A hives outbreak can happen to anyone at any time. Most of the time you don’t even know why they happen. So the usual course of treatment is to grab the antihistamine bottle and swallow a couple tablets and wait for your hives outbreak to go away or to ease up.

Sure, the Claritin, Zyrtec, Benadryl, and other over the counter antihistamines can provide relief.  But what about the side effects? Along with the hives outbreak that may come back when the medicine wears off, now you are drowsy, or agitated from epinephrine, or both. Antihistamines work by suppressing the release of histamine, thus suppressing the symptoms of the allergic reaction that caused the histamine release.

What About Some Natural Antihistamines?

Before these drugs existed, people used to eat foods that acted like antihistamines. This can even have the added benefit of preventing a hives outbreak from happening at all. Sudden outbreak of hives are less likely if you can incorporate some of these foods into your diet. High on the list of foods that act as antihistamines are those with a high content of vitamin C and vitamin A. Along with preventing a hives outbreak, they are healthy.

What Kinds Of Foods Can Be Natural Antihistamines?

Foods that are high in vitamin A and can be natural antihistamines are carrots, mangoes, spinach, tomatoes, and many of the other green vegetables. Some fruits high in vitamin C include Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, tangerines, grapefruits and limes.

Another way to build up natural antihistamines and help prevent a future hives outbreak is to keep your diet high in Omega-3, which also makes a good antihistamine.

Some foods are high in Quercetin and Pycnogenol. These agents can help block the release of histamine by cells. These foods include, among others,  broccoli, citrus fruits, berries, onions, garlic, and apples.

Bromelian is an enzyme found in high concentration in pineapples. This is considered by many natural alternative enthusiasts to be the best natural antihistamine. Pineapple is delicious in many dishes. This is a tasty way to prevent or treat a hives outbreak. So next time you are trying to think of a better way to live with chronic outbreaks of hives, head to the grocery store instead of the drug store.