Honey As an Allergy Cure

Honey is one of nature's original sweeteners; made from the careful harvesting of nectar by bees, honey is appreciated for its flavor and health benefits. One of the health benefits being researched today is local honey's ability to lesson the symptoms of pollen-related allergies. While allergies plague millions of people worldwide, honey might be a sufferer's easiest solution to their allergy woes.

The Theory

• The body has a unique way of creating immunities to specific pathogens. For example, by injecting a small amount of the dead viruses that cause the flu, the body creates immunity to the viruses, protecting its self from influenza. This mechanism is believed to be the same reason that eating local honey is effective against rhino conjunctivitis (seasonal allergies).

  Seasonal allergies to pollen occur because the body takes these entities and triggers an autoimmune response, trying to rid itself of the pollen. Honey is made when bees cultivate nectar from the same plants you might have allergies too. Because bees also collect pollen as a food source, the honey made in the hive will contain some pollen from these plants, as well. Ingesting local honey is believed to slowly acclimate your body to the allergens from these plants, creating a sort of immunity. This immunity lessons the body's reaction to pollen.

Research

• A study conducted at the University of Connecticut and published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, reveals a positive correlation between allergies and honey. The study showed a significant reduction in symptoms of seasonal allergies. The study also tried to conclude if the origin (local honey or mass-produced honey from supermarkets) of the honey was important in allergy relief. The findings were inconclusive in this regard.

Extra Information and Conjecture

• There is more to allergy relief via honey then just constantly ingesting the sweet, sticky liquid. Honey is a sweetener, and like sugar, you cannot consume it in excess. An expert in homeopathy, Tom Ogren, a California horticulturist who was interviewed by the Boston Globe, says taking a small amount of honey daily is, "like getting allergy shots...I here from people who are crazy about the results they get." He went on to describe that besides the one aforementioned study, there is hardly any solid research about honey's allergy-relieving properties. Dr. Leonard Bielory, an allergist and immunologist at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) - New Jersey Medical School, stated that even though "there are no controlled studies of a clinical effect" of local honey and allergies, "I do believe there is something to it." Honey therapy is not for toddlers or infants; it should only be used for people 5 years of age and older, as it can be a choking hazard and is poisonous in infants. Honey as an allergy cure is still up in the air. The scientific research is not in abundance; however, those who use it consistently for allergy relief swear by it.