Seasonal allergies are common where I live in the Southeast. In fact, it almost seems strange when someone doesn’t complain of them. However, sometimes fall allergies are a sign of a deeper issue. While tree pollen tends to be highest in spring, grass pollen is highest in summer. Then there’s ragweed and mold which are often at their highest counts in later summer/early fall. They can trigger typical allergy symptoms like watery eyes and a runny nose, and can also be an asthma trigger as well.

To make matters worse, even some foods can “look like” tree pollen or ragweed to the immune system, and worsen the effects by mimicking a similar response. Even a mold allergy can be triggered by foods stored in damp conditions where mold is likely to grow. Keep in mind if mold toxicity (usually due to past exposure that was never cleared from the body) is bad enough, it may be triggered on an ongoing basis from food. If it feels like you have allergy symptoms all year long and/or asthma along with fatigue and maybe a plethora of other chronic symptoms, consider pursuing comprehensive functional mold/mycotoxin testing.

In the meantime, keep these foods in mind during your designated allergy season(s) to see how they might impact your overall immune response. The most common foods and herbs that mimic or cross-react with environmental allergens include:

Tree pollen: apple, apricot, cherry, peach, nectarine carrot, celery cilantro, coriander, parsley

Grass: melons, orange, wheat, chard

Ragweed: apple, banana, melons, mango, chamomile, echinacea, honey, cucumber, sunflower seed, tomato, stevia

Mold: mushrooms, corn, oats, peanuts, vinegar (not white), wine, sauerkraut, yeast (bread/beer), cured meats

Do you notice that certain foods affect your seasonal allergies? I’d love to hear if you try this and it makes a difference!