When people suffer from allergies, relief may be a matter of changing what they eat.

An estimated 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

While many people are tempted to take over-the-counter remedies to lessen the symptoms, there is a better way to fight back, certified nutritional therapist Norma Kayte O’Dell said in an e-mail interview.

She promotes supporting the body to handle these invaders or diminishing exposure through changes in diet.

"Foods that help manage inflammation and support the immune system can help alleviate allergic reactions," O'Dell said.

One such food is local raw honey.

Tom Ogren, horticulturist and author of "Allergy-Free Gardening," said honey works in a way similar to allergy shots -- it builds up a tolerance to local pollens. He said honey made about five to 10 miles from the buyer's home is most useful, and farmer's markets are a good place to buy it. Beekeepers can tell buyers where the honey was produced.

Ogren pointed out that if a person's allergies are worse during the spring, then it's best to buy honey made from bees working springtime flowers.

Build Resistance

The other part of keeping allergies under control is through fortifying the immune system.

Gary Null, nutritionist and author of several books, including "7 Steps to Perfect Health: A Practical and Affordable Guide to Health and Nutrition," recommended several steps.

He said people should avoid overeating and keep caloric intake at a level that is actually needed. The result is more energy and reduced allergies.

Null said allergy sufferers must also provide themselves with a six-day-a-week exercise program. Exercise stimulates endorphins and keeps muscles stronger and longer. He recommended people should start exercising lightly, doing what they can handle.

Reducing stress can also help. People can't always change what causes stress, but they can change how they respond to it.

"Before acting out -- don't personalize it," he said.

Null also suggested detoxifying the body by getting rid of bad food in the diet and replacing it with good foods.

He said that once people take these steps, they will begin to feel less fatigue and pain, have more energy and sleep better after five days.

Good Foods

Ogden said that berries, apples, leafy vegetables, bananas, tofu, legumes and walnuts turn off inflammation and start healing. He said that each time people have berries, they turn off the allergic response.

He added that garlic and onions are superstar foods that contain sulfur, which is a powerful detoxifier for the body.

Ogren said other anti-allergy foods include:

Turmeric

Diindolylmethane or DIM, a supplement

Perilla oil, which has an antihistamine effect without drowsiness

Maca, a type of radish that grows in South America, that provides energy

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, turnips, kale and cabbage, which even out hormonal imbalances

If possible, he said, buy dairy that is hormone-free, with a label that says: "This product does not contain recombinant bovine growth hormone or rBST."

Take Your Vitamins

Experts say allergy sufferers must also fortify themselves with vitamins and enzymes.

Null recommends 2000 mg of vitamin C, 15 mg of vitamin B complex and pantohenic acid, a type of B vitamin that helps to flush out lactic acid and inflammation.

O'Dell recommends omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A, E and D.

Foods To Avoid

Reducing intake of certain foods that can trigger allergies can also help.

Ogren said foods that have a lot of calories but not much nutrition are more likely to aggravate allergy symptoms than foods with more nutrition and the same amount of calories.

"Avoid most fast food, instant foods and most canned foods because of the quality of nutrition per calorie of these foods," he said.

That means using brown rice instead of white rice and buying organic produce because pesticides themselves can trigger allergies. Ogren said it's wise to back off of refined carbs and sugars.

He added that eating large amounts of not very nutritious carbohydrates skews the body's hormonal imbalance.

Eating certain foods during particular seasons can further aggravate allergies.

"Food allergies and pollen are all related," he said.

For example, during the fall when ragweed blooms, those allergic to it should also avoid sunflower seeds. He added that melons, zucchini, cucumber and bananas have shared allergens with ragweed, and they should also be avoided in the fall.

Ogren said that during the spring, the worst allergies come from tree pollen. He said to avoid maple syrup because maple trees pollinate in the spring.

He said birch pollen is also a common allergen in the spring. A number of foods, such as potatoes, carrots, apples, walnuts and cherries, often cross-react with birch pollen and will be an allergy source during that time.

During the summer, grass pollen allergy is strong. He said to avoid wheat in the summer because it is a grass.

Are people willing to do what it takes to manage their allergies? That may be the tradeoff -- giving up favorite munchies and exercising -- for the sake of feeling better.

"Do it all at once. The difficulty depends on what they won't give up," Null said. "Here's what people have to do. You have to first want to be healthy and then you have you have enough discipline to break some comfortable habits."