A new study challenges the common belief that children who attend daycare separate early in life have lower rates of asthma and allergies later.

The research, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, finds that young children in daycare get sick more often and experience more respiratory problems, but that any perceived protection or immunity these illnesses bring against asthma and allergies seems to disappear by the age of eight.

Instead, the study suggests that these early exposures to illnesses not only cause more airway symptoms early in life, but provide no counterbalancing effect later.

Researchers followed 4,000 Dutch children over a course of eight years for the study.

In addition to medical treatments of allergic symptoms like wheezing, there are many herbal supplements and remedies to choose from.

Quercetin is a plant-derived bioflavonoid that helps stabilize mast cells and prevents them from releasing histamine, according to MotherEarthNews.com.

Good sources of quercetin include citrus fruits, onions, apples, parsley, tea, tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce and wine, but – according to the source – allergy sufferers will most likely need to use nutritional supplements to build up enough of this compound to prevent attacks.