Certain foods can trigger allergy symptoms

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SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 26 (UPI) -- Bananas, cantaloupes and honeydew melon can bring on symptoms for ragweed sufferers, a U.S. food expert says.

Phil Lempert -- food industry analyst, trend-watcher and creator of the Web site supermarketguru.com, says allergists explain foods trick the immune system into thinking it is being exposed to pollen, mold and other allergens.

Certain foods are more likely to contain mold, or spoil easily and therefore set off a mold allergic reaction. Among the problematic foods and beverages are cheese, sour cream, buttermilk, foods containing vinegar, yeast breads/baked goods, fermented alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine, sauerkraut, pickled and smoked meats/fish, dried fruit and dried meats like jerky, soy sauce to name a few, Lempert says.

"If you have outdoor allergies, it would definitely benefit you to avoid the foods mentioned above," Lempert says in a statement.

"Remember, the odd thing about food-related allergies is that some of these foods might cause problems one day but not much of a problem on another day. This is due to your body's response to particular allergens present in the environment."

However, some foods such as green tea combat environmental allergens because its antioxidants help keep inflammation at bay and it helps block one of the receptors key in triggering an allergic response, Lempert says.

In addition, omega-3 rich foods such as, salmon, haddock, herring, sardines, flaxseed and walnuts because they are natural anti-inflammatory chemicals formed during an allergic reaction.