Herbs for Wheat Allergy

Wheat allergies, along with dairy, are one of the most common food allergies in America. Since wheat is a widely consumed element of an American diet, the best way to treat a wheat sensitivity is to give it up altogether. But since that limits what you can eat, try an herbal approach to treat or prevent symptoms.

Preventing Allergic Reactions

• A healthy immune system keeps certain food ingredients from attacking and turning into food allergies. Regularly drinking an allergy tea will help to stave off reactions. You can create your own tea with water, echinacea root, marshmallow root, peppermint leaf, ginger rhizome and chamomile flowers. For recipes, visit wheat-free.org or mothernature.com (see Reference links). Drink about two cups of this tea per day. This allergy tea works because two ingredients, chamomile and marshmallow root, combat indigestion, correct imbalances in the immune system and prevent internal inflammation. Ginger and peppermint also aid digestion, while echinacea helps unfamiliar foods to pass through your system. Herbs are normally slow-acting, so it may be a few weeks before you experience full results.

  Stress is also a major strain on the immune system, so learn how to manage stress through regular physical exercise (especially walking, which is an age-old stress reliever) and meditation.

Treating Allergic Reactions

• If your an allergic reaction to wheat causes a skin rash or hives (among other symptoms, like diarrhea, headache and fatigue), use an herbal skin wash to treat your irritated skin. Combine 1 c. boiling water with 1 tbsp. each of yarrow, elder, calendula and chamomile flowers, and 1 tbsp. echinacea root. Steep for 15 minutes, strain the herbs, then add 3 tbsp. of baking soda. This mixture will form a paste, so use a sponge or cloth to spread it on the rash areas.

  For help with diarrhea caused by a wheat allergy, try chamomile tea or a regular drink of 1 tsp. each of apple cider vinegar and honey diluted with a glass of water. The vinegar-honey-water mix also works as a preventative method, especially for when you are traveling and have less control over your diet or eating options. Soothe stomach pain caused by a wheat allergy with 1 tsp. ginger root (powder form) in 1 c. boiling water. Drink three cups every day to prevent upsets in the future.