Most allergy sufferers are plagued with itchy eyes, sneezing, and congestion year round (not just when things are blooming). If your allergies are worse than the average person; there is new research that suggests folic acid can help relieve your symptoms.
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center reviewed the medical records of more than 8,000 people, ages 2 to 85, to track the effect of folic acid levels on respiratory and allergic symptoms and on levels of IgE antibodies, the immune system markers that increase in response to an allergen.
They found that people with higher blood levels of folic acid had fewer IgE antibodies, fewer reported allergies and less wheezing and were less likely to develop asthma. The results appear in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
“Our findings are a clear indication that folic acid may indeed help regulate immune response to allergens, and may reduce allergy and asthma symptoms,” Dr. Elizabeth Matsui, a pediatric allergist and the lead investigator, said in a Hopkins news release.
“But we still need to figure out the exact mechanism behind it, and to do so, we need studies that follow people receiving treatment with folic acid before we even consider supplementation with folic acid to treat or prevent allergies and asthma,” she added.
Folic acid is essential for red blood cell health and has long been known to reduce the risk of spinal birth defects. Recent research has identified an association between folic acid levels and inflammation-mediated diseases, including heart disease, according to background information in the news release (source).
It’s funny how many of the ailments in life are directly related to nutrition and vitamins. So, before you reach for that over the counter medication, look into a natural cure for the problem that plagues you. My mom is a wiz when it comes to natural healing. The best book she ever recommended to me was called “Prescription for Nutritional healing!” The book is full of natural ways to heal the body. In my opinion, every household should own this book.
Adria Ali
(CES, PES, CPT, BS)
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