# Seasonal Allergies & Honey. Opinions?



## DarkWolf (Feb 20, 2013)

Ok, so what is everyones opinion on taking local honey to help with seasonal allergies? I'm sure everyone and their mother has heard that taking honey daily will help build a tolerance to pollen. There are however no published studies on it, and many who say it's foowy. 

One train of thought is that "it's these tiny pollens carried by the wind — and not carried by bees — that tend to be allergens.". While I agree with that, it's also fair to say that those tiny pollen spores contaminate everything around. Seriously.. I've looked at my truck and wondered when it's turned from blue to yellow. So my "opinion" is that there are still spores from allergen plants in the honey and pollen collected, regardless on if they are just a wind dependable plant. 

So... What do YOU think?


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## khicks12 (Feb 28, 2012)

I think that pollen inhaled can cause an alergic response (obviously). Pollen digested in the gastrointestinal tract is destroyed, and I doubt that intact allergens are absorbed into the blood stream to build any immunity. I'm not a doctor, but I have seen one on TV  I just don't see how eating it could help.


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## BeeTech (Mar 19, 2012)

As bees fly their wings generate an electrostatic charge. This is what causes pollen from the flowers to stick to their bodies, which they then comb off and store in their baskest with their legs. Pollen on the wind should also collect on their bodies as well, though probably to a lesser degree.

As for the Inhale vs. Digest, it's about getting the body used to the protiens from the pollen via whatever route they enter. The body will encounter some of it before it breaks down in the digestive tract.


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## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

In my opinion local for allergies is foowy as you put it. I tell my customers that a couple of beekeepers got together and tried to come up with a way to sell more honey and there you have it.
No Scientific studies
No group studies
No placebo studies
I just let them know that when people say local honey helped with allergies that all they are really saying is that RAW HONEY helped their allergies without knowing it.
I am sure you will open up pandora here but I don't think any beekeeper can truly prove otherwise.


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## BSAChris (Jun 2, 2012)

I'm a believer - maybe not in local honey per se but raw honey mitigating some of my allergy symptoms. My mother and I both normally have springtime allergies - hers more the sneezing kind and mine more the sinus headache type. Neither of us have encountered either symptom this year, which is after eating quantities of our own raw honey daily since last August. Its too early to say, perhaps, but it certainly has been a promising spring.


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## DarkWolf (Feb 20, 2013)

Ha... You're most likely right about opening the box. This seems to be one of those topics that brings up blunt opinions on both sides. 

I should have clarified that I meant raw instead of just "local". Both filtering and heating the honey would in my opinion mitigate any possible advantage of the honey even remotely helping with allergies.

Well, even if it's not scientifically proven, it seems that many say it does. But then, that might just be Psychoantisomatic.


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## Jon B (Apr 24, 2013)

I have spoken to a few of my honey customers who tell me that local raw honey does help some in relieving their spring allergies. I eat honey everyday and still suffer from seasonal allergies. It may help some people, but it's not a magical cure.


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## DC Bees (Sep 24, 2009)

Well I'm a true believer in that eating local honey can help with seasonal allergies. That's part of the reason I started to keep bees.I started to use local honey about 14 years ago because my allergies were so bad I could not stand it any more.The meds the doctor gave me either made me want to sleep all day or stay up all night, so I needed something with out all the side effects and honey was the answer for me.I know It works and yes I do still have some minor allergies but no where near ass bad ass what it used to be.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

I didn't believe it until I saw several customers that it really helped.


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## NewJoe (Jul 1, 2012)

I know several people that swear it helps them.


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## dnichols (May 28, 2012)

My wife had been a sufferer of chronic allergies. Since ingesting my bees magical cure for the past couple years her symptoms have eased greatly. Is it scientific? Placebo effect? Aliens? Who cares it is working for her. :thumbsup:


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## Jeanette (Jul 7, 2012)

The basic idea for medically approved immunotherapy treatments is to expose the person's immune system to regular, tiny amounts of allergen so that the immune system can cope with it. Gradually, over time, the dosage of the allergen is increased. Eventually the immune system treats the allergen as 'background noise' and thinks it is normal rather than a nasty intruder. This results in the person experiencing less allergic response symptoms.

Theoretically, the idea of eating honey daily to reduce seasonal allergy symptoms has merit. However, even medically approved immunotherapy treatments have no guarantee of 100% success (in my case I was told to expect 60% success, which I got).

Does self-treament with daily honey intake work? As dnichols said, "Who cares it is working for her"!


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## ShelleyStuart (Jan 4, 2010)

dnichols said:


> My wife had been a sufferer of chronic allergies. Since ingesting my bees magical cure for the past couple years her symptoms have eased greatly. Is it scientific? Placebo effect? Aliens? Who cares it is working for her. :thumbsup:


The placebo effect still is an effect, and IMO way under-researched. I suspect there's something to the idea that the brain can regulate the body due to what the person believes. I've also used honey for my kids' coughs. They feel better, cough less, and they (and I) like that "medicine". It might not be the honey that makes it work, but who am I to question happy, sleeping children?


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## spudrocket (Feb 13, 2013)

> The placebo effect still is an effect


I firmly believe in the placebo effect, not sure if it is the case here. What I have noticed though is that certain types of honey can help with certain allergies, meaning the type of pollen used in the honey helps with that type of allergy. I would like to see studies on this subject though, I would be interested to see the results. And in the end, as long as it helps (placebo or not) I would use it.


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## MiddleofMae (Mar 1, 2012)

Well.... I am not a doctor, but my dad is, and an allergist at that. I have asked him this question, as I'd heard LOTS of people talk about taking local honey for allergies. KHicks12, this is actually what my dad told me, that pollen digested in the gastro tract doesn't have an effect the respiratory tract. i think it's a placebo effect. Not that it keeps me from selling my honey to neighbors for allergies...


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## Grizz270 (May 2, 2013)

I used to take allergy shots and it seems to me that honey may be a similar way for the body to develop "immunity" to allergens. But, yes I would like to see some studies. And, I never use "treat allergies" as a sales pitch for selling my honey.

Now for me I didn't keep taking allergy shots and I didn't use honey. I started using a nasal rinse (this one) twice daily for 2 years. I will attest to it working very well (and no neither I nor any of my family work for this company).


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

Is local honey available from this year that contains the airborne pollen that is currently causing allergic reactions?

Do beekeepers save honey from spring 2012 to provide the appropriate pollen content for customers in spring 2013?

....if honey is 99.5% sugars and water, the other half percent includes some trace substances, and pollen. A small percentage of that pollen is incidentally collected airborne pollen, how much is needed? ...and is eating honey a reasonable way to ingest that pollen?

deknow


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## wmsuber58 (Jul 8, 2013)

I believe the digestive tract will destroy ingested pollen that is in honey. I read that one immunotherapy practice was to put gathered pollen under the tongue, and allow it to be absorbed there. This would solve the digestive issue. I have terrible allergies, plant related and others too. I have been eating my own local honey for three years. Personally I see no improvement. But then I realize there is no sound reason for honey or pollen to help with allergies reacting to pet dander, wood dust and household dust. It could be helping with plant allergies, it certainly encourages me to think it is helping. And I have just started the pollen under the tongue, so no results yet. I do get the best benefit when I take a tablespoon of honey every morning followed by my usual allergy pill.


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## beedeetee (Nov 27, 2004)

I'm pretty sure that I've read that pollen will pass through our digestive tracts intact without breaking down and that honey bees can not use pollen in the form that they collect it. That's why they put it in cells and allow fungi to break down the pollen grain surface and form bee bread that they can utilize.


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## Kidbeeyoz (May 8, 2013)

Not about allergies but-----my wife's two siblings, a twin brother and older sister suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in their finger joints. My wife does not and puts it down to the raw honey she has consumed from our hives over 30 years. I am a big believer in the benefits of raw, lightly filtered honey. So there you go!


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## bolter (Jun 27, 2013)

There is a controlled study & book put out by a research MD//have the simplified book at home (vice the research edition) & the researcher's name, etc.
Anyhow, his study shows that raw honey, which has not been over filtered, boosts the bodies immune system, which in turn reduces allergy symptoms. His research findings show that there is no need to buy local honey as the pollen is not the responsible agent. In any case, the chances of any honey having the exact pollen that is causing your allergies is pretty slim. Will add the name of the MD & the book when able.
Other benefits documented by same researcher - table spoon of honey before bed improves sleep & helps "buffer" blood sugar levels (i.e. you don't wake up in the morning with low blood sugar).

cheers

Book info; The Honey Revolution - Restoring the Health of Future Generations Ron Fessenden, MD, MPH and Mike McInnes, MRPS
As mentioned above - we got the abridged version (40 pages or so which is basically a presentation of the main findings & recommendations) - full book (215 pages) is available at Amazon. Fessenden stated that it details the research, etc, so is a bit of a tough read (according to him).
Abridged version is available here; http://www.honeybeetreasure.com/The_Honey_Revolution_p/thrbook.htm


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