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Does local honey diminish allergies?
It certainly tastes fabulous, but does local honey have the power to stop itchy eyes and scratchy throats?
Thu, Apr 15 2010 at 12:50 PM
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Photo: cygnus921/Flickr
A letter to the New York Times editor about how local honey helps to fight allergies got me thinking, does it really work? I’ve heard about this natural allergy-fighting remedy before, but I've always wondered, how do you know it works? How much would you need to consume?
I use only local honey. The wildflower honey I get from a South Jersey honey producer is amazingly delicious. Tasted alongside of the grocery store honey that comes in a little bear, there’s no comparison. I always stock up at the end of farmers market season so I have enough to last me through the winter.
No one in my family suffers terribly from seasonal allergies. My oldest son and I get itchy eyes and a bit of a sore throat when the seasons start to change in the spring and fall, but it only lasts a couple of days. We wait it out and don’t take any medication.
I wonder if our symptoms would be worse if I didn’t buy local honey? Could the honey mustard chicken recipe that my boys like so much that I make it weekly in the winter be medicinal?
The theory about local honey and allergies is this: your local bees are more likely to collect pollen from the local flowers in your area. That pollen will end up in small amounts in the honey produced. By ingesting that honey on a regular basis, the person eating the honey will build up immunity to the pollens from the flowers in their local region. It’s sort of like a vaccine taken little by little.
That’s the theory. There doesn’t seem to be any scientific evidence to back that up, however. I can’t find any scientific studies that test the theory. Even without scientific evidence, this seems like one of those ideas worth trying. There are other proven benefits, too. Honey can immediately sooth a sore throat (whether it’s caused by seasonal allergies or not). It’s a natural, temporary energy booster. According to the National Honey Board, it “contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.”
In addition to the health benefits, buying local honey helps support local honey producers. Small bee farmers are on the front lines of helping to save our decreasing bee population right now, and purchasing their local products can help keep them in the fight.
My question to you is, do you use local honey to alleviate the symptoms of your seasonal allergies? Do you believe it works and why? I'm really curious.
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I've been using honey for my allergies for 5 years and it controls much of my allergies to a point where I can deal with it. I started using alternatives for my allergies when the medication I was taking (Seldane) was taken off the market as it caused other more serious problems. I know honey works because on a recent trip to Florida in September my allergies came back because of course I had no resistance to the pollen there.
I had terrible hayfever every spring when I moved to the mid-atlantic. I tried every prescription medication, and most barely touched my symptoms. Then, I started using local honey that I buy at my neighborhood farmers market. I have 2 tablespoons a day (usually in my coffee) and begin in February before the allergies start. I now have minimal allergy symptoms! It costs about $20 per month which is less than I was spending on prescriptions. I highly recommend this!!
There are several problems here. First is that honey doesn't produce antibodies, cells do. Second is that this doesn't really tell you that its inhibiting anything--the histamine reaction *is* antibody-based. Third is that homeopathy is emphatically not a science.
There are several problems here. First is that honey doesn't produce antibodies, cells do. Second is that this doesn't really tell you that its inhibiting anything--the histamine reaction *is* antibody-based. Third is that homeopathy is emphatically not a science.
Aww shucks that is exactly what I was afraid of!!
Is there any way to get tree and grass pollen then, and ingest that?! Does anyone know?
Actually, bees make honey out of the nectar which flowers produce. The pollen which they collect is used as a food source for most of the members of the hive. Only tiny, and variable amounts of pollen are found in ost honey, especially since most beekeepers filter the honey to remove detritus, like pollen.
Bees do collect pollen from flowers, yes. Guess what? Trees and weeds have flowers--that's where their pollen is. Sometimes their "flowers" aren't colorful and showy like your garden flowers, but they are still flowers by function. Bees will collect pollen from anywhere.
Tree pollen is designed to be spread through the air. Flower pollen is designed to be spread through insects. There's a good reason why the 'flowers' on trees that are spread by wind aren't colorful
as a physician who treats allergies will sublingual drops in children who don't tolerate shots, I can tell you this is effective. It makes perfect sense that the allergens in honey would also be helpful and I encourage aptients who ask to give it a try. It certainly can't hurt :)
Perhaps it would be a good idea to actually present it to your patients as an option. Or is there some legal reason for not doing so?
You have to take it on a regular basis, but YES it works
I have always had terrible seasonal allergies and my Mom read about this several years ago, since then I have a spoonful of local honey every morning and my allergies are only a teeny percentage of what they used to be.
in asia, i seldom hear of allergy issues,
I eat local honey, but the bees don't feast on the trees. I have acquired a tree allergy ever since moving to the forest. Cedar and pine in the Spring and Fall have increasingly been doing me in. I use a homeopathic called Grass Pollen by Complimed that helps.
What about allergies to plants that are not pollinated by bees? And dogs, and cats? And dust mites? Wouldn't the honey only work for flowers that bees actually pollinate?
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