Article extract from 'Welcome to a Healthier Life' by Jan de Vries

What exactly is an allergy? Put simply, it is a reaction between an allergen and an atopic reagent. The allergen is the external substance which provokes a reaction in the body ?the atopic reagent.

These reactions can be acute or chronic. For instance, the person who has an allergy to pollen will experience a quick reaction. Other allergies take much longer to produce symptoms which indicate that something is wrong. Often, these slow reactions can be much more dangerous.

A simple way of describing an allergy is to say that a person has a high sensitivity to something. Plants, foods, fabrics, floor polishes, medicines or paints can all be culprits. The most innocuous things can cause allergies. Who would think that fresh fruit or the harmless primula plant could give untold misery to a human being?

Foods like fish, fats and animal proteins are common causes of allergies, as are wheat and some other grains. Some people also discover that they are susceptible to allergic reactions as a result of house dust and mites or even cats and dogs.

What can we do about these allergies? First of all, we must find out exactly what the allergy is. There are many common items in our lives to which we may be allergic.

A surprising enemy, which we never think twice about, is milk. We have become a nation of 'milkaholics' gulping down at least a pint a day. I can assure you that there are more problems caused by drinking too much milk than not drinking milk at all.

One young mother who came to see me was allergic to milk and I advised her on what to drink instead. She didn't take my advice and became addicted to fizzy cola. Before long, she was back complaining that her hair was falling out and that she was feeling dreadful. It took me quite a while to convince her that she had to eat a healthy diet in which fizzy cola and other unacceptable foods were banned. This time, she took my advice and changed into a healthy mother whose baby was equally healthy.

Another seemingly innocent everyday food that is frequently the cause of allergies is the egg. People react to this with amazement. If they only knew how many people I have helped simply by asking them to stop eating eggs.

One of my patients, who was very set in her ways, had this allergy. I asked her to remove eggs from her diet and to use Milk Thistle. The next time I saw her, she was a changed person. She told me that if I had not put her on a strict diet, she would not have coped. It was necessary for her to change her lifestyle. This she was able to accept and the gradual process boosted her Life Force which made her feel healthier than ever before.

Milk Thistle is an excellent remedy for detoxifying and cleansing. It rids the body of a vast variety of toxins as well as allergens responsible for the allergy, allowing the immune system to function properly again. I have also found that Devil's Claw (Harpagophytum) can be excellent in rebalancing the immune system for those prone to allergies.

There are those who believe that too much time is spent on the problem of allergies. I disagree with them. It is no coincidence that in these days of increasing environmental pollution, more and more people are discovering that they have become allergic to something or other. This is a problem which is only the tip of a monumental iceberg.