Honey is good for so many things.
It can be used as a natural sweetener for teas, desserts, and other recipes, can help soothe a sore throat, and it’s even used as a natural moisturizer in some skin care products.
However, what you might not know is that consuming local honey is also a great way to naturally help manage springtime allergies.
Keep reading to find out how consuming local honey might help give you some relief from springtime allergies.
How Local Honey Helps Protect Against Allergies
When raw, local honey is consumed over a long period of time, it’s been proven time and time again to help lessen the symptoms of people who have mild allergies.
While there isn’t concrete medical data on exactly why it works, most doctors believe consuming honey affects people much like getting a vaccine does.
First and foremost, it’s important to remember how honey is made.
Honey comes from bees. And bees get the energy and nutrients they need to produce honey while ingesting nectar, which is often coated with pollen.
As honey is produced in a bee’s stomach, pollen naturally becomes one of honey’s “ingredients.”
From there, honey is collected and placed into containers which we buy.
As we consume the honey we purchase, we are also consuming trace amounts of pollen–the irritant that causes itchy eyes, coughs and sneezing.
Here’s where the vaccine theory comes in.
When you’re given a vaccine, you’re injected with trace amounts of a virus. This process allows your body to build an immunity to the virus so you can easily fight it off before it becomes a problem.
The same process can be applied to consuming raw, local honey.
Over time, you’ll be exposed to irritants from honey that will help build your body’s immunity to having an allergic reaction.
Once again, I want to express the idea that this isn’t a 100% proven method for getting rid of allergies.
There is data to prove that consuming raw, local honey can help, but, if you have severe allergies that are disrupting your daily life, I encourage you to visit your primary doctor to get the help you need to stay healthy and safe.
What Type of Honey You Need to Consume
If you’re interested in giving honey a try for mild allergies, there are a few things you need to know.
First, it’s important that the honey you purchase is local.
The honey you consume needs to contain trace amounts of pollen from the plants that are native to your area. If the honey doesn’t contain pollens from local plants that cause allergies, it’s not going to do anything to help you.
One of the best places to find local honey is your community’s farmers market. Always ask the person who is selling the honey where it was harvested to ensure it’s local.
If you don’t have a farmers market that is local to your area, check online for local honey producers. There’s a good chance that you’ll be able to find a local honey farmer that produces and sells honey in your community.
Second, it’s important to make sure the honey you purchase is raw honey.
Honey that is not raw is filtered and processed, which strips the honey of pollens.
Raw honey is as natural as it gets and will give you the best shot at helping you manage your allergies.
One Final Thought on Honey as Allergy Relief
As a naturopath, I always like the idea of using natural solutions to relieve health problems before medications need to become involved.
There’s no harm in giving honey a shot in your pursuit to get rid of some of your allergy symptoms.
That being said, if you suffer from severe allergy symptoms like wheezing, burning eyes, rashes, throat swelling, or any other symptom that would compromise your safety, you need to consult an allergist before you give honey a try.
For more tips on how to naturally manage allergies, check out our blog post here.
