Can Local Honey Really Prevent Allergies


Most people would rather not take conventional medications to treat allergies if they didn't have to. It's probably fair to say that many have tried less conventional remedies that just did not work for them. But how many people have actually tried taking local honey. This is certainly something worth consideration.

My Notes

Can honey really prevent seasonal allergies? Well, the theory makes perfect sense. It's based on a concept called immunotherapy. The idea is that you get a tiny amount of the thing you’re allergic to. What happens then is that you become less sensitive to it over time. When this happens you're introduced to bigger doses in controlled amounts. Eventually, over time, your body builds up immunity to the allergen. This is pretty much the same idea behind allergy shots.

Some people think that eating local honey should work in much the same way. After all, it does contain pollen. This is true, but there's still a problem: you have no way of knowing exactly what’s in your honey. This is not the case with immunotherapy where they isolate the exact allergen patients are allergic to. There's also another problem.

You're Not Allergic to Pollen!

There's a chance that you're not allergic to the pollen found in the honey. It's something of a misconception that insect-borne pollen from flowers is linked to allergies. It's the actual pollen from weeds, trees, and grasses that is the leading cause of seasonal allergies.

Usually, honey bees pick up pollen from bright colored flowers, but pollen from these blooms rarely causes allergies. So even if local honey contains pollen, it’s not likely to be behind your allergy symptoms.

Some doctors have researched the issue and their findings suggest honey doesn't work. It's also fair to say that some other medical professionals disagree with this. That's the thing about science; it's often open to interpretation. This is especially the case when there are no large-scale conclusive studies to back up a claim.

One small-scale study got volunteers with allergies to eat one tablespoon of local honey per day. Their symptoms didn’t improve, not even slightly. Others will argue that it's just one small study and cannot be taken seriously.



Not All Honey Is the Same

Advocates of using honey to treat allergies will tell you that it has to be of local origin. It also has to be pure, unprocessed honey. That means it will most likely have the parts of bee in it. It may also contain mold, spores and bacteria too. These are the unwanted bits that are typically removed during normal commercial processing.

In most cases, eating raw, unprocessed honey is safe, but there is a small risk for some people. There will even be a minority where raw honey causes a fatal allergic reaction. This is particularly the case for anyone who is allergic to bees.

Other symptoms of eating raw honey may include:

  • Itching
  • Hives (a raised, itchy rash on the skin)
  • Swelling of the mouth
  • Swelling of the throat
  • Swelling of the skin

The cause of these potential reactions will either be the bee's pollen or the bee parts inside the raw honey.

You can read what a doctor has to say about this in the piece below:

Does Honey Prevent Allergies?
By Paige Fowler | WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Luqman Seidu, MD



Summary

Whether honey can effectively treat airborne pollen allergies is not yet understood, but it doesn't look likely for the reasons outlined in this post.

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