Allergic Reaction

on Tuesday, August 19, 2008

I’ve never wanted them (who would?). I’ve gone 27 years without them. I’ve never fully understood how terrible they are…until now. What could I possibly be talking about? Allergies. For the first time in my life, I think I have them. I’ve got classic symptoms…runny nose, sneezing, headaches…it’s no fun at all. I thought I’d give it a little time before taking any action, just to see what happened. Well, the symptoms continue to persist, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. I’ve been doing a lot of research on natural remedies for allergies, and my proposed solution to my allergic state is Stinging Nettle. Here’s a little science lesson on my potential miracle herb:

From prevention.com:
Stinging Nettle is a leafy plant that is found in most temperate regions of the world. The Latin root of Urtica is uro, meaning “I burn,” indicative of the small stings caused by the little hairs on the leaves of this plant that burn when contact is made with the skin. The root and leaves of nettle are used in herbal medicine.

There has been a great deal of controversy regarding the identity of nettle’s active constituents. Currently, it is thought that polysaccharides (complex sugars) and lectins are probably the active constituents. Test tube studies suggest the leaf has anti-inflammatory actions. This is thought to be caused by nettle preventing the body from making inflammatory chemicals known as prostaglandins. A preliminary trial reported that capsules made from freeze-dried leaves reduced sneezing and itching in people with hay fever.

From necessarywriting.com:
In 1990 The National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon sponsored a double-blind randomized study on allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. They compared the effects of freeze-dried nettle to a placebo. (Plant Med, 1990) After only one week of therapy the results were nothing to sneeze at.

Stinging nettle (Utica dioica) contains, among other chemicals, histamine, serotonin, and actylcholine. It might seem counter-intuitive that these substances have a positive effect on reducing allergy symptoms but histamine actually acts as an autocoid (a local hormone) to modulate the immune response. (Melman, et al., American Journal of Medicine, 1981) In fact, the participants of the above study all rated stinging nettle more effective than the placebo, and in many cases, more effective than their traditional allergy treatments in relieving hay fever symptoms.

Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Natural Healing, Natural Medicine (Houghton Mifflin, 1998) says that stinging nettle has long been a traditional remedy for dispelling mucus, treating coughs and providing an antihistamine effect. Dr. Weil recommends nettle as an effective and safe treatment for hay fever symptoms, saying, “Stinging nettle is the best natural remedy for hay fever that I know.”

When a person gets hay fever, an allergic response is initiated, causing the immune system to work overtime. According to Dr. Weil, “Getting an allergy is an example of misplaced immunity. The goal of treatment should be to convince the immune system that it can coexist peacefully with external allergens.” How does nettle factor into these physiological peace talks?

Delving deeper into nettle’s pharmacological nature reveals an important immune-balancing component. Greg Kelly, N.D., reports, “Stinging nettle contains, among other things, a small molecular-weight lectin that is capable of favorably inducing a balanced immune response.” It works similarly to histamin mentioned above. Dr. Kelly adds, “This means that unlike most things stimulating the immune system toward greater activity, this super-lectin appears to stimulate the immune system toward balance.”
The most common stinging nettle allergy product is found in freeze-dried form, produced by Eclectic Institute. This company has pioneered a freeze-drying technique that they say preserves herbal vitality and potency. The process involves harvesting nettle plants at their peak, freezing them immediately and placing them in a vacuum. The frozen water then evaporates without passing through the liquid stage. According to Eclectic Institute, “It’s the next best thing to fresh plant materials as no nutrients are lost in a liquid solution.”


Well, when I read that Dr. Weil is a big proponent of Nettle, I was sold. I am a big fan of Dr. Weil and his philosophies. I frequent his website and have read many of his works. He has made me a believer of homeopathy and has inspired me to seek out natural remedies to the ailments that affect me rather than turn to pharmaceutical solutions. So, today is the day that I am going to buy some Nettle and hopefully stop suffering from allergies for good!