Help! My borders have been breached!

Are allergies starting to niggle at your nose? Your gut might be fighting off its own invasion. Deirdre Panapa from DP Herbals explains.

Leaky gut sounds like a pretty scary condition, but there are herbs and nutrients that can help to restore a leaky barrier in your gut, and fixing this problem might provide a long-term solution for your allergies.

An allergic reaction occurs when your immune system overacts to something harmless, like pollen or dust mites. Your immune system sets off an inflammatory reaction, which sends those nasty allergic symptoms skyrocketing.

We would normally then turn to antihistamines, but they’re just an expensive, temporary fix. Maintaining a healthy gut can support your immune system and may help you build tolerance to those otherwise-harmless allergic triggers, providing a lasting solution to allergic conditions.

Gut inflammation can occur when your gut barrier becomes permeable or ‘leaky’. When the gut barrier is breached, food particles, bacteria and toxins may be able to enter your bloodstream, exacerbating inflammation and triggering an immune response that worsens allergy symptoms. Certain herbs and nutrients, however, can help strengthen your gut.

Glutamine is an amino acid (a small compound that combines with other amino acids to form protein) that reinforces gut barrier strength and stops contents leaking from your gut into your bloodstream.

Vitamin A is essential for optimal cell growth and gut barrier maintenance. Deficiency of this nutrient prevents the regeneration of gut barrier cells.

Zinc is another essential nutrient that supports the integrity of gut barrier cells. Zinc deficiency increases the likelihood of leaky gut developing.

Certain probiotics may also help in the battle against allergies by supporting your gut barrier and making you less allergic. Lactobacillus rhamnosus gg (LGG) can be taken during pregnancy to offset babies’ potential for developing allergies up to the age of two.

There are also a range of nutrients and herbs that may decrease your general sensitivity to allergic triggers. Baical skullcap, shiitake mushroom, albizia and perilla as well as quercetin and bromelain could all help defend you against those allergic symptoms.

There’s a strong connection between the gut and the immune system, and supporting good digestive function can address some of the underlying factors that cause your immune system to be overactive. So before you hole yourself up inside for the entire allergy season, why not try to improve your gut health to increase your tolerance to allergic triggers? You could overcome your allergies and find the freedom to leave your house without a pocketful of tissues.

dph.nz