Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAllergy Symptoms and TriggersStinging NettleGingerGreen TeaLicorice RootRosemaryTurmericTeas to Avoid With Allergies
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Allergy Symptoms and Triggers
Stinging Nettle
Ginger
Green Tea
Licorice Root
Rosemary
Turmeric
Teas to Avoid With Allergies
Drinking tea for allergies may be a natural alternative for symptom relief. Grass, trees, weeds, and flowering plants release allergens that can cause a variety ofallergy symptoms, including coughing, sneezing, and itchy and watery eyes.
To relieve the discomfort of these symptoms, you can take over-the-counter or prescription medications, such asantihistamines. However, certain herbs and teas like green tea and stinging nettle tea contain antihistamines and may also help you reduce symptoms.
This article covers six teas that may help alleviate allergy symptoms, as well as their potential side effects.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Allergic rhinitis, also known ashay fever, develops when the body’s immune system recognizes and overreacts to something in the environment that typically causes no problems in most people. It can be seasonal or perennial.
Symptoms of hay fever may include:
Some people may also have a condition called pollen food allergen syndrome (PFAS). Foods that contain proteins similar to certain pollens can cause symptoms associated with pollen allergy or hay fever. For example, birch tree pollen and hazelnuts are associated with PFAS symptoms.
They include mouth itching and irritation, and swelling of the lips, tongue, roof of the mouth, and throat, but they go away as soon as the person stops eating. Some people who have these cross-reactive allergies to a specific PFAS food should be sure it’s cooked before eating, but they can eat others that are raw.
What a Hay Fever Rash Looks Like and How It’s Treated
An integrative approach using bothnatural remediesand medications may provide the best treatment for hay fever symptoms. Some teas, such as green tea and rosemary, have shown allergy relief, but most need more studies on humans for conclusive results.
Herbs and teas are among the many complementary and alternative therapies that may help. Before you take herbal extracts or drink infusions, speak with your doctor to make sure they won’t interact with other medications you may take for your allergies or other conditions.
Honey for Allergies and Asthma
Benefits
Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a medicinal plant with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may reduce allergy symptoms. One study showed that treatment for one month with stinging nettle reduced the severity of allergy symptoms, but more research is needed to understand why.
One possibility is that the molecular action of phytochemicals found in stinging nettle may equip the plant to inhibit allergic rhinitis responses and symptoms.Alpha-tocotrienolshows promise, according to a 2024 database study that evaluated specific elements found in stinging nettle.
Health Benefits of Tocotrienols
How to Drink Stinging Nettle Tea
Pour 8 oz. freshly boiled water over stinging nettle leaves. Cover and steep for 10–15 minutes. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups per day but remember that stinging nettle contains caffeic acid and intake of this mild stimulant can affect your health, too.
Side Effects and Precautions
You may experience mild gastrointestinal effects including nausea and diarrhea.Some people experience fluid retention or may develop a rash due to skin contact. Talk to your healthcare provider about stinging nettle because it can interact with antihypertensive (high blood pressure) and other medications.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)is a flowering plant whose root is used as a spice in cooking. One study showed that ginger extract and loratadine, a medication for treating allergies, were equally good and both improved nasal symptoms in allergic rhinitis patients. The ginger extract also caused fewer side effects.
How to Drink Ginger Tea
Pour 8 oz. freshly boiled water over fresh or dried ginger root.Cover and steep for 10–15 minutes. Enjoy 1 to 2 cups per day.
You may experience abdominal discomfort, heartburn, diarrhea, or mouth and throat irritation. Consult with your doctor before use if you are pregnant.
Green teahas also been shown to hinder mast cell activation and inhibit histamine release. Studies show that certain compounds found in green tea, like gallic acid and quercetin, may be responsible for reducing allergic reactivity.However,green tea allergiesalso exist.
What Is Quercetin?Quercetin is an antioxidant found in many plants and foods, including rooibos tea andmatchagreen tea.Research suggests that quercetin can help stabilize immune cells that release histamine in the body. This may help reduce symptoms of allergies, including runny nose and watery eyes.
What Is Quercetin?
Quercetin is an antioxidant found in many plants and foods, including rooibos tea andmatchagreen tea.Research suggests that quercetin can help stabilize immune cells that release histamine in the body. This may help reduce symptoms of allergies, including runny nose and watery eyes.
How to Drink Green Tea
Pour 8 oz. freshly boiled water over loos green tea leaves. Cover and steep for 4 minutes. Enjoy 3 to 5 cups per day. Keep in mind that green tea contains an average of 29 milligrams (mg) ofcaffeinein an 8-ounce cup, but the amount can vary based on how it’s prepared.
Although uncommon, liver problems have been reported in people who took green tea extract in pill form. If you have been diagnosed with a liver condition, consult with your doctor. At high doses, green tea can reduce blood levels and the effectiveness of the beta-blocker nadolol.
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) is used to treat several inflammatory diseases, including allergies. Because of its strong anti-inflammatory properties, it may help reduce allergy symptoms. Studies with mice showed positive results after three days.However, more human studies are necessary to examine its positive effects on allergic rhinitis
How to Drink Licorice Root Tea
Pour 8 oz. freshly boiled water over one tea bag. Cover and steep for 10–15 minutes. Enjoy 3 to 4 cups per day, especially after meals. Licorice root tea should not be drunk daily for more than four weeks.
Although considered safe as a food ingredient, licorice root can cause increased blood pressure and decreased potassium levels when consumed for a long period of time and in large quantities. People with hypertension or heart or kidney disease should consult with their doctors.
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and is used in many respiratory disorders. Research supports the use of rosemary in the prevention and treatment of asthma and allergies.
How to Drink Rosemary Tea
Enjoy 1 to 3 cups per day. Steep 1-2 grams in 150 milliliters water.
Taken in high doses, it may cause side effects like vomiting, spasms, coma, and fluid in the lungs in rare cases. Pregnant people should avoid rosemary dosages.
Research suggests turmeric (Curcuma longa) has anti-allergic properties that block histamine release from mast cells.Studies have shown that curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric, may help reduce the allergic response in animals. However, more human research is needed to confirm these results.
How to Drink Tumeric Tea
Powdered turmeric root has traditionally been used as a stimulant and carminative (preventing or relieving gas in the stomach) at dosages of 0.5 grams to 3 grams per day.
In large amounts, turmeric may be unsafe if you’re pregnant.
Some teas can actually aggravate allergies. Always read the ingredient labels of herbal tea blends that may include the various parts of the plant apart from the leaves. Look for organic and pesticide-free products that may present less of an allergy risk.
For example, if you are allergic to daisies that belong to theAsteraceaefamily, do not drink chamomile, dandelion, echinacea, orwormwoodtea. If hollyhocks cause allergy symptoms, avoidhibiscustea that comes from theMalvaceaefamily of plants.
Summary
There’s no question that a cup of herbal tea can be very soothing. Drinking some teas, like ginger and green tea, may have the added benefit of providing allergy relief. If you plan to use tea to alleviate allergy symptoms, make sure that you consult with your doctor and see if it may cause side effects or interfere with any medications you are currently taking.
20 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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