Spirulina and Allergic Rhinitis – What are the benefits?

“We will always find someone to rub our youthful mistakes in our faces” – François Gravel

Today, we’re back with a new article and a new topic on spirulina and allergic rhinitis, also known as “hay fever”. But yes, you know? Those allergies that arrive at the same time as spring to ruin your life. The people concerned by this have learned to live with it but are nevertheless looking for solutions to get rid of it (or at least limit the inconvenience). First of all, here is a short presentation of allergic rhinitis…

 

Allergic rhinitis, what is it?

 

Allergic rhinitis is characterized by repeated sneezing: itching, sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion. When pollen is the cause, it is called seasonal rhinitis or, more commonly, hay fever.

These symptoms are due to abnormal sensitization and an excessive reaction of the immune system to a substance foreign to the body called an allergen. This foreign substance can be plant pollen, molds, animal hair or even animal skin. It all depends on the person and the reaction of his body to these elements. When this substance comes into contact with the eyes or the respiratory tract of the allergic person, the immune system has an inflammatory reaction: histamine and other inflammatory substances are then “unnecessarily” released. This reaction leads to the dilation of blood vessels and the increase in secretions related to the appearance of symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

Allergic rhinitis appears in people between the ages of 5 and 20. This phenomenon is probably related to environmental changes such as diet, ecology and lifestyle.

It is good to know that there is also another type of allergic rhinitis. Called “persistent” rhinitis (more than 4 days a week for more than 4 weeks), it is often caused by allergens that are present in the person’s life on a daily basis (e.g. smoke, dust…).

 

Spirulina against allergic rhinitis: its role

 

This superfood spirulina can be your ally against this hay fever that bothers you so much! Having anti-inflammatory properties, it is beneficial to relieve the known symptoms of allergic rhinitis and acts as an antihistamine in hay fever sufferers. Spirulina plays two roles in its fight against this phenomenon:

• a preventive role by reducing sensitivity to allergens
• a curative role by inhibiting the secretion of histamine, responsible for all manifestations of allergies

There are many medications that can help you limit the inconvenience of allergies but they can also bring you many undesirable side effects such as drowsiness for example. Spirulina is then a natural food supplement that can replace this kind of medication.

Studies on the benefits of spirulina on allergic rhinitis

Several studies have been carried out to prove its effectiveness against all types of allergic rhinitis. A recent trial conducted at the ENT Department of Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Faculty of Medicine in Turkey, focused on 129 people with allergic rhinitis and gave promising results: taking 2g of spirulina per day, for 16 weeks, was much more effective than a placebo to reduce the symptoms of the participants.

Another experiment carried out previously at the University of California at Irvine by Dr. Eric Gershwin (in 2005) proved that ingesting 2 grams of spirulina every day makes it possible to significantly reduce its level of interleukin 4 (IL-4), natural proteins responsible for the production of immunoglobulins E, mediators of the symptoms of allergic rhinitis.

A significant decrease in IL-6 (interleukin-6) was observed, suggesting an auto-regulation on immune variables.

All these studies confirm once again the regulatory effect of spirulina on the immune system.

In conclusion, spirulina can be your best ally at the end of the winter in order to approach spring with a full complement of nutrients and the least amount of inconvenience. You will then be ready for next spring! No more puffy eyes and runny nose!

At Vegalia, two of us have solved our allergy worries thanks to our friend Caroline, spirulina!
What about you? Are you tempted to try Caroline to counter your allergy? Or have you already tried her? Share your experience with us! We’ll be happy to read them!