Vitamin combo stamps out allergy sniffles
Q: Are there any supplements I can take that can help me get rid of my allergies?
Dr. Wright: There are several vitamins that can help reduce — and in some cases eliminate — inhalant allergy symptoms.
Vitamin C is always the first vitamin to try. It’s been shown to reduce bronchial, nasal, and sinus allergy symptoms. I recommend the “bowel tolerance” quantity of vitamin C. Basically, this means using as much vitamin C as possible, every three to four hours, without causing gas or loose bowels. For some people, this is 1,000 milligrams (1 gram) three to four times daily; for others, it can be 4 grams or more three to four times daily.
Some people with inhalant allergies also find that taking 1,000 milligrams of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) along with vitamin C three to four times a day helps relieve their symptoms even more than vitamin C on its own.
Unfortunately, these nutrients aren’t nearly as effective for food allergies as they are for environmental allergies. The best way to eliminate food allergies for good is to undergo a process of desensitization that includes an elimination diet. For more information on eliminating food allergies, refer back to the August 2005 issue of Nutrition & Healing, which subscribers can download for free by visiting www.wrightnewsletter.com and logging on to the archives with the username and password listed on page 8 of your most recent newsletter.
