People with seasonal allergies, also called allergic rhinitis or hay fever, experience symptoms like a stuffy or runny nose and itchy eyes.

Although tea is a popular remedy to treat these symptoms, there are certain teas that have actual scientific support. Below, we’ll list out teas that have evidence of symptom relief.

note on usage

If you’re going to use tea to treat allergy symptoms, use a diffuser or tea pot with fresh or dried herbs. Only use tea bags if convenience is of primary importance and the bags are unbleached.

Green tea has been lauded by natural healers for a number of health benefits. These benefits include:

  • improving brain function
  • lowering cancer risk
  • burning fat

Many of these health benefits are supported by clinical research. A 2008 study found that green tea can aid in weight reduction. Another 2008 study showed that consuming green tea may lead to a decreased risk of advanced prostate cancer.

Benifuuki tea, or Camellia sinensis, is a cultivated variety of Japanese green tea. It contains a high amount of methylated catechins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which are both recognized for their anti-allergic protective effects.

A 2013 study found that Benifuuki green tea was especially useful for reducing the symptoms of an allergic reaction to cedar pollen.

Tea brewed with stinging nettle, or Urtica dioica, contains antihistamines.

Antihistamines can reduce nasal inflammation and ease pollen allergy symptoms.

Butterbur, or Petasites hybridus, is a plant found in marshy areas. It’s been used to treat many different conditions, including seasonal allergies.

A 2013 study published in ISRN Allergy found that butterbur is as effective as the antihistamine fexofenadine (Allegra) in providing relief from allergy symptoms.

A 2010 study identified other natural ingredients that can be made into a tea to reduce allergy and sinusitis symptoms. These ingredients include:

  • ginger with the active ingredient [6]-gingerol
  • turmeric with the active ingredient curcumin

A placebo is a fake medical treatment, or one that has no inherent therapeutic effect. A person’s condition may improve if they believe the placebo to be a real medical treatment. This is called the placebo effect.

Some people may experience a placebo effect when drinking tea. The warmth and comfort of a cup of tea can make a person feel relaxed and partially relieved of their allergy symptoms.

There are a number of teas that have been shown to have a positive effect on allergy symptoms.

If you want to try a specific kind of tea for allergy relief, speak with your doctor. They can advise you on how much tea to drink over the course of a day and how a tea might interact with your current medication.

You should only buy teas from reputable manufacturers. Follow their instructions for use.