Diet tricks: How to fend off ticks this summer
12 August 2024 15:16
The ticks are not letting up. It is precisely now that we are most vulnerable to their attack. How can you protect yourself from these arachnids? Forget about ointments or sprays. All you need to do is include a few specific products in your daily diet.
The tick activity season starts in June and ends in September. During this period, we are particularly susceptible to bites from these arachnids, which carry dangerous diseases. These include Lyme disease, babesiosis, and tick-borne encephalitis.
Until recently, they lived only in forests or wetlands. Now, you can find them even in the city. How can you protect yourself from ticks? An appropriate diet seems to be helpful.
Include in your diet. Ticks will avoid you
Ticks are tiny arachnids from the mite order. Despite their small size, they severely threaten human health and even life. They spread many diseases, such as Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, bartonellosis, and tick-borne encephalitis—no wonder many people fear close encounters with these arachnids.
You don't have to give up walking in the forest or outdoor activities. Just change your diet a bit. During the period of highest tick activity, try to eat foods high in vitamin B. This is one of the vitamins that alters the smell of sweat to one that repels arachnids.
What products are best? Spinach, nuts, groats, beans, and liver. An interesting fact is that beer, which also contains B vitamins, can be added to our list of repelling products, as can garlic, which also changes the smell of sweat.
Rub into the skin. You’ll forget about ticks
Ticks also cannot tolerate aromas such as peppermint, lemongrass, tea tree, sage, cloves, and thyme. It's worth getting essential oils from these plants. They should be mixed with oil or lotion and rubbed into strategic places like ankles, knees, or the skin behind the ear just before entering the forest or meadow.
Besides diet and essential oils, remember a few basic protection rules. When planning a trip to places with a high risk of contact with ticks, wearing long trousers and a hat is advisable. Clothes in light colours make it easier to spot ticks. After returning from such places, it's essential to check the entire body thoroughly.
