Allergies! It's getting to be that time of year, and I was feeling tired of my nose getting runny whenever I went outside!
Lets meet the plants!
Nettle is the main herb in this Oxymel. One of my all time favorite food herbs as it's incredibly nourishing. Nettle is drying, so its a great ally to aid with the runny nose and itchy eyes that comes along with seasonal allergies. Its been used as an allergy remedy for hundreds of years because of its great anti histamine and anti inflammatory properties. Eyebright is another great herb for the wet symptoms like runny nose and itchy eyes that come with allergies. It has been shown to work well at reducing irritation and like Nettle, also is a great anti histamine. Mullein is most commonly known as an ally for the respiratory tract, and this rings true for allergies as well! It helps soothe those dry coughing fits caused by irritation. It's an expectorant which aids with expelling mucus. Next there's Reishi, which is wonderful at supporting our immune systems and deeply nourishing. Allergies are our bodies immune response to increased histamine production. Reishi acts as a modulator, basically bringing our immune system back in to balance and keeping it from over reacting. It's also an adaptogen, providing our bodies to better adapt to stress and has anti inflammatory properties as well. Finally we have Dandelion root! Aside from being packed with vitamins and minerals it also supports and cleanses the liver. In Chinese medicine it's believed that allergies are caused by a strained liver or toxin buildup, so one of the main herbs used to nourish this important organ are the Dandelions Aside from the herbs, I've infused them in ACV because of its benefits to not only our gut flora, but our immune system and lymphatic system as well. The local raw honey has been shown to help with allergies over time, exposing us to small amounts of pollen and building our tolerance.