Raw Honey & Allergies

Raw Honey & Allergies

Are you plagued with seasonal allergies? If so, join the one in five Americans who are coughing, sneezing, and otherwise battling the effects of seasonal allergies caused by the abundance of pollen in the air.

While springtime is a wonderful time of year with all the new life budding forth and leaves and flowers beginning to bloom, for those who suffer from seasonal allergies, it can be a nightmare.

If you are like I am and detest running to the pharmacy for yet another drug to help curb whatever is ailing you, may I suggest eating raw honey?

Aside from being irresistibly good tasting, local, raw honey has many medicinal benefits, including helping with seasonal allergies.

How does raw honey help with allergies?

To start with, your body's immune system fights against what it perceives to be threats caused by pollen in the air. The resulting reaction is what produces the awful itching and sneezing, running eyes, and all that goes with it. 

Honey bees, those amazing little buzzing wonders of creation, are busily flying around in search of nectar to make honey. Aside from helping pollinate the flowers, trees, and plants they come in contact with, they are also collecting nectar and pollen from the very sources that your body’s immune system is fighting against.

By introducing small amounts of raw honey produced in your local area, your body begins to develop a resistance to those allergens and your symptoms decrease.

Honey Raw vs. Pasteurized:

I thought all honey was equal. Sorry, but you thought wrong. Most honey found in grocery stores and supermarkets is mass-produced and pasteurized to make it shelf stable. 

While it’s true that by pasteurizing and filtering honey it won’t crystalize like raw honey, it also kills the enzymes and antioxidants that give raw honey its medicinal qualities.

All pure, raw honey will granulate or crystalize over time. While this can be somewhat annoying, all you need to do is place your honey container in very hot water (but not boiling), and the honey will liquefy and be ready to use again.

At Shaded Grove Farm Market we’re thankful to be able to source our honey from local beekeeper Marvin Lapp of Macon, Ms. 

Marvin does an incredible job of placing his beehives in areas where the bees are able to forage natural habitats and wildflowers. The resulting honey is the best raw honey I’ve tasted

Common Uses for Raw Honey

I make a practice of eating a spoonful, (or two or three) at every meal. 

When I feel like I have a cold or flu coming on, I make a hot drink with water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and honey. The stronger the better but experiment with how much to add of each ingredient to suit your tastes.

Add honey to your hot teas. 

Honey can be applied to minor burns as honey contains antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

Cheers on your journey to all-natural, seasonal allergy relief and general sweetness enhancement through generous doses of local, raw honey.