Hay fever sufferers have attempted various treatments and techniques. They have tried antihistamines, nasal sprays, air purifiers, and staying indoors when pollen counts are at their highest. The number of partial solutions is extensive. A recent study by Hiroshima University in Japan, however, indicates a very nonclinical solution: matcha, the finely powdered green tea originating in Japan and used in everything from lattes to baked goods. Professor Osamu Kaminuma from the Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine conducted the research. He discovered that after receiving matcha over a course of several weeks, mice engineered to express symptoms of hay fever showed a dramatic decrease in sneezing. The amount was reduced to almost zero. What was more remarkable was where the effect seemed to originate. It did not appear to originate from any immune response. Matcha reduced sneezing in mice without affecting the immune reaction, suggesting it may relieve symptoms without altering allergic nasal pathogenesis. (CREDIT: Pexels) Not from the Immune System from the Brain Also known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever is typically classified …