Some spring days it can seem like the only people who are happy are the tissue manufacturers. While most people appreciate the warmer days and blossoming flowers, many people suffer from pollen allergies, which can cause cold- and flu-like symptoms for weeks. You may have heard of people who treat their symptoms by taking a spoonful of raw native honey and wondered whether to write this off as a superstition or find a local honey source. Before you decide, you should review the evidence both for and against this sweet treatment.
Home Remedy
According to those who advocate native honey as a home remedy, honey is made from the same pollen that causes many people to suffer from hay fever, or allergic rhinitis. According to the Mayo Clinic, more than 20 percent of people in the U.S. experience sneezing, coughing, sinus pressure, runny or stuffy nose and watery eyes every year as a result of these allergies. Native honey is purported to trick your body into developing antibodies against these allergens by introducing them in a lifeless form, similar to how a vaccine keeps you from getting the measles.
Scientific Evidence
Scientists have performed few studies on the effects of honey on allergies. One study, published in the "Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology," sheds doubt on honey's effectiveness. In this study, 36 subjects were divided into three groups, which were given either native, unprocessed honey; commercial, processed honey; or a placebo. The three groups had no significant differences in their allergy symptoms, leading scientists to suspect that honey is not an effective treatment for allergies.
Theories
One theory why honey may not provide allergy relief is that people with hay fever are primarily allergic to airborne allergens. The offending pollen is light and comes from plants that are pollinated by the wind. The pollen that goes into honey, on the other hand, is heavy and come mostly from different plants that are pollinated by insects. Therefore, honey does not introduce the right kind of pollen to your body. However, according to the ShareCare website, there is much anecdotal evidence that honey does help some allergy sufferers. According to the Bare Foot Honey Farm, if native honey is going to be effective for you, your tongue, mouth or throat will become scratchy approximately five minutes after eating it. The theory behind this is that your body is beginning to react to the allergens in the honey, which will cause it to build antibodies that will be effective against the live allergens that cause hay fever.
Precautions
Honey can contain bacteria spores, which are harmless to most people, but which can cause infant botulism in children under 1. Since this reaction can be deadly, never give honey as an allergy treatment to a small child. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences also warns that if you have a history of severe allergic reactions to pollen, you might want to avoid eating regular doses of any honey, since this can cause you to develop allergies to other kinds of pollen.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Hay Fever; April 2010
- "Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology"; Effect of Ingestion of Honey on Symptoms of Rhinoconjunctivitis; T.V. Rajan, et al.; February 2002
- ShareCare: Can Honey Cure Seasonal Allergies?
- Bear Foot Honey; Honey FAQ; October 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Infant Botulism: How Can It Be Prevented?; Jay L. Hoecker; May 2010
- University of Arkansas for Medical Science: Can Eating Honey Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms?
