# Has anyone here ever used raw honey for their allergies?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 18, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448 "2010-01-18T18:06:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twit)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/1 "2010-01-18T18:06:30Z")
And has it worked for you? I’ve heard from some people that it helps with allergies. Bought a jar today at a local drugstore and just want to see what people have to say.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/2 "2010-01-18T18:35:04Z")
Actually, you can have an allergic reaction to the pollen in honey.
In any case, honey can’t cure anything that sugar can’t treat also.
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### Author:  [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speak_to_me_Maddie)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/3 "2010-01-18T18:49:58Z")
Just curious, but in what way are people claiming that raw honey helps with allergies? What is the mechanism or interaction?
I eat raw honey, but only because I like the taste. I actually like all honey, but I’ve never heard about the allergy thing.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/4 "2010-01-18T19:00:12Z")
> [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](#):
>
> Just curious, but in what way are people claiming that raw honey helps with allergies? What is the mechanism or interaction?
>
> I eat raw honey, but only because I like the taste. I actually like all honey, but I’ve never heard about the allergy thing.
It’s natural and unprocessed! :rolleyes:
[Typical nuttiness.](http://www.reallyrawhoney.com/healthfacts.php)
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### Author:  [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/5 "2010-01-18T19:17:17Z")
[Jack Nicholsen]You want the honey?! You can’t _handle_ the honey![/Jack Nicholsen]
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/6 "2010-01-18T19:30:19Z")
> [@](#):
>
> A new study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey may offer parents an effective and safe alternative than over the counter children’s cough medicines.
[http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/90594.php](http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/90594.php)
[http://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/healthcontent/Cautions-on-Using-Local-Honey-for-Allergy-Therapy.htm](http://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/healthcontent/Cautions-on-Using-Local-Honey-for-Allergy-Therapy.htm)
> [@](#):
>
> It is precisely because the local honey has allergens in it, usually the exact same allergens that allergic people in that locality have already been exposed to…it is because of this fact that the local honey can work as an agent to lessen sensitivities to allergies… but, also, because of these very same allergens in the honey, using local honey is not without some danger for some of those with existing allergies. You don’t mention if your wife has asthma or not, but for individuals with allergic asthma, I would be even more cautious about using local honey as therapy.
I see the authors point. It’s long been known that exposing people to allergens can build up a resistance to them. But, there’s also a small risk. Obviously people with asthma or other extreme allergic reactions shouldn’t experiment with any home remedy.
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### Author:  [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/7 "2010-01-18T19:49:13Z")
> [@Speak\_to\_me\_Maddie](#):
>
> Just curious, but in what way are people claiming that raw honey helps with allergies? What is the mechanism or interaction?
>
> I eat raw honey, but only because I like the taste. I actually like all honey, but I’ve never heard about the allergy thing.
I had heard of this and the explanation seems to make sense on the surface at least: the idea is you have to buy _local_ honey… which will contain traces of _local_ pollen (i.e. the stuff you’ll be exposed to in your own environment). The theory being that it’s low-level exposure and will allow you to build up a tolerance to the local allergens - sort of like a tastier version of allergy shots.
Now, whether it works or not, I have no idea… I suspect the effect is rather miniminal. Still, unless someone’s got truly horrible allergies to the local pollens - life-threatening ones - it would seem to be a harmless experiment.
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### Author:  [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/8 "2010-01-18T19:52:39Z")
The old fashion cough medicine in my mum’s day was a tablespoon of whiskey, honey and lemon. Sounds kind of like Nyquil huh? 🙂
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### Author:  [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/9 "2010-01-18T20:14:32Z")
Many, many years ago, I did try this as an experiment. It had no measureable effect on my allergies, and years later I’m still buying tissues by the case.
I’ve also been on pretty much every prescription medicine ever devised, with varying degrees of relief.
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-here-ever-used-raw-honey-for-their-allergies/525448/10 "2010-01-19T05:24:33Z")
Yes, many years ago, when I was a kid, in fact, my mother heard somewhere that eating real honeycomb (not just the honey but the wax too) might help with allergies. I remember the rectangular block of honeycomb, wrapped in cellophane. It was not particularly nice to eat. The honey was too sweet without bread or something, and the wax was, well, wax. I ate it, but I do not recall that that it did my allergies any noticeable good.