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Q. I live in the desert southwest, where we have been experiencing allergy symptoms for about a month. With the high winds this time of year they will only get worse.
My mother, who grew up in the Midwest and raised her family in the mid-Atlantic region, always recommended drinking fenugreek tea sweetened with local honey to prevent or minimize allergy symptoms. Is there any evidence to support fenugreek’s effectiveness for allergies?
A. A search of the medical literature turned up no evidence that fenugreek can alleviate allergy symptoms. There is some evidence that this herb from India can help lower blood sugar and control high blood fats, especially triglycerides, but studies have been inconsistent.
Some people develop allergic reactions to fenugreek itself. This may be a particular problem for those who are allergic to soy or peanuts, other plants in the same family.
The local honey might help the allergies. We are using our local honey (1/2 teaspoon a day) and think it helps somewhat. The key is local. If it was really bad, I'd try freeze dried stinging nettle.
I would also recommend the nettles, taken in capsule or tea form. I've tried the fenugreek capsules but they cause stomach upset for me. A quercetin-bromelain combination product would be another good alternative. Nature abounds with botanical medicine, nearly everywhere, so let's rediscover it this spring!