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Any Honey Allergy?

Does honey allergy exist? Can honey cause allergic reactions since an amount of pollen from the plants that the honey nectar is gathered from could possibly be found in honey?

I wouldn't dismiss honey allergies, but as it seems, serious reactions in pollen-allergic patients challenged with honey are rare. Commercially produced honey is filtered and pasteurized (sometimes even diluted with syrup, hence the amount of bee pollen in the honey is probably low. However, bee products such as propolis , royal jelly, and raw honey (example eating honey straight from honeycomb) probably have to be avoided by people who are sensitive to bee pollens, as nobody could really guarantee its absence in those bee products. And if you are concerned about honey allergy issues, please do consult your doctor.

The safety concern about honey could also have arisen because of the presence of spores that are able to cause a rare deadly disease discovered in 1976, called infant botulism. While honey allergies cannot be 100% established and we all know that consumption of honey is generally safe for adults, many people actually believe that eating local honey could counteract and treat allergies to these pollens by helping the body to become tolerant of them. That is, honey acts as an immune booster against the allergies. The good effects of this local honey are best when the honey is taken a little bit (a couple of teaspoons-full) a day for several months prior to the pollen season. It is said that the closer the honey is raised to where you live, the better it is.

Thomas Leo Ogren of "Allergy-Free Gardening" says, "It may seem odd that straight exposure to pollen often triggers allergies but that exposure to pollen in the honey usually has the opposite effect. But this is typically what we see. In honey the allergens are delivered in small, manageable doses and the effect over time is very much like that from undergoing a whole series of allergy immunology injections. The major difference though is that the honey is a lot easier to take and it is certainly a lot less expensive. I am always surprised that this powerful health benefit of local honey is not more widely understood, as it is simple, easy, and often surprisingly effective."

If you decide to give the local honey a try, consult your physician before use.

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