Honey Therapy for Allergies

Allergies can put a damper on spring and summertime outdoor fun. Itchy eyes and a runny nose make doing just about anything more difficult. Many people have searched for natural allergy-relief remedies in an attempt to avoid commercially produced medications. There are a number of natural substances that can reduce the effects of allergies, but there is one that might also help allergy sufferers build up their immunity to allergens: honey.

How Honey Therapy Works

• When bees collect nectar from flowers, they also pick up small amounts of pollen from a number of different plant varieties. Upon returning to the hive, this pollen invariably gets mixed into the honey being produced by the bees. By eating a small amount of this pollen-rich honey each day during the fall and winter, some pollen-allergy sufferers find that by spring allergy symptoms are no longer a problem.

  Not just any honey can produce this kind of result, however. Prepackaged honey purchased from the store generally has been filtered to remove traces of pollen. Also, honey collected from a hive on the other side of the country will not necessarily help, since the plants and flowers where the honey was gathered may not be the same as those in the area in which the honey user lives. It will not build up immunities to the same plants and flowers the person will be exposed to come spring. This is why honey therapy is sometimes also referred to as "local honey therapy," since the only way to achieve proper results is to purchase locally gathered, unprocessed honey. It is also important to stock up on local honey while it's available, since it will need to be used throughout the winter, when bees are dormant.

Instructions and Warnings

• Honey therapy is relatively simple in practice. Each day during fall and winter, take a small amount of local honey orally. Start out with a very small dose, such as 1/8 of a teaspoon. If, after a day has passed, no major allergic reactions occur, the dose can be slightly increased, perhaps to 1/4 of a teaspoon. Continue gradually increasing the dose daily until 1 to 2 tablespoons a day is reached.

  Before beginning honey therapy, consult with a physician if you are afraid you may be susceptible to a severe reaction. Doses of local honey start off small to prevent dangerous allergic reactions. If a moderate to major allergic reaction occurs within four hours of taking the honey, lower the dose significantly the next day. If another moderate or severe reaction occurs with the smaller dose, discontinue honey therapy immediately.