Start Your Hayfever Plan Early: How Nutrition Can Help Manage Seasonal Allergies
It might feel a little early to start thinking about hayfever, but getting ahead now can make a real difference to how you feel when symptoms hit later in the season.
If you struggle every spring and summer with streaming eyes, constant sneezing and that all-too-familiar itchy feeling, a proactive approach could help reduce the severity of your symptoms.
Hayfever is an allergic response to pollen, and different people react to different types of pollen at different times of the year. While there’s no cure, and diet should never replace prescribed antihistamines, what you eat can play a valuable role in helping to manage seasonal allergies.
And it all starts with the gut.
Why gut health matters for hayfever
Your immune system is closely linked to your gut health. In fact, a large proportion of your immune cells live in the gut, including mast cells – the cells responsible for releasing histamine.
Histamine is part of your body’s natural defence system. When mast cells detect something “foreign”, like pollen, they release histamine to protect you. The problem with hayfever is that this response can become exaggerated.
When mast cells are on high alert, they can overreact to harmless triggers like pollen, releasing excess histamine. This is what leads to the classic symptoms: watery eyes, sneezing, itching and congestion.
Supporting your gut and calming inflammation can help keep this response more balanced.
1. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods
Reducing inflammation in the body is a key part of managing hayfever symptoms.
One of the most effective ways to do this is by including more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. These healthy fats have well-known anti-inflammatory properties and can help support your immune system.
Good sources include:
Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines
Chia seeds and flaxseeds
Walnuts
Alongside this, aim to build your meals around a Mediterranean-style way of eating. This means plenty of colourful, seasonal fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and good-quality olive oil.
This style of eating is naturally rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, which support gut health and encourage a diverse microbiome – both important for immune resilience.
You can also boost your meals with anti-inflammatory herbs and spices such as garlic, ginger and turmeric.
2. Increase quercetin and vitamin C intake
Quercetin is a natural compound that can help stabilise mast cells, making them less likely to release excess histamine.
You’ll find quercetin in:
Apples (especially red varieties)
Onions
Berries
Broccoli
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts are particularly rich in quercetin, making them a great addition to your plate at this time of year.
Vitamin C is another helpful nutrient, as it supports the breakdown of histamine in the body and has mild antihistamine effects.
To increase your vitamin C intake, include foods such as:
Kiwi fruit
Citrus fruits
Berries
Peppers
Kale and Brussels sprouts
Some people find that combining quercetin with vitamin C – either through food or supplements – can provide additional support during allergy season.
3. Reduce high-histamine foods
While some foods help calm the histamine response, others can make it worse.
Histamine tends to build up in foods that are aged, fermented or processed. If you’re prone to hayfever, it may be helpful to reduce your intake of:
Alcohol
Aged cheeses
Processed and cured meats
Pickled or fermented foods
Leftovers (histamine levels increase the longer food is stored)
Cooking from fresh as much as possible can make a noticeable difference.
Some foods can also trigger histamine release in certain people, even if they’re otherwise healthy. Common culprits include chocolate, avocado and spinach. You don’t necessarily need to avoid these completely, but it can be useful to notice how your body responds.
4. Watch common dietary triggers
Certain dietary habits can make hayfever symptoms feel worse.
Sugar and alcohol are two of the biggest contributors. Both can increase inflammation and put extra strain on your immune system, so reducing your intake during allergy season can be beneficial.
Dairy is another potential trigger for some people, as it may contribute to increased mucus production. This isn’t the case for everyone, but if you suspect it affects you, try removing it for a couple of weeks and see how you feel.
If you do reduce or remove dairy longer term, make sure you’re getting enough calcium from other sources such as:
Nuts and seeds
Tahini
Dark green leafy vegetables
Tinned fish with bones (like sardines)
5. Try local honey
Local honey is often suggested as a natural way to support hayfever symptoms.
The idea is that small amounts of local pollen in the honey may help the body gradually adapt. While the evidence is mixed, honey does have natural anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting properties, so it may still be worth trying.
Take a proactive approach this spring
Hayfever can feel unavoidable, but there’s a lot you can do to support your body before symptoms peak.
By focusing on gut health, reducing inflammation and being mindful of histamine-triggering foods, you can help your immune system respond in a more balanced way.
Start making small changes now, and you may find that when summer arrives, your symptoms are far more manageable than usual.
About the author:
Jane McClenaghan is renowned for her down-to-earth, evidence-based approach to nutrition, making healthy eating practical and achievable for everyone.
With over 25 years of experience delivering group sessions for corporate clients and one-to-one consultations, she specialises in women’s health and has helped thousands of people transform their wellbeing through better nutrition.
As the author of two best-selling books and a familiar voice on local radio, Jane is passionate about translating the science of nutrition into real food on your plate and empowering others to make lasting, positive changes for their health.
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