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Many people like to believe honey is a natural alternative to relieving allergies or mild hay-fever, but in actual fact, this is a myth.
Can you use honey for allergies?
The short answer is no: honey cannot be used to cure allergies.
There is no medical evidence to support this theory. However, there can be some allergenic benefits to eating local honey.
Some studies have found people with seasonal allergies may be able to alleviate their symptoms with honey over time.
But the natural remedy of honey cannot be used in place of medical cures for allergies, such as immunotherapy, prescription medications or antihistamines.
Honey has been known to be a suitable cough suppressant and can potentially have some anti-inflammatory effects in some people.
According to WebMD, medical experts have indicated that honey does contain traces of flower pollen, which is a known allergen.
One treatment for allergies is the regular exposure of your body to small amounts of allergens.
In this case, eating honey can potentially be used as a slow-burning method of reducing hay-fever symptoms.
It should be noted that the amount of allergenic pollen in local honey is typically very small – even microscopic – and is very different to allergenic airborne pollen from trees, grass and weeds.
Bees tend to collect pollen from brightly coloured flowers, and pollen from these blooms very rarely cause allergies, WebMD reports.
But unlike immunotherapy, this natural method doesn’t help figure out what exact type of pollen your body is allergic to.
“With immunotherapy, we isolate the exact allergen patients are allergic to,” allergist Neeta Ogden says.
However, a study performed in 2002 in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology found that in rare cases, there may actually be a risk for allergy-sensitive individuals who consume honey.
Reactions vary from itching, hives, swelling or even anaphylaxis.
Studies have shown that allergy shots are also an effective way to decreasing symptoms in pollen-allergic people.
What are the other benefits of honey?
Honey also has a number of other surprising health benefits.
When eaten in moderation, high-quality honey is rich in antioxidants, it can help lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol and can be used as a healthier sweetener option when cooking.
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