04/01/2024
This is one of my personal experiences with honey for allergies and some added info from the Mayo Clinic staff. Allergies are what started me beekeeping...
While serving as 3rd shift supervisor June 20-24/2023, while the actual supervisor was on vacation, I was visiting with one of the lady operators who told me about her 18yo son with severe allergies. Taking 8-10 pills everyday and using an inhaler 10-15 times daily, she was looking for alternatives for her son. I suggested raw honey, which I brought to her the next night. Ten days later, since starting his regimen of a tsp twice a day, she informed me that he had dropped to 1-2 pills per day and only needing his inhaler 2-3 times daily while feeling much clearer in his head and chest. She said that he has started going out running on the country roads on a daily basis as well, which he was previously unable to do.
I filter my honey through a 650 micron sieve, while pollen averages only 25 microns within a range of 2.5 microns to as large as 250 microns. This leaves the honey a bit cloudy with all that pollen floating around, but the allergy benefits come from that pollen being ingested with the honey.
Honey is also great on bug bites, relieving the itch and lessening the swelling. Being that raw honey is also antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflamatory, antifungal, and antiviral gives way to other medicinal uses.
The following information is from the Mayo Clinic....
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HONEY
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Overview
Honey is a sweet fluid made by honeybees using the nectar of flowering plants. There are about 320 different varieties of honey, which vary in color, odor and flavor.
Honey contains mostly sugar, as well as a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc and antioxidants. In addition to its use as a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent. People commonly use honey orally to treat coughs and topically to treat burns and promote wound healing.
Evidence
Research on honey for specific conditions includes:
Cardiovascular disease. Antioxidants in honey might be associated with reduced risk of heart disease.
Cough. Studies suggest that eucalyptus honey, citrus honey and labiatae honey can act as a reliable cough suppressant for some people with upper respiratory infections and acute nighttime cough.
Gastrointestinal disease. Evidence suggests honey might help relieve gastrointestinal tract conditions such as diarrhea associated with gastroenteritis. Honey might also be effective as part of oral rehydration therapy.
Neurological disease. Studies suggest that honey might offer antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits. In some studies, honey has been shown to help prevent memory disorders.
Wound care. Topical use of medical-grade honey has been shown to promote wound healing, particularly in burns.
Results might vary because there are no standardized methods for producing honey or verifying its quality.
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So, the next time you have an issue, look to your local honey producer for some relief.
