Wherever you are, the calendar now says it’s spring - even if the weather isn’t cooperating yet. Spring means seasonal allergies for millions of North Americans. Allergy remedies start flying off the shelves and kleenex sales soar.

Many of us would like to avoid drugs when it comes to our allergies, especially if our allergies are mild. After all, why end up with the side effects of a drug if it isn’t necessary? The good news is that there are many natural supplements that you can add to your regime that can help with calming allergic symptom.

One choice to help support your body and quell allergies is quercetin. Quercetin is another member of the bioflavonoid family. These nutritional powerhouses are present in many foods; your daily apple actually has some quercetin in it. According to research, quercetin suppresses both the release and production of the two primary inflammatory mediators – histamine and leukotrienes - which are both implicated in allergies and asthma.

However, studies show that pure quercetin as a supplement can be poorly absorbed, because it is relatively insoluble in water. Some experts recommend that you take a combination of quercetin and bromelain to improve absorption. Bromelain is another anti-inflammatory substance, which may not only help you absorb quercetin but also aid in reducing inflamed tissues.

Quercetin isn’t the only thing you might just find in what you eat that could help allergies. Licorice is another powerful aid in the fight against allergies - although you may know it best from eating black licorice candy. Licorice has been studied in Chinese medicine for its anti-allergy properties. Licorice is known to help support the adrenals, a key component of your body’s ability to mobilize the immune system. Because allergic reactions actually require your adrenals to help clear the reaction, there is good reason to believe that taking supplements to support the adrenals also helps you clear allergic reactions more quickly, which may help to control symptoms.

Not sure if you’ve got a cold or a newly-developed allergy? You can’t lose either way with Vitamin C. Vitamin C works as a mild anti-histamine all on its own and is a known immune system booster. However, it’s hard to get a therapeutic dose through your diet alone. Consider taking extra Vitamin C in divided doses during the day, in a formulation that combines it with minerals, called mineral ascorbates. Mineral ascorbates include calcium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate, and magnesium ascorbate as well as others. These are very powerful antioxidants that can help to reduce allergic inflammation and banish those allergic symptoms.

Sources: Science Direct, ImmuneSupport.com, NaturalWays.com