What can I use instead of antihistamines? (2023)

What is a substitute for antihistamine?

Natural antihistamines may help you control your seasonal allergies. Common ones are stinging nettle, vitamin C, quercetin, butterbur, bromelain, and probiotics. Some alternative practices—such as acupuncture, nasal irrigation, and exercise—may also help you manage symptoms.

Quercetin is an antihistamine present in foods like onions, garlic, broccoli, apples, berries, and leafy greens (2). These healthy foods are probably already included in your diet, but you might want to increase your intake when you're suffering from seasonal allergies. You can also try a concentrated supplement.

Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine, which means it can lower histamine levels and mitigate allergic reactions and symptoms. Consume plenty of Vitamin C rich foods, like tropical fruits, citrus fruits, broccoli and cauliflower, and berries.

Summary. Honey has been used for medicinal purposes around the world for thousands of years. It may help some people manage their allergy symptoms, but there isn't enough evidence to show that it can replace antihistamines and other standard allergy treatments.

Helps Fight Allergies: Red Apples

An apple a day keeps the allergist away. Red produce like apples contains a compound called quercetin. This compound is responsible for the red color and works as a natural antihistamine in your body.

The answer is “it's complicated.” Coffee is definitely not an antihistamine, however histamine intolerance in coffee tends to have misinformation on both sides, mainly due to the fact that histamine intolerance is still a relatively unknown ailment.

Is Ginger a natural antihistamine?

Ginger works as a natural antihistamine, potent antiviral agent, and immune booster. Try some ginger tea to alleviate nasal congestion and headaches.

Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine by reducing the amount of histamine your body produces in response to an allergen. It might help reduce mild symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and watery eyes due to allergic rhinitis.

Experts say, it's usually okay. “Taken in the recommended doses, antihistamines can be taken daily, but patients should make sure they do not interact with their other medications,” says Sandra Lin, MD, professor and vice director of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at John Hopkins School of Medicine.

The best way to clear histamine from the body is to start an elimination diet that involves only eating and drinking substances that contain low amounts of histamine.

Seasonal allergies are often the cause of histamine production in the body, but foods can also contain this chemical.

High Histamine Foods

Fruit: Citrus fruits, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, pears. Vegetables: Eggplant, avocado, tomatoes, olives, beans.

Oats are both low in histamine and great if you have high cholesterol or acid reflux issues, and they're very versatile for making low histamine breakfasts in a snap. But if you can't tolerate oats, then porridge is your alternative.

If you feel stuffy or have postnasal drip from your allergies, sip more water, juice, or other nonalcoholic drinks. The extra liquid can thin the mucus in your nasal passages and give you some relief. Warm fluids like teas, broth, or soup have an added benefit: steam.

How do you stop allergies immediately?

To take honey for allergies, start by taking 1 teaspoon of local, unpasteurized honey once a day. You may slowly increase the amount of honey every other day. Do this until you eat 1 tablespoon of honey per 50 lbs of your weight. You can divide the dose throughout the day as desired through the allergy season.

Anyone who commonly suffers from seasonal allergies has likely been advised to try raw, local honey to alleviate symptoms. The recommendation is based on the idea that raw, unpasteurized honey contains pollen local to your area.

Stinging nettle tea

Tea brewed with stinging nettle, or Urtica dioica, contains antihistamines. Antihistamines can reduce nasal inflammation and ease pollen allergy symptoms.

Honey has been anecdotally reported to lessen symptoms in people with seasonal allergies. But these results haven't been consistently duplicated in clinical studies. The idea isn't so far-fetched, though. Honey has been studied as a cough suppressant and may have anti-inflammatory effects.

Does honey contain histamine? Honey is a low-histamine food, but that doesn't mean you should eat large quantities. If you have histamine sensitivity, it's best to reduce or eliminate all sugar and sweeteners that cause blood sugar swings and limit refined carbohydrates.

Summary. Honey has been used for medicinal purposes around the world for thousands of years. It may help some people manage their allergy symptoms, but there isn't enough evidence to show that it can replace antihistamines and other standard allergy treatments.

Helps Fight Allergies: Red Apples

An apple a day keeps the allergist away. Red produce like apples contains a compound called quercetin. This compound is responsible for the red color and works as a natural antihistamine in your body.

What vitamin is a natural antihistamine?

Vitamin C acts as a natural antihistamine by reducing the amount of histamine your body produces in response to an allergen. It might help reduce mild symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and watery eyes due to allergic rhinitis.

The answer is “it's complicated.” Coffee is definitely not an antihistamine, however histamine intolerance in coffee tends to have misinformation on both sides, mainly due to the fact that histamine intolerance is still a relatively unknown ailment.

Seasonal allergies are often the cause of histamine production in the body, but foods can also contain this chemical.

Ginger works as a natural antihistamine, potent antiviral agent, and immune booster. Try some ginger tea to alleviate nasal congestion and headaches.

A low-fat diet high in complex carbohydrates, such as beans, whole grains, and vegetables may reduce allergy reactions. Bioflavonoids. These plant-based chemicals found in citrus fruits and blackcurrants may act as natural antihistamines. These can also be taken as supplements.

Some foods don't contain high levels of histamine, but they are “histamine liberators” that promote the release of the chemical in our body. These include: Pineapples. Bananas.

If you feel stuffy or have postnasal drip from your allergies, sip more water, juice, or other nonalcoholic drinks. The extra liquid can thin the mucus in your nasal passages and give you some relief. Warm fluids like teas, broth, or soup have an added benefit: steam.

Honey has been anecdotally reported to lessen symptoms in people with seasonal allergies. But these results haven't been consistently duplicated in clinical studies. The idea isn't so far-fetched, though. Honey has been studied as a cough suppressant and may have anti-inflammatory effects.

A nonprescription oral antihistamine, such as loratadine (Alavert, Claritin, others), cetirizine (Zyrtec Allergy, others) or diphenhydramine (Benadryl Allergy, others), may help relieve itching. Consider whether you might prefer a type that doesn't cause drowsiness. Ask your pharmacist about options.

What are the symptoms of high histamine levels?

Coffee is actually high in histamine and can result in an allergic reaction but it is different to a typical allergy mechanism. With caffeine, the histamine contained in the coffee causes an inflammatory reaction that can be affect some people with caffeine and histamine intolerances.