results were found in humans as well (17).  

Other supplements for spring fever 

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) 

MSM, a sulphur-containing compound that is found naturally in all living organisms naturally operates at the crosstalk of inflammation and oxidative stress (18). It also plays a critical role in supporting the immune response to stress.  Thus, individuals with inflammatory conditions such as seasonal allergies (allergic rhinitis) may benefit from MSM supplementation.   

MSM is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the US FDA (19). 

You can read here to find out why liquid liposomal supplements provide one of the highest bioavailabilities as compared to other oral supplementation forms.   

Are there any added benefits to PlantaCorp’s liposomal supplement formulations? 

Sea buckthorn: Preservative with health benefits 

Almost every component of our supplement formulations is derived from a natural source. We especially promote the use of sea buckthorn as a preservative for our formulations. But did you know that this sea buckthorn can also provide an additional anti-allergy benefit?  

Sea buckthorn contains more than 190 nutrients including quercetin, provitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, as well as B complex vitamins (20). It also contains a large amount of superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme that plays a critical part in maintaining respiratory health.  

Sea buckthorn is, therefore, ideal for people who suffer from allergic rhinitis and other breathing disorders.  

Ginger: More than just a flavour option 

We also offer ginger as one of our flavour options. Ginger, as you know, is very beneficial to our overall health. It works as a natural antihistamine, potent antiviral agent, and immune booster (20).  

It is believed that just inhaling the steam coming from a cup of ginger-infused tea can help alleviate nasal congestion and headaches. Adding the ginger flavour to your liposomal anti-allergy supplement formulation could therefore also add to its benefit.  

The economic impact of hay fever 

In 2016, it was estimated that approximately 12.3 million adults in Germany alone, suffered from allergic rhinitis (hay fever) (1). This results in a huge economic burden due to the inability of individuals to work optimally. Methods such as supplementation, that can improve the quality of life of affected individuals, can greatly help ease this burden.  

Thus, there is a huge market potential for supplements that can treat the symptoms of spring allergies. Contact us today to find out how you can bring liquid liposomal spring allergy supplements into the market 

Key takeaways 

1. Exposure to pollen during spring can lead to symptoms of stuffy nose, scratchy throat or sneezing in those who are allergic to it.  
2. Quercetin is a naturally anti-allergic plant extract. It has been shown to be better than an anti-allergic drug, disodium cromoglycate. 
3. Reishi mushroom supplements prevent pollen-induced allergic rhinitis. The liposomal form has been proven to increase its immunological effects 
4. Grape seed extract (OPCs) is an interesting candidate to treat asthma and other airway inflammatory diseases. The bioavailability and efficacy of polyphenols are improved by liposomes. 
5. Vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E supplementation can help control hay fever. 
6. Sea buckthorn, one of the natural preservatives that we use in our liposomal formulations, is ideal for people who suffer from allergic rhinitis and other breathing disorders. 

References

1. Schmitz R et al. (2017). Journal of Health Monitoring | 1/2017 | Prevalence of allergies (rki.de)  
2. Jafarinia M et al. (2020). Quercetin with the potential effect on allergic diseases. Allergy, asthma, and clinical immunology : official journal of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 16, 36.
3. Mlcek J et al. (2016). Quercetin and Its Anti-Allergic Immune Response. Molecules vol. 21,5 623.
4. [Online] https://examine.com/supplements/ganoderma-lucidum/. Accessed on May 12, 2022. 
5. Mizutani N et al. (2012). Effect of Ganoderma lucidum on pollen-induced biphasic nasal blockage in a guinea pig model of allergic rhinitis. Phytother Res. 26(3):325-32
6. Liu Z et al. (2015). Development of liposomal Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide: formulation optimization and evaluation of its immunological activity. Carbohydr Polym. 117:510-517.
7. Zhou DY et al. (2011). Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract attenuates airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in a murine model of asthma by downregulating inducible nitric oxide synthase. Planta Med. 2011 Sep;77(14):1575-81.
8. Qian Y et al. (2022). Nrf2 regulates downstream genes by targeting miR-29b in severe asthma and the role of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract in a murine model of steroid-insensitive asthma. Pharm Biol. 2022 Dec;60(1):347-358.
9. Manca ML et al. (2020). From waste to health: sustainable exploitation of grape pomace seed extract to manufacture antioxidant, regenerative and prebiotic nanovesicles within circular economy – PMC (nih.gov) 
10. Mignet N et al. (2013). Pharmaceutics | Free Full-Text | Bioavailability of Polyphenol Liposomes: A Challenge Ahead | HTML (mdpi.com)    
11. Pellow J et al. (2020). Health supplements for allergic rhinitis: A mixed-methods systematic review. Complement Ther Med. 51:102425. 
12. Vollbracht C et al. (2018). Intravenous vitamin C in the treatment of allergies: an interim subgroup analysis of a long-term observational study. J Int Med Res. 46(9):3640-3655.
13. Briceno Noriega D et al. (2021). Vitamin D and Allergy Susceptibility during Gestation and Early Life. Nutrients. 13(3):1015.
14. Martineau AR et al. (2019). Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory infections: individual participant data meta-analysis. Health Technol Assess. 23(2):1-44.
15. Lewis ED et al. (2019). Regulatory role of vitamin E in the immune system and inflammation. IUBMB Life. 71(4):487-494.
16. Jiang J et al. (2021). Effects of vitamin E and selenium on allergic rhinitis and asthma pathophysiology. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 286:103614.
17. Shams MH et al. (2021). Anti-allergic effects of vitamin E in allergic diseases: An updated review. Int Immunopharmacol. 90:107196. 
18. Butawan M, Benjamin RL & Bloomer RJ. (2017). Methylsulfonylmethane: applications and safety of a novel dietary supplement. Nutrients, 9(3), 290.
19. [Online] National Center for Biotechnology Information. “PubChem Compound Summary for CID 6213, Dimethyl sulfone” PubChem. Accessed 29 March 2023.  
20. [Online] https://www.sinusandallergywellnesscenter.com/blog/allergic-rhinitis-6-herbal-remedies-to-try-sinus-allergy-wellness-clinic. Accessed on May 12, 2022.