Honey has been said to lessen symptoms in people with seasonal allergies, however, these findings haven’t been consistently duplicated in clinical studies.
Though the point is not that far, honey has been studied as a cough suppressant and may have anti-inflammatory effects, that some experts point out that honey can contain traces of flower pollen, which is actually – an allergen – that causes the allergic response. And it is said that the treatment for allergies is repeated exposure to small amounts of allergens.
The notion of using honey as an allergy remedy has not been definitively proven effective. Despite widespread belief that consuming locally produced honey confers protection against allergies to local allergens, little scientific evidence supports the practice.
Back in 2002, researchers at the University of Connecticut put this theory (Honey Good For Allergies) to the test. They recruited 36 volunteers who suffered from seasonal allergic rhinitis characterized by red, itchy, watery eyes and nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing.
It is absolutely clear, however, that honey deserves a place in the medical arsenal as it contains a complex mixture of chemicals that collectively work to destroy a variety of germs capable of causing infection. But for now, it appears that honey may just be a sweet placebo as it does not appear to play a significant role in easing the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis.
It is also important to note that since honey is found in our kitchens, infants under one year of age MUST NEVER BE GIVEN HONEY, due to the risk of a rare but potentially fatal form of food poisoning caused by spores of the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. When swallowed, spores in honey may begin to grow in the intestinal tracts of such young infants, where they can release a potentially deadly toxin.
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