Asian Herbs for Allergies?

The Kampo medicine herb Sho-seiryu-to (SST) (Allergol Int. 2009 Mar;58(1):81-8) and Chinese folk herb Kukin (from Sophorae flavescensis) (J Pharmacol Sci. 2009 Apr;109(4):606-17) both seem to have anti-histamine effects on specific parts of the allergic mechanism pathways in sensitized animals.

These herbs are traditionally used already in Asian cultures for allergies, and the findings raise hope that there are numerous tools available from natural therapies for this increasingly common problem. A more widely known option in the US has been stinging nettle herbal extract.