Hay fever alert

As trees such as pine and yew come into flower in spring so they start to release pollen into the air, which can be bad news for some of the estimated 12 million people who suffer from hay fever in the UK. But if grass pollen is your allergen there is still time to build up your immunity with a little herbal help from butterbur.

Research published in the British Medical Journal has shown that butterbur has similar effects to over-the-counter antihistamines and does not cause any drowsiness. According to the experts you need to start taking butterbur around six weeks before your hay fever season starts for maximum benefits.