When I was talking about eating ragweed pollen, I wasn't saying something totally wild and off the wall. There is a theory that things you eat, your body considers as food and therefore no longer reacts.

kland,

Eating something does not remove the allergy. You can be allergic to something that you eat. What you are doing when you eat the pollen is something else called "desensitization." The theory is that if you are exposed to something on an ongoing basis, your immune system will tire of fighting it. When it's too tired to fight it anymore, you have very little reaction. Leave off eating it for a few weeks and try again and you may have a big reaction.

There is another theory out there that if you can keep from being exposed _at all_ (zero contact) to the allergen for a period of some months or years, your immune system will forget. I suppose this is the same concept as that of getting renewed, or "booster" vaccines to refresh the immune system's memory and get up the defenses again, only this time, we want the opposite effect.

When I was a child, I could be stung by a bee without any problem. Later on, I was stung one too many times, and by an especially vicious bee, and my immune system targeted it as "enemy number one." I acquired an allergy to the stings which gave me an anaphylactic reaction. This is the most severe form of an allergy, and can cause death. I had to carry an "AnaKit" with me for several years afterward (a shot of epinephrine) in case I were stung again. However, I zealously avoided bees, and was simply never stung for the next ten years. Then one day I put my hand into a decorative shrub and got stung. I never did see the bee (only its pulsating venom sac and stinger). I wondered if I would react...but my immune system had forgotten. It had been too long since the sting that caused the major allergy.

So, either expose yourself constantly, or not at all. Two opposing theories. It may depend on the type of allergy you are working with and how easy it is to avoid the allergens which determines which strategy you try. Personally, I think exposures to allergens, whether constant or not, lead to later problems like arthritis.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Good-bye Hemorrhoids

This is a first-person account, from Prevention, magazine.

My hemorrhoids were a by-product of a sedentary occupation. "Even though I ingested 3 grams of vitamin C daily, the hemorrhoids persisted. Patent medicines produced only temporary relief, for that is what they are designed to do and no more. Finally, a friend suggest rutin. 500 milligrams of rutin after every meal and 400 I.U. of vitamin E, applied externally, did the trick. The hemorrhoids recessed within 3 weeks and never again resurfaced." --Prevention, May 1979.

Comment: While this may not work for everyone, it is certainly worth a try.

Suzanne

Kidney Stone Relief

First person account from the Los Angeles Times, June 28, 2010.

Had kidney stones for 6 years. A physician's assistant suggested a small glass of lemon juice right before bedtime. It worked, no more kidney stones. --end of article.

Comment: Always rinse your mouth out after taking lemon juice.

Suzanne

Re: Goodbye Hemorrhoids

Rutin, is a bioflavonoid, found only in plant food. The best sources are citrus fruits, apricots, cherries, grapes, green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, papayas, cantalopes, buckwheat, etc. Rutin accompanies vitamin C in these products and enhances the benefits of vitamin C...the two work better together.

Rutin can be purchased in supplemental form from the health food store. Well-Being Journal, May/June 2010, points out that caffeine drains the body of the bioflavonoids and vitamin C. It notes that rutin is the strongest of the bioflavonoids for preventing varicose veins and strengthening tissues. It heals hemorrhoids, stops nose bleeds and tightens up varicose veins. Should be used with vitamin C.

A Prevention, article notes that the edible part of an orange has 16 times more bioflavonoids than vitamin C: 1,000 mg bioflavonoids; 60 mg vitamin C in one half orange.

Suzanne

Would that lemon juice in the kidney stone post suffice for the hemorrhoids aswell?

An Alternative to Antacids

This is from the Los Angeles Times, Nov. 1, 2010:

"I am 68 and have take antacids since I was 16. After reading about people having success with almonds, I tried it. On my first try, I went for 8 days without Nexium just by eating 2 or 3 almonds before meals. Now I need Nexium only after a spicy meal"

Joe Graedon, a pharmacologist and Teresa Graedon an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition gave this answer:

"We don't know why this seems to work, but we have heard from many readers that eating a few almonds right aftr a mal can ward off heartburn. Thanks for letting us know that the almonds may be eaten before the meal as well." --L.A. Times, Nov. 1, 2010.

Suzanne