Honey and allergy relief: Do these two really go together?
"Spring can feel like a breath of fresh air, unless you're one of the millions dealing with seasonal allergies," said Dr. Joseph Mercola, a board-certified family physician based in Ormond Beach, Florida. "While trees bloom and flowers bud, you're left battling itchy eyes, sneezing fits or sinus pressure. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone."
As many allergy sufferers seek help from alternative remedies, some scientific studies indicate that honey may indeed help relieve some of the pesky discomforts of seasonal allergies – although the research is far from definitive.
Honey has health benefits because of its unique chemical composition, C. Marina Marchese told Fox News Digital.
"It's a botanical fingerprint of a particular time and place, with potential wellness benefits that go far beyond the kitchen," said Marchese, founder of the American Honey Tasting Society in Weston, Connecticut.
Honey might help with seasonal allergies, but the evidence is mixed.
"Critics point out that the pollen found in honey mostly comes from flowers, while the kind that triggers your allergies is usually airborne from trees, grasses or weeds," Mercola told Fox News Digital. "Bees don't typically gather that kind in large amounts."
A 2002 study by researchers at the University of Connecticut found no significant symptom relief in people with allergic rhino conjunctivitis after taking local or clover honey daily for 30 weeks.
However, Mercola cited other studies that suggest honey does have anti-allergic potential.
"In a 2021 mini-review published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, researchers examined both animal and human studies. In mice and rat models, honey reduced common allergy symptoms like sneezing, nasal rubbing and airway inflammation — pointing to a possible protective effect in controlled settings," he said.
"In human trials, including one involving patients with allergic rhinitis, those who consumed Tualang honey saw a steady improvement in nasal congestion and sneezing, even after they stopped using antihistamines."
The type of honey you consume matters, according to Mercola.
"Clinical and preclinical research suggests that honeys like Tualang and Manuka may offer more potent anti-allergy effects," he said. "These varieties are rich in bioactive compounds like gallic acid, caffeic acid and kaempferol, which have been shown to dampen inflammatory pathways and reduce histamine release."
Marchese also stresses the importance of avoiding commercial honey, pasteurized or ultra-filtered honey, which "lacks the pollens, enzymes and other beneficial compounds that might be helpful."
Many honeys sold commercially in supermarkets are not the best quality of honey, Marchese told Fox News Digital, and are imported from various countries and blended, treated with heat at high temperatures and compromising the integrity of the honey.
If honey is going to offer any potential benefit for allergies, Marchese said, it should be fresh, preferably from a backyard beekeeper, unheated and unfiltered.
Even if honey doesn't eliminate your allergies completely, it offers other wellness benefits, Marchese said.
"It's rich in antioxidants, has antibacterial properties and can help soothe sore throats and coughs," she said.
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