Drugs Versus Fish Oil For Allergies - Differences Clearly Explained

Many naturopaths now recommend fish oil for allergies. There is a lot of confusion about what benefits fish oil can have for your allergies, so here's a basic analysis of the situation.

An allergic reaction is an unnatural reaction of the body to some external substance, such as a pollen, a food or a chemical. Allergies can manifest as a fever, eczema, bronchial asthma or psoriasis, just to name a few. What all of these conditions have in common is that they are inflammatory responses in the body. They all involve the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals called eicosanoids into the blood. Two of the worst offenders are prostaglandins and leukotrienes. It is these chemicals which cause the symptoms we all find so annoying, such as sneezing, congestion, sinus pain and bronchial spasms.The body mistakenly identifies the offending substance as an enemy and attacks it, as though it were a virus or bacterium.

The good news is that fish oil is very effective at decreasing the pro-inflammatory chemicals and preventing the allergic response and its associated symptoms. Fish oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids called EPA and DHA. These substances have been proven again and again to reduce inflammation in the body and therefore to alleviate allergy symptoms. EPA and DHA have been shown in many university studies to be particularly effective in reducing eicosanoids.

There are three main differences between fish oil and pharmaceutical antihistamines.

The first is that fish oil has a broad range of action, decreasing many pro-inflammatory chemicals simultaneously. Pharmaceutical antihistamines only act upon the histamine receptor sites, in an attempt to block histamine from causing allergic reactions. The problem with this approach is that allergic reactions are caused by a group of pro-inflammatory chemicals and not only by histamine.

The second difference is that once someone becomes used to taking an antihistamine, the antihistamine stops working and a higher dose is needed. Basically, antihistamine drugs become like an addiction.

The third difference is that EPA and DHA are natural substances, have absolutely no toxicity, and actually provide many more health benefits than just allergy prevention. Some of these include better cardiovascular health, better brain development, better concentration, lower triglycerides and better vision. Antihistamines, on the other hand, are chemical drugs that poison your body and especially your liver.

The important thing to consider is which fish oil to use. The best ones are molecularly distilled and purified and come in concentrated capsules. Taking concentrated capsules is the only way to ensure that you're getting a high enough dose to make the anti-inflammatory effects possible.