The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has issued a new report. It says there’s no safe place for people with allergies. The 100 worst cities are spread all over the US.

I have a history of severe allergy problems. I’ve tried any solution out there… every pill, nose sprays, and even bee pollen. Nothing worked. And my allergies always result in a sinus infection. It was a big problem.

But I found new hope. I got wind of a natural substance. And I started using it this month to cure my allergies. Of course I was skeptical at first… nothing had worked for me up to this point. But that all changed in one day.

Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it! Several studies offer support for this all-natural cure.

One study comes from Dr. Elliot Middleton Jr. He’s the former president of the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology. He graduated from Columbia University. He held positions within the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia. He was also a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Colorado. And the editor-in-chief of Allergy Principles and Practice.

Dr. Middleton’s research focused on stopping histamine release to eliminate the allergic reaction.

Histamine Spreads in Your Blood

Allergies are an abnormal response of the immune system. But it’s not that simple. Here are the details…

Allergens are absorbed into the blood. They cause white blood cells to create allergic antibodies. These travel through the bloodstream. They meet mast cells and basophils. Those are mass storage sites. Histamine and serotonin are stored there.

The antibodies cause storage sites to leak. Histamine and serotonin spread to the blood. They produce the symptoms – sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, and more.

Medications don’t work. Or they have nasty side effects. Many contain pseudoephedrine. It’s a nasal decongestant. It can cause blurred vision, insomnia, and anxiety. Plus, the government monitors its sales. (It can be used to create methamphetamine.) That’s scary stuff.

An All-Natural Cure That Really Works

Dr. Middleton’s study laid the groundwork. He based it off phloretin – an organic compound found in apple tree leaves.

“Phloretin… has been demonstrated to inhibit anaphylactic histamine release from human lung tissue,” says Dr. Middleton.

Phloretin is closely related to flavonoids, plant-based compounds with antioxidant effects. So he decided to try a flavonoid to block histamine release. And it did just that.

According to the results, the higher the concentration of the flavonoid… the less histamine was released. Without the flavonoid, more histamine was released.

Recent studies show similar results.

One was by a group of biologists in Italy. It was a joint effort between the Department of Pathology and Diagnostics and the Department of Medicine and Public Health. And they investigated the flavonoid.

They found that the flavonoid reduced histamine release.

Another study comes from Boston University School of Medicine. It calls the flavonoid “a safe, natural therapy that may be used as primary therapy or in conjunction with conventional methods.”

Dr. Andrew Weil recommends it too. He’s a pioneer of natural medicine. And he holds biology and medicine degrees from Harvard. You may know him as an expert on alternative medicine.

“I recommend it for allergies because it appears to stabilize the membranes of cells that release histamine, the mediator of allergic reactions,” says Dr. Weil.

What Is the Allergy Attack Defender?

The all-natural cure is quercetin. It stabilizes mast cells in the “storage areas.” That prevents them from spilling histamine. So it stops an allergic reaction. Just as Dr. Middleton first discovered.

Onion leaves have the highest concentration of this flavonoid. Other sources are apples, tea, and red wine. It’s also found in chia seeds. (That’s the diabetes cure we told you about last week.)

It takes a lot to produce a positive effect. You probably can’t eat enough onions to kill your allergies. So pill form is best. Dr. Weil recommends taking 500 mg of quercetin six to eight weeks before allergy season.

Since allergy season is in full swing, you may be wondering what you can do now. Dr. Weil says it’s best to take it ahead of time. Not at the onset of symptoms. But I’ve had success taking it during my worst symptoms. How do I feel now? For the first time in years, I can breathe through my nose. I sneeze three times a day instead of hundreds. Quercetin has changed my life. I hope it will put an end to your allergies, too.

And on another note, I want to wish you a very happy Earth Day. As National Humanities Medal recipient Wendell Berry says, “To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival.”

You may think that talk of the environment has no place in a health publication. The truth is, your health and the health of the planet are inextricably linked. Processed foods… Pesticide-drenched produce… Products flown into the U.S. from all over the world… All of these things are just as dangerous to your health as they are to the earth.