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Honey is often touted as a natural way to treat hay fever symptoms. The theory, explains Anna Almeter, co-owner of Wee Bee Honey in Cowlesville, New York, is that by eating raw, unfiltered, unstrained honey that has been collected locally during the allergy season, you’ll be exposed to the culprit pollens in small doses and build immunity.
But there’s no documented medical study that verifies the claim, says Dr. Neil Kao, an allergist and immunologist in South Carolina. “I tell patients it’s OK to try, because honey is safe and won’t harm them, but I have to tell [them] I don’t know of any objective evidence that honey can help.”
The only study we could locate that tested honey’s effectiveness in treating allergy symptoms was conducted in 2002 by researchers at the University of Connecticut. In the study, 36 allergy sufferers ate a tablespoon a day of either raw, locally collected, unfiltered honey; nationally collected, filtered, and pasteurized honey; or corn syrup with honey flavoring. At the end of the study, the results of the honey-eaters were no different than those of the placebo group.
Still, there’s an awful lot of anecdotal evidence. “Some people say they don’t have to have shots anymore; some say they don’t have to take pills anymore,” says Helene Marshall of Marshall’s Farm Honey in American Canyon, California.
If you’re going to try to self-medicate, Almeter says to keep the following in mind:
- • Know what you’re allergic to and get the honey from that floral source: “If you are going to buy clover honey and you aren’t allergic to clover, that’s not going to do you any good.”
- • Look for honey that has never been heated, strained, or filtered.
- • Make sure the honey is from the correct season. “If you are allergic to fall plants [don’t] buy spring honey.”
- • Start small! “If you start out too high, you can have a reaction. Start with something like a 1/4 teaspoon two times a day and see how you do; monitor yourself. All year you need to do it to keep building yourself up.”
or if you are an infant or someone with compromised immunity. In those cases, consumption of honey can be dangerous and is not recommended by doctors.
Uhhhhh this is silly. All of the allergens/antigens in the honey would immediately get torn up by your stomach acid. Essentially immediately upon hitting your stomach, any potential utility would be gone.
The one thing that does work, in a doctors office, is injecting very small quantities of the allergen in question over a long period of time.
This article is generally accurate and the cautionary advice is sound; however, being a person who HAS been helped by locally grown honey, and having followed the research and theories closely for several years, I offer the following supplemental suggestions. First, plants also have genetic markers and people can be more sensitive to the pollen from some localities; therefore, when trying to...+READ
This article is generally accurate and the cautionary advice is sound; however, being a person who HAS been helped by locally grown honey, and having followed the research and theories closely for several years, I offer the following supplemental suggestions. First, plants also have genetic markers and people can be more sensitive to the pollen from some localities; therefore, when trying to alleviate allergies with local honey, try (if at all possible) to buy honey harvested within 15 miles of your location. In that way, the benefit from the honey will be maximized because of the regional proximity. Second, the previous point is one of biggest problems with the design of most clinical studies.... Many of the studies have not been conducted with a recognition of the importance of harvestation proximity; consequently, their results are confounded by the use of ineffective (non-locality specific and seasonally irrelevant to the subject's allergies) honey. Finally, and this is just a reminder, people with severe allergies should start small and tentatively increase their serving size. Good luck and God bless!!-COLLAPSE
A very true and cautionary story.
My husband had taken honey a number of times to alleviate allergies. He often would use this method when we would move to different parts of the country for business. Until one time he went into anaphylactic shock and was rushed to the hospital and almost died from the allergens in the honey .
Please be careful.
Bulavinaka, I am in VA, and our allergy season has been pretty miserable. So I think the honey is helping, at least for now. This week, I have had to hit the zyrtec a few times, but usually by now, I am on a morning dose of zyrtec with an evening dose of claritin. I think people with allergies should at least give it a try.
Hi jeanmarieok,
I don't know where you live, but this has been one of the heaviest pollen seasons in a long time for most parts of the US. Lots of rain or snow, followed by bouts of warm to hot weather have been a boom to most flora. They've been in hyperdrive doing their springtime thing, so the pollen count has been multiple times higher this season compared to respective averages. If you're...+READ
Hi jeanmarieok,
I don't know where you live, but this has been one of the heaviest pollen seasons in a long time for most parts of the US. Lots of rain or snow, followed by bouts of warm to hot weather have been a boom to most flora. They've been in hyperdrive doing their springtime thing, so the pollen count has been multiple times higher this season compared to respective averages. If you're doing better, and your area is having an extraordinarily high pollen count this season, then something's working for you, and I hope it is the honey for you sake as well as others.-COLLAPSE
OK - I've tried this for the past year or so. I love the local honey from this one farm, and it's so delicious, I was eating it almost every day anyway. I probably eat something less than a tablespoon a day, either on bread, or in tea or on my oatmeal. I have had a much easier allergy season (I am almost thru spring here, and this is the easiest spring for me in memory). I don't know if I...+READ
OK - I've tried this for the past year or so. I love the local honey from this one farm, and it's so delicious, I was eating it almost every day anyway. I probably eat something less than a tablespoon a day, either on bread, or in tea or on my oatmeal. I have had a much easier allergy season (I am almost thru spring here, and this is the easiest spring for me in memory). I don't know if I attribute it to the honey, or the season, but it's a pretty painless remedy!-COLLAPSE