The Unexpected Ingredient Making Your Spring Allergies Worse

Salt Shaker: If you consider pollen your enemy every spring, your dinner plate may also be adding fuel to the fire. A new study in npj Science of Food suggests a high-salt diet may worsen allergic rhinitis (aka allergies).

The Study: Researchers measured 24-hour urinary sodium in 51 patients with allergic rhinitis and compared it to their IgE antibody levels and symptom severity. Patients with higher sodium intake had higher antibody levels and worse symptoms (particularly nasal congestion). In mouse models, a high-salt diet changed the gut microbiota and activated the NFAT5 pathway, which increases allergic inflammation. Switching the mice to a low-sodium diet improved symptoms, though they still didn’t get back to baseline.

The Takeaway: If spring allergies are ruining this sunshiny season for you, cutting back on chips and takeout could help move the needle alongside your usual antihistamine routine.

Keep in Mind: This isn’t the sole cause of allergies, and the human side of the study only included 51 people. Much of the study was done in mice, so we’re still far off from firm diet-based allergy recommendations.