Local Honey

[VeraBlue]

There has been much talk among the homeopathic community regarding honey and seasonal allergies. Reading about it further, it makes sense to me.
The idea is to take small amounts of local (local being the key. Local = local bees, local pollen) honey daily to build up an immunity to the pollen which causes many allergies. Recently, physicians have also agreed with the idea, suggesting it as an alternative and in conjunction with medication.

Luckily, I don't suffer the malady, but my boyfriend does, horribly. He has tried all the prescribed medications and nothing works. My question is, how does one go about finding local honey without cruising the streets? I imagine a farmer's market is the way to go..but where are they listed?

By the way, he lives in Aston, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles from the Delaware border.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Gretchen]

You might just try any honey and see if it helps. HOney is a pretty neat food.

 

[QSis]

There has been much talk among the homeopathic community regarding honey and seasonal allergies. Reading about it further, it makes sense to me.
The idea is to take small amounts of local (local being the key. Local = local bees, local pollen) honey daily to build up an immunity to the pollen which causes many allergies. Recently, physicians have also agreed with the idea, suggesting it as an alternative and in conjunction with medication.

Luckily, I don't suffer the malady, but my boyfriend does, horribly. He has tried all the prescribed medications and nothing works. My question is, how does one go about finding local honey without cruising the streets? I imagine a farmer's market is the way to go..but where are they listed?

By the way, he lives in Aston, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles from the Delaware border.

Thanks for any help.

I've heard the same advice recently: "try local bee honey to desensitize yourself to the local pollen".

I Googled and found a link that your boyfriend might try. http://agmap.psu.edu/Businesses/2047

Lee

 

[jkath]

I've never heard of this idea, but it makes perfect sense!
Thanks for the info, Verablue!

 

[GB]

Very interesting concept!

 

[Gretchen]

Honey, in and of itself, has some medicinal qualities. That is why I suggested using honey that was available if no local could be found.

 

[VeraBlue]

cannot use any honey

You might just try any honey and see if it helps. HOney is a pretty neat food.

Thanks for the suggestion, Gretchen, but any honey won't work. It has to be local honey, because it's local pollen than any given person is allergic to. For instance, during the week, when my boyfriend is home, he's miserable with the allergies. I live in northern NJ, and when he visits on the weekends, he sees a marked change. Naturally, I'm inclined to believe it's my stunning presence that makes him feel so good....but I have to look at this realistically, as well.

Local honey works because it's full of the pollen that is around the person who is suffering.

 

[VeraBlue]

Thank you

I've heard the same advice recently: "try local bee honey to desensitize yourself to the local pollen".

I Googled and found a link that your boyfriend might try. http://agmap.psu.edu/Businesses/2047

Lee

I see they are discussing this in Boston,, too...

 

[kyles]

I haven't found any local honey here at all. I don't even know if we have any apiarists in this area. What makes me laugh though is that I can buy honey from my home town in Australia (Launceston, a pretty small town) here in the UK, but I can't buy honey made locally. Strange. I'd love to know if this works.

 

[daisy]

It's an old, old remedy and it works to desensitise you to pollens, but local honey is just that - local to the area where you live. That's because it's mostly the pollens of plants where you are that can cause allergic reactions, and the eating of the honey that is produced by the bees who work those pollens that gradually builds up an immunity to them. Honey made 10 or 20 miles away won't be quite so effective, unless you can guarantee that the same pollen from the same plants is used to make the honey. Pollen can travel long distances, blown by wind, bees seldom travel very far at all. The ideal is to have your own bees in your own garden, and this isn't as difficult as it sounds. Contact your local agricultural authority, or Apiarist Association (whatever it might be called) and get their advice on how to go about it. Ask them if you have any species of bees that are sting-free, but it's best to get local native species. Ask your local health-food shop where they get their honey from.

The recommended daily dosage of local honey for allergy treatment is 1 teaspoonful three times per day.

Please note that this won't cure all allergies - only those allergies to pollens which are known to affect you. In other words, it's also an effective hay-fever treatment, when your hay-fever is caused by local pollens.

To alleviate the discomfort of allergic reactions, you could try any of the following remedies, remembering of course that individuals could be allergic or sensitive to any of the remedies!

When afflicted with an allergic reaction, eat a handful of Parsley every day, or drink the juice made from it.

To reduce susceptibility to allergies, eat plenty of foods containing Vitamins A, C, B12 and E, or take supplements of these vitamins. Taking supplements of pantothenic acid, L-histidine and Flaxseed (Linseed) oil can also help.

Place 15g Chamomile flowers in a 1-litre jar. Fill two thirds of the jar with boiling water. Add 3-5 drops of essential oil of Thyme. Cover and let cool for half an hour. Open the lid and inhale the fumes, taking a few deep breaths. Repeat as desired throughout the day.

Drink 1/2 cup Celery juice for several days to alleviate allergic reactions.

Take 1/4 teaspoon Horseradish daily until the symptoms of your allergy subside. Thereafter, you need only a few teaspoons of Horseradish each month to prevent another allergy attack.

Cut Orange peels into strips and soak in Apple cider vinegar for several hours. Drain. Cook down in honey until soft. Keep in the fridge and eat one as required.

To build up resistance to allergies, diet is important. Avoid dairy products, sugar, and refined foods.

 

[Constance]

Place 15g Chamomile flowers in a 1-litre jar. Fill two thirds of the jar with boiling water. Add 3-5 drops of essential oil of Thyme. Cover and let cool for half an hour. Open the lid and inhale the fumes, taking a few deep breaths. Repeat as desired throughout the day.

Daisy, as a professional grower, I got into all sorts of herbs. In fact, at one time I had one of the largest selections of herbs in my greenhouse available in southern Illinois.
I have terrible allergies, that have gotten worse over the years due to such prolonged exposure. There is no way I could sniff the the fumes from that chamomile and thyme infusion without going into a wheezing fit.
But I can drink chamomile tea (I love it...makes me sleep like a baby), and use lots of thyme in my cooking. It's one of my favorite herbs.

So go figure. I think everyone is different. I know for sure I'm a little weird.

 

[BlueCat]

I've eaten local honey, especially in the springtime, for years. I'm not sure if it helped much, but I'd like to think so since I love honey!

BC

 

[DinaFine]

Makes sense to me. Its what doctors do dont they when they inject small amounts of the allergen under the skin to desinsitize you to the allergen?

My local farmers market carries local Honey on Long Island. I would think that where there are bees, there would be honey, would should be just about everywhere.

 

[Half Baked]

Wow Daisy, do you think these rememdies would work for asthma? Since pollen induces some attacks, I think this might lessen the attack or hopefully alliviate it.

 

[Michael in FtW]

VeraBlue - have him break out the old phone book and look for the county agriculture extension office ... and have him ask them for information on a source for locally produced RAW honey. Commercially produced "pasteurized" honey will not have the "homeopathic desensitizing" properties.

Of course, the results will not be the same (as reliable) as the allergen specific desensitizing shots he would get from an allergist for a couple of reasons: (1) the pollen he is sensitive to may not be something that the bees collect to make honey and/or (2) the honey may be produced prior to, or after, the pollen of the antagonist blooms - which means it will not be in the honey and therefore will have no natural desensitizing properties at all! Bees generally go for sweet nectars ... I've not run across "ragweed", "mountain cedar", or "dust" honey - the three things that I am most allergic to in the summer for example.

 

[BigJim]

There is also the state dept. of agriculture you can contact. and also the
yellow pages. like was mentioned. you might also ask the people at the
local farmers market if they don`t have any honey there they might know
some body. that is if they live out in the country. being from pa. you could
ask the amish people.

 

[VeraBlue]

Thanks again to everyone. I really appreciate your ideas and suggestions.

 

[In the Kitchen]

Sensitive Topic

Honey is one thing I know something about. My ex had bees in the yard. He would get calls from people who would tell him they had swarm in their yard. He would go over and get them and bring them home. Rather than have them exterminated people should try to look at the near future here. Although I didn't care to have the bees so close to the house they are truly beneficial to the environment as well as helpful to people in many ways. Now that people are using so many pesticides on their grass and eliminating dandilions I don't see any bees. They are something I used to see everywhere. I don't fault people for not wanting them around. It is just that how can we live together? Bees and people. All this chemically controlled plants we are not getting any real food value. So strange that it seems lot of fresh fruit I buy doesn't rot the way it used to. Wonder how it helps our body if this happens. I see more sweat bees and wasps than regular honey bees. Maybe because my ex isn't around they all left! I just question how this change is going to affect us in days to come. I would like to know if any of you have noticed the absence of honey bees?

 

[Banana Brain]

He could try mixing part honey with part sugar or something so he only gets smaller amounds and maybe won't get a reaction? I know people who are lacktose intolerent but can have part milk with part soymilk in moderate amounts. So yeah thats where I got that idea.

Does anyone know the difference between "super-premium" (more expensive honey) and just regular old store-brand honey? How can one honey be better than the other?

 

[In the Kitchen]

Fact

Some beekeepers add corn syrup to the honey in order to have more to sell. When corn syrup is added the honey normally will not congeal like pure honey. I would rather buy honey that has already settled and know I am getting pure honey rather than diluted. But when you sell pure honey people complain that it did not stay liquid but got thick. If only you could inform people of these facts. There is always some kind of proof if something is pure.