Recurring cold, sneezing, nasal discharge, ear and eye itching, soreness of the throat, cough, congestion in chest, asthma-like difficulties, itching of the skin, thickening of skin like a bug bite known as urticaria. These are a variety of allergic reactions of the skin and respiratory system that trouble many.
As compared to 10 years ago, the number of people with allergic troubles are three folds now. This stands true for people of all ages from little children to older people.
Some chemicals known as histamines that irritate the cells in our mucous membranes are formed thus leading to these irritations and allergic reactions.
This reaction may occur in the nose, eyes, lungs or skin.
Often doctors prescribe antihistamines, which help to control the chemicals formed in the cells and thus relieve the symptoms. But the problem is that these medicines have a short term action only and people cannot stop these medicines and would require them very often.
Quercetin-The Magic Pigment
Some very common food products in our home have the ability to control these histamines and reduce the allergic reaction.
Quercetin is a very good antioxidant that helps control the histamine production. This pigment is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables and is the one which gives color to the fruits and vegetables. It is found in greater amounts in leaves and fruits that grow in sunlight. For example, Quercetin is present in apple, but on the parts of the apple exposed to direct sunlight which are on the upper parts of the tree.
Quercetin is an antioxidant. It not only helps to reduce the allergy, but also helps reduce the tendency of clot formation in the blood vessels and improves blood supply to all parts of the body. It thus improves the function of the heart. It improves the blood supply to the brain and we can prevent diseases like alzheimer’s disease and also improve memory.
The sexual debility in men such as the erectile disfunction can be addresssed by quercetin. Also, quercetin has been found to be effective in treatment of various cancers such as that in the lungs. Having quercetin-rich foods in addition to treatment has been found very effective according to studies.
A healthy individual with no allergies will require approximately 10 to 18 mg of quercetin per day, but if we supply about 50 mg of quercetin per day, it works as a natural antihistamine. It reduces the histamines which cause allergies and help reduce the allergic reactions in the body.
Red wine, green tea, onion, the large chilly used to prepare fritters, broccoli, capsicum, cumin, etc. contain high amount of quercetin. The greatest amount of quercetin is present just below their skin. Fruits like apple and cherry tomatoes and leaves like kale, are also rich sources of quercetin. Onion is one of the richest sources of Quercetin that is easily available to us. Hence regular use of onion in our diet can help reduce the troubles related to allergic reactions in the body.