Spring is here! And unfortunately for some, so are the allergies. Many people find relief in local raw honey to help alleviate some, if not all of their symptoms. They key to getting any kind of allergy relief is that the honey has to be local (within a 20 mile radius of your home’s location) and raw i.e. unrefined (no to very limited heat to process).
So, to my mom, who brought me local raw honey from Midland, TX to Nashville, TN, we thank you. It won’t help with our allergies (because the plants in Texas are different than the plants local to me) but it’s raw and we’re still getting the benefits!
Can Honey Really Help Allergies?
Over the years, studies have supported both sides of the debate on whether honey helps with allergies. Some say no, while others say yes. So what’s the take away? To this we can conclude that for some it helps stop their symptoms and for others it doesn’t. However, raw local honey should still be the 1st go-to to try and help alleviate seasonal allergies before opting for an OTC or prescription alternative.
How Much is Recommended?
If you’re struggling with fatigue, itchy eyes, runny nose & sneezing all due to the changing of the season, I recommend taking 1-2 TBS of raw local honey per day. Some people feel some relief after 1-2 days
while others it may take a week or two. Add the honey to tea, on top of oatmeal, blended in a protein smoothie, or just enjoy it straight from the spoon.
It’s Not On the Shelf
Unless you’re at a local store or a natural food store, most honey on the shelf at the supermarket is not raw nor local. The best way to find raw local honey is to start at your local farmer’s markets.
Here are a few questions to ask:
- Where are your hives (the closer the better but at least within a 20 mile radius)
- How is it processed? Do you use heat? How do you filter it? (It needs to be as unrefined, with as little heat, if any as possible)
- Do you feed your bees sugar or a pollen substitute? (If they do, look for another bee keeper)
If you can’t get to a Farmer’s Market here is a great Local Honey locator website where you can search local honey vendors by state. Here is another site that has more options as well.
