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How Much Local Honey to Eat for Allergies

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If allergy season is right around the corner and you're looking for a better solutions than what you've used in the past, you may have stumbled on local honey as a potential winner. The premise behind using local honey to treat allergies makes sense on paper. Bees in your area collect local pollen, which ends up in the honey they produce. In theory, eating this stuff should help you build up an immunity to the pollen in your area. Unfortunately, it's a little more complicated than that. If you're curious about whether this works or not, you're in the right place!

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    Probably not, but it's unlikely going to hurt anything. The theory here is that locally-sourced honey will help your body build up an immunity to allergens by exposing your body to them in low doses, like allergy injections. Unfortunately, bees probably don't bring nearly enough pollen into the honey they produce to trigger any kind of immune system response.[1] As a result, the vast majority of research on this remedy indicates that it won't do anything for your allergies.[2]

    • Even if this one does work, you'd have no way of measuring the amount of pollen in each spoonful of local honey. Allergy injections work because they contain very concentrated, specific amounts of their ingredients, but you don't have that level of control here.[3]

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    There is some very minor evidence that local honey might help. There have been a few smaller studies that indicate honey could potentially help with allergy symptoms, although the data sets are really small and most of the larger studies indicate otherwise.[4] Taking everything into consideration, this is one of those home remedies that might help, but even if it doesn't, you aren't risking anything by giving it a shot.

    • It's possible that for some people honey works because they believe that it works.[5]
    • Honey may make you feel better if you're dealing with allergy, but this likely doesn't have anything to do with the pollen or allergens in it. Honey can absolutely soothe a sore throat and make you feel better when you're under the weather.[6] If your allergies are acting up and you want to consume some honey, go for it!

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    No, local honey probably isn't going to exacerbate your symptoms. There isn't any serious evidence that honey is going to do any active harm for your sneezing, wheezing, and puffy eyes. In fact, honey is a fairly good ingredient to reach for when you're feeling down. It's a proven treatment when it comes to reducing symptoms of the common cold, for example, and it can help you fall asleep more easily when you're feeling stuffy.[7]

    • Honey has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. As a result, it's pretty good at soothing symptoms when you're feeling sick.[8]

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    It could cause problems if you're severely allergic to honey or bees. If you carry an EpiPen for bee stings or a honey allergy, you're probably already in the habit of avoiding honey. In the event that you aren't though, it's important to note that you should not consume honey if you're allergic to either bees or honey.[9]

    • Being allergic to bee stings doesn't automatically mean that honey is dangerous, but the two allergies are very closely linked, and most people who react strongly to bee stings will have a reaction to honey.[10] As a result, it's better to be safe than sorry, here.
    • If you consume honey and you experience breathing issues, dizziness, vomiting, fainting, or nausea, go to the emergency room.[11]
    • Never give honey to an infant younger than 1 year of age. It can be fatal even in small amounts for young children, since it can cause botulism.[12]

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    Local honey can occasionally contain bacteria or toxins. It's rare, but since local honey isn't pasteurized or filtered, some jars may contain bacteria or toxins that aren't safe to consume. If you consume any honey and feel nauseous or you start vomiting, go to the emergency room. This is an exceptionally rare problem, and most responsibly-sourced honey is safe, but it's something to keep in mind.[13]

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    Make some tea or simply swallow 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 milliliters). How you consume the honey should boil down to your personal preferences. If you're feeling under the weather, try mixing a spoonful of the honey into some hot tea or lemon water. You can also simply eat the honey directly with a spoon if you prefer.[14]

    • You won't get more relief by consuming more honey. If a spoonful or two doesn't bring you any relief, don't keep eating more of it.

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    Trigger avoidance will have the biggest impact on your symptoms. Allergies are your body's natural response to some foreign substance.[15] Avoiding that substance is the best way to avoid allergies. If you're allergic to pollen, stay indoors and keep the windows closed during the allergy season. If you're allergic to dust, keep your home clean and vacuum regularly. Allergic to pets? Don't hang out at your friend's house if they have a cat. It sounds obvious, but it's really the best way to prevent issues.[16]

    • Keeping the air in your home clean is actually a big component of this. Change out the air filter in your air conditioner regularly, keep the air dry with a dehumidifier, and run an air purifier in your room when you sleep at night.[17]

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    Take an antihistamine and/or decongestant to curb the issue. When it comes to fast relief, your best bet is a combination medication that contains both an antihistamine and a decongestant (Claritin-D and Allegra-D are the most popular brands). These will help reduce any sneezing, itching, and sinus issues you're experiencing. If you want something more immediate, give a nasal spray a shot. You simply spray a cromolyn sodium solution directly into your nostrils to relieve pressure and treat the symptoms directly.[18]

    • Cromolyn sodium is a basic anti-inflammatory solution that will clear out a runny or stuffy nose.[19]
    • For children aged 6-11, they can take 30 milligrams (or 5 milliliters) up to 4 times a day. Anyone 12 years of age or older can take 60 milligrams (or 10 milliliters) up to 4 times a day.[20]
    • If you find either an antihistamine or decongestant alone are enough to help you get through the allergy season, it's totally fine to just take one of them.

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    Allergy injections may help you build immunity over time. If you want a more long-term solution to the problem, ask your doctor about getting allergy shots. On a regular schedule, you'll show up to get an injection that triggers your allergic reaction, with the dosage slowly increasing over time. After 3-5 years of regular shots, your body should develop the ability to tolerate and ignore the allergens.[21]

    • You may be sitting here thinking, "Doesn't this solution work the same way as local honey? Why does that not work but these injections do?" The efficacy of the injections boils down to the fact that they're way more potent than local honey, and the dosages can be carefully adjusted and modified to help your body build a resistance over time. Honey just doesn't contain nearly enough pollen to help you build immunity, and you can't work your way up to higher doses.[22]

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  • Never give honey to an infant younger than one year of age. Honey can cause botulism in very young children.[23]

  • One type of local honey, rhododendron honey (also known as "mad" honey) is poisonous, and you should actively avoid this type of honey. It's an exceptionally rare product and it's mainly produced in Turkey, but it's something you should be aware of.[24]

About This Article

Article SummaryX

Before you try to control your allergies with local honey, make sure you're not allergic to bee stings, since raw honey can contain bee venom and body parts. If you're not allergic to bee stings, purchase raw, unfiltered honey from local farmer's markets or natural food store in your area to get trace amounts of the nearest pollen. In order to strengthen your body's tolerance to the allergens, take 1 tablespoon of the honey every day. Since there's no way to know how much pollen or other allergens may be in raw honey, keep your allergy medications on hand and stop using the honey if you have symptoms like swelling, itching, or hives. For more tips from our Medical co-author, including how to use bee pollen to control allergies, keep reading!

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How Much Local Honey to Eat for Allergies

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Control-Allergies-With-Local-Honey