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Can honey lessen seasonal allergy symptoms?

Probably not. Honey has been anecdotally reported to lessen symptoms in people with seasonal allergies. But these results haven't been consistently duplicated in clinical studies.

The theory of exposure to small amounts of pollen building up immunity is plausible; that's how docs treat allergies. But they control how much and what allergen you get. What you get in honey is a tiny amount of pollen from something you are likely not allergic too.

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Pollen from weeds, trees, and grasses is the leading cause of seasonal allergies. Wind usually whips the yellowy dust from these plants into the air.

Bees, which make honey, tend to pick up pollen from brightly colored flowers. Pollen from these blooms rarely causes allergies.

Web MD

I am not a doctor, but I have google.

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Posted by Martini

Near Athens

Member since Mar 2005

48861 posts

Posted on 7/10/17 at 4:49 pm to Twenty 49

I eat honey from our hives probably 5 days a week but I have developed allergies over the last few years and have almost daily sneezing fits.

But it's honey our bees make and my vegetables do well with them 100 yards away. No complaints.

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Posted by MontyFranklyn

T-Town

Member since Jan 2012

23834 posts

Posted on 7/10/17 at 4:52 pm to Martini

Do you make lemonade or tea with that fresh honey? If so, how does it taste compared to lemonade or tea made with sugar?

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Posted by Martini

Near Athens

Member since Mar 2005

48861 posts

Posted on 7/10/17 at 8:47 pm to MontyFranklyn

quote:

Do you make lemonade or tea with that fresh honey? If so, how does it taste compared to lemonade or tea made with sugar?

Honey is sweeter than sugar so it doesn't take as much. I'm eating homemade honey vanilla wafers now and my wife is making honey blueberry scones as I type.

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Posted by BigDropper

Member since Jul 2009

7674 posts

Posted on 7/10/17 at 9:37 pm to Jackalope

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It will help with local allergies

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How so?
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It has low doses of the same pollens. Builds up a persons resistance over time

Bees harvest nectar from flowers that require contact of insects to pollenate the plants/trees. The pollen that is responsible for human allergies comes from flowers/plants/trees that are wind-pollinated.

If bees are making honey from the nectar of flowers that require insect-pollination, how does the consumption of the honey help build resistance to allergens that come from flowers that are wind-pollinated?

This thought process is counterintuitive to the basic understanding of how bees acquire honey & the allergens that affect humans.