Nutrition and Lifestyle News:

Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs for Allergies

  A small German study found that 85 percent of participants treated with acupuncture and Chinese herbs had fewer allergy symptoms and were also less likely to report that their allergies interfered with their sleep, daily activities or general health. Fifty-two adults with moderate hay fever participated in the six-week study. One group received the weekly acupuncture treatments and three daily doses of a Chinese herbal formula; the others got a placebo treatment that included the application of needles on non-acupuncture sites plus a non-specific Chinese herbal formula. At the end of the six weeks, the patients who received the real treatment were twice as likely to report a reduction of their allergies and said that they needed fewer drugs to deal with their symptoms. The researchers speculated that the treatment might be more effective if begun prior to hay fever season. The study results were published in the September 2004 issue of the journal Allergy.

Source: Allergy, September 2004