Does honey have to be raw to be healthy?
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I have heard that eating local honey can help desensitize certain allergies. The idea is the honey is made from the same local pollen that you are allergic to. I have no idea if it is true or myth but I know some people that swear by it.
That's actually a myth. It might work if it doesn't land you in the hospital or flat out kill you, but for real desensitization, you need shots by a doctor. Trying to do it yourself is a guaranteed way to ruin your health. It's the same as 'trying' just a tiny bit of peanut butter if you're allergic to peanuts.
I am not talking about a serious allergy like me getting stung by a bee, it takes me a week to finish swelling. I wouldn't go get stung to desensitize my allergy. I am talking about getting a runny nose when a plant blooms. If a desensitization via doctors shots work I see no reason the bee honey from local pollen wouldn't work too. That is just speculation on my part but if someone wants to try it I see no risk other than running out of tissues.
You don’t see a risk in recommending that a person do something that might make them sick, and does not have any proven benefits? Eating honey is not the same thing as getting prescribed allergy shots under medical supervision, after undergoing appropriate testing.
I am sorry if someone in this thread said they are extremely allergic to honey, if they did I missed that. I would never suggest someone with a honey allergy to ingest honey. I was only commenting that I know several people that feel that eating local bee honey helps them with pollen allergies only. I also have no idea if it is effective but if desensitization shots work for some allergies than it sounds possible that small dose exposure to the pollen in bee honey may work too. Eating honey made with the same pollen that makes your nose run is hardly going to make them sick anymore than walking outside and probably less so.
You need to read the other replies. Your response completely misses the point.5 -
I avoid honey, it may taste good, but it’s bee vomit, which is pretty gross when you think about it... so I stopped using it. I only use maple syrup for anything I need to sweeten it works just as great and I don’t get grossed out when I think about it coming from a tree lol hope that helps.23
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rebekahbagnall210 wrote: »I avoid honey, it may taste good, but it’s bee vomit, which is pretty gross when you think about it... so I stopped using it. I only use maple syrup for anything I need to sweeten it works just as great and I don’t get grossed out when I think about it coming from a tree lol hope that helps.
Yeah, boiled-down tree blood is pretty good, too.
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rebekahbagnall210 wrote: »I avoid honey, it may taste good, but it’s bee vomit, which is pretty gross when you think about it... so I stopped using it. I only use maple syrup for anything I need to sweeten it works just as great and I don’t get grossed out when I think about it coming from a tree lol hope that helps.
Given how many insects I'm sure the vast majority of people consume a year by way of eating vegetables, bee vomit that is really sweet and made by insects that also pollinate plants is really no big deal. Plenty of figs have insect remains in them, broccoli and cauliflower, leafy vegetables (especially brussels sprouts) get insects trapped in them, wild mushrooms...oh wild mushrooms. Cleaning morels is not my favorite activity. Never mind that mushrooms are fungi. Growing food is a practice ripe for insect involvement and thus eating produce involves eating insects as well.
Here's an article from Scientific America that lays out some of this.10 -
I have heard that eating local honey can help desensitize certain allergies. The idea is the honey is made from the same local pollen that you are allergic to. I have no idea if it is true or myth but I know some people that swear by it.
That's actually a myth. It might work if it doesn't land you in the hospital or flat out kill you, but for real desensitization, you need shots by a doctor. Trying to do it yourself is a guaranteed way to ruin your health. It's the same as 'trying' just a tiny bit of peanut butter if you're allergic to peanuts.
I am not talking about a serious allergy like me getting stung by a bee, it takes me a week to finish swelling. I wouldn't go get stung to desensitize my allergy. I am talking about getting a runny nose when a plant blooms. If a desensitization via doctors shots work I see no reason the bee honey from local pollen wouldn't work too. That is just speculation on my part but if someone wants to try it I see no risk other than running out of tissues.
You don’t see a risk in recommending that a person do something that might make them sick, and does not have any proven benefits? Eating honey is not the same thing as getting prescribed allergy shots under medical supervision, after undergoing appropriate testing.
I am sorry if someone in this thread said they are extremely allergic to honey, if they did I missed that. I would never suggest someone with a honey allergy to ingest honey. I was only commenting that I know several people that feel that eating local bee honey helps them with pollen allergies only. I also have no idea if it is effective but if desensitization shots work for some allergies than it sounds possible that small dose exposure to the pollen in bee honey may work too. Eating honey made with the same pollen that makes your nose run is hardly going to make them sick anymore than walking outside and probably less so.
Eating local honey does not help with seasonal allergies, so it doesn't matter. It's the placebo effect in action.1 -
Great info!0
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rebekahbagnall210 wrote: »I avoid honey, it may taste good, but it’s bee vomit, which is pretty gross when you think about it... so I stopped using it. I only use maple syrup for anything I need to sweeten it works just as great and I don’t get grossed out when I think about it coming from a tree lol hope that helps.
No it isn't. 🤷🏼♀️🤔3 -
I have heard that eating local honey can help desensitize certain allergies. The idea is the honey is made from the same local pollen that you are allergic to. I have no idea if it is true or myth but I know some people that swear by it.
That's actually a myth. It might work if it doesn't land you in the hospital or flat out kill you, but for real desensitization, you need shots by a doctor. Trying to do it yourself is a guaranteed way to ruin your health. It's the same as 'trying' just a tiny bit of peanut butter if you're allergic to peanuts.
I am not talking about a serious allergy like me getting stung by a bee, it takes me a week to finish swelling. I wouldn't go get stung to desensitize my allergy. I am talking about getting a runny nose when a plant blooms. If a desensitization via doctors shots work I see no reason the bee honey from local pollen wouldn't work too. That is just speculation on my part but if someone wants to try it I see no risk other than running out of tissues.
You don’t see a risk in recommending that a person do something that might make them sick, and does not have any proven benefits? Eating honey is not the same thing as getting prescribed allergy shots under medical supervision, after undergoing appropriate testing.
I don't think they were referring to food allergies. I think they were referring to hay-fever. If you aren't allergic to honey then there's no harm in trying local honey to see if it desensitises you to local pollen (though I gather it's a myth) I didn't see anyone recommending that you should eat honey if you're allergic to it!2 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »I have heard that eating local honey can help desensitize certain allergies. The idea is the honey is made from the same local pollen that you are allergic to. I have no idea if it is true or myth but I know some people that swear by it.
That's actually a myth. It might work if it doesn't land you in the hospital or flat out kill you, but for real desensitization, you need shots by a doctor. Trying to do it yourself is a guaranteed way to ruin your health. It's the same as 'trying' just a tiny bit of peanut butter if you're allergic to peanuts.
I am not talking about a serious allergy like me getting stung by a bee, it takes me a week to finish swelling. I wouldn't go get stung to desensitize my allergy. I am talking about getting a runny nose when a plant blooms. If a desensitization via doctors shots work I see no reason the bee honey from local pollen wouldn't work too. That is just speculation on my part but if someone wants to try it I see no risk other than running out of tissues.
You don’t see a risk in recommending that a person do something that might make them sick, and does not have any proven benefits? Eating honey is not the same thing as getting prescribed allergy shots under medical supervision, after undergoing appropriate testing.
I don't think they were referring to food allergies. I think they were referring to hay-fever. If you aren't allergic to honey then there's no harm in trying local honey to see if it desensitises you to local pollen (though I gather it's a myth) I didn't see anyone recommending that you should eat honey if you're allergic to it!
Hay fever is an allergy (or, more properly, an allergic response to a variety of allergens which could include pollen). So you're recommending that people who are allergic to pollen eat the pollen they're allergic to.3 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »I have heard that eating local honey can help desensitize certain allergies. The idea is the honey is made from the same local pollen that you are allergic to. I have no idea if it is true or myth but I know some people that swear by it.
That's actually a myth. It might work if it doesn't land you in the hospital or flat out kill you, but for real desensitization, you need shots by a doctor. Trying to do it yourself is a guaranteed way to ruin your health. It's the same as 'trying' just a tiny bit of peanut butter if you're allergic to peanuts.
I am not talking about a serious allergy like me getting stung by a bee, it takes me a week to finish swelling. I wouldn't go get stung to desensitize my allergy. I am talking about getting a runny nose when a plant blooms. If a desensitization via doctors shots work I see no reason the bee honey from local pollen wouldn't work too. That is just speculation on my part but if someone wants to try it I see no risk other than running out of tissues.
You don’t see a risk in recommending that a person do something that might make them sick, and does not have any proven benefits? Eating honey is not the same thing as getting prescribed allergy shots under medical supervision, after undergoing appropriate testing.
I don't think they were referring to food allergies. I think they were referring to hay-fever. If you aren't allergic to honey then there's no harm in trying local honey to see if it desensitises you to local pollen (though I gather it's a myth) I didn't see anyone recommending that you should eat honey if you're allergic to it!
OP has an itch and cough reaction to consuming honey. How is suggesting that exposing oneself to this type of reaction to reduce a reaction to pollen is a good idea? Considering allergies change and can intensify, why would OP increase exposures to something that could at some point create a serious reaction? How many exposures will it take for that itching to become swelling and difficulty breathing? No one can answer that because each person is different. The idea of exposing oneself to an allergy that may or may not become serious for funsies is ludicrous.2 -
I have pretty bad pollen allergies. I tried eating local honey in my tea for close to a year (I drank it all day long when I was working, so well over a tablespoon a day). Sadly, it didn't help at all. It tasted good, though, so I don't regret the experiment
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comptonelizabeth wrote: »I have heard that eating local honey can help desensitize certain allergies. The idea is the honey is made from the same local pollen that you are allergic to. I have no idea if it is true or myth but I know some people that swear by it.
That's actually a myth. It might work if it doesn't land you in the hospital or flat out kill you, but for real desensitization, you need shots by a doctor. Trying to do it yourself is a guaranteed way to ruin your health. It's the same as 'trying' just a tiny bit of peanut butter if you're allergic to peanuts.
I am not talking about a serious allergy like me getting stung by a bee, it takes me a week to finish swelling. I wouldn't go get stung to desensitize my allergy. I am talking about getting a runny nose when a plant blooms. If a desensitization via doctors shots work I see no reason the bee honey from local pollen wouldn't work too. That is just speculation on my part but if someone wants to try it I see no risk other than running out of tissues.
You don’t see a risk in recommending that a person do something that might make them sick, and does not have any proven benefits? Eating honey is not the same thing as getting prescribed allergy shots under medical supervision, after undergoing appropriate testing.
I don't think they were referring to food allergies. I think they were referring to hay-fever. If you aren't allergic to honey then there's no harm in trying local honey to see if it desensitises you to local pollen (though I gather it's a myth) I didn't see anyone recommending that you should eat honey if you're allergic to it!
OP said in the original post that they have symptoms caused by eating raw honey. This means there is harm in OP eating the honey.6 -
As a bee keeper I can defiantly tell you that honey bought in shops, made by big manufacturing companies is highly filtered and processed. Heat treated beyond buggery and often cut with even more inferior honey and sugars.
If you are able to eat honey, best you buy local, from a local bee keeper, buy it raw and unfiltered.7 -
Love_2_Hike wrote: »As a bee keeper I can defiantly tell you that honey bought in shops, made by big manufacturing companies is highly filtered and processed. Heat treated beyond buggery and often cut with even more inferior honey and sugars.
If you are able to eat honey, best you buy local, from a local bee keeper, buy it raw and unfiltered.
Well not best for OP since she has an allergic reaction to it.
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Also if the OP is still here, they really need to get themselves to an allergist.3
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »I have heard that eating local honey can help desensitize certain allergies. The idea is the honey is made from the same local pollen that you are allergic to. I have no idea if it is true or myth but I know some people that swear by it.
That's actually a myth. It might work if it doesn't land you in the hospital or flat out kill you, but for real desensitization, you need shots by a doctor. Trying to do it yourself is a guaranteed way to ruin your health. It's the same as 'trying' just a tiny bit of peanut butter if you're allergic to peanuts.
I am not talking about a serious allergy like me getting stung by a bee, it takes me a week to finish swelling. I wouldn't go get stung to desensitize my allergy. I am talking about getting a runny nose when a plant blooms. If a desensitization via doctors shots work I see no reason the bee honey from local pollen wouldn't work too. That is just speculation on my part but if someone wants to try it I see no risk other than running out of tissues.
You don’t see a risk in recommending that a person do something that might make them sick, and does not have any proven benefits? Eating honey is not the same thing as getting prescribed allergy shots under medical supervision, after undergoing appropriate testing.
I don't think they were referring to food allergies. I think they were referring to hay-fever. If you aren't allergic to honey then there's no harm in trying local honey to see if it desensitises you to local pollen (though I gather it's a myth) I didn't see anyone recommending that you should eat honey if you're allergic to it!
Hay fever is an allergy (or, more properly, an allergic response to a variety of allergens which could include pollen). So you're recommending that people who are allergic to pollen eat the pollen they're allergic to.[/quote
Sorry, I embarked on a lengthy response then decided it wasn't worth it. No, I'm not "recommending" that at all. If someone is allergic to honey then of course they should avoid it. But having hay-fever doesn't necessarily mean you're allergic to honey.1 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »
Sorry, I embarked on a lengthy response then decided it wasn't worth it. No, I'm not "recommending" that at all. If someone is allergic to honey then of course they should avoid it. But having hay-fever doesn't necessarily mean you're allergic to honey.lynn_glenmont wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »I have heard that eating local honey can help desensitize certain allergies. The idea is the honey is made from the same local pollen that you are allergic to. I have no idea if it is true or myth but I know some people that swear by it.
That's actually a myth. It might work if it doesn't land you in the hospital or flat out kill you, but for real desensitization, you need shots by a doctor. Trying to do it yourself is a guaranteed way to ruin your health. It's the same as 'trying' just a tiny bit of peanut butter if you're allergic to peanuts.
I am not talking about a serious allergy like me getting stung by a bee, it takes me a week to finish swelling. I wouldn't go get stung to desensitize my allergy. I am talking about getting a runny nose when a plant blooms. If a desensitization via doctors shots work I see no reason the bee honey from local pollen wouldn't work too. That is just speculation on my part but if someone wants to try it I see no risk other than running out of tissues.
You don’t see a risk in recommending that a person do something that might make them sick, and does not have any proven benefits? Eating honey is not the same thing as getting prescribed allergy shots under medical supervision, after undergoing appropriate testing.
I don't think they were referring to food allergies. I think they were referring to hay-fever. If you aren't allergic to honey then there's no harm in trying local honey to see if it desensitises you to local pollen (though I gather it's a myth) I didn't see anyone recommending that you should eat honey if you're allergic to it!
Hay fever is an allergy (or, more properly, an allergic response to a variety of allergens which could include pollen). So you're recommending that people who are allergic to pollen eat the pollen they're allergic to.
Fixing the quote-embedding, since you made it look like I said something you actually said, that I don't agree with.
And yes, you are recommending that "people who are allergic to pollen eat the pollen they're allergic to." You keep ignoring what I and others are saying, and moving the goal posts. We say X, and you say, I didn't say Y.1 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »
Sorry, I embarked on a lengthy response then decided it wasn't worth it. No, I'm not "recommending" that at all. If someone is allergic to honey then of course they should avoid it. But having hay-fever doesn't necessarily mean you're allergic to honey.lynn_glenmont wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »I have heard that eating local honey can help desensitize certain allergies. The idea is the honey is made from the same local pollen that you are allergic to. I have no idea if it is true or myth but I know some people that swear by it.
That's actually a myth. It might work if it doesn't land you in the hospital or flat out kill you, but for real desensitization, you need shots by a doctor. Trying to do it yourself is a guaranteed way to ruin your health. It's the same as 'trying' just a tiny bit of peanut butter if you're allergic to peanuts.
I am not talking about a serious allergy like me getting stung by a bee, it takes me a week to finish swelling. I wouldn't go get stung to desensitize my allergy. I am talking about getting a runny nose when a plant blooms. If a desensitization via doctors shots work I see no reason the bee honey from local pollen wouldn't work too. That is just speculation on my part but if someone wants to try it I see no risk other than running out of tissues.
You don’t see a risk in recommending that a person do something that might make them sick, and does not have any proven benefits? Eating honey is not the same thing as getting prescribed allergy shots under medical supervision, after undergoing appropriate testing.
I don't think they were referring to food allergies. I think they were referring to hay-fever. If you aren't allergic to honey then there's no harm in trying local honey to see if it desensitises you to local pollen (though I gather it's a myth) I didn't see anyone recommending that you should eat honey if you're allergic to it!
Hay fever is an allergy (or, more properly, an allergic response to a variety of allergens which could include pollen). So you're recommending that people who are allergic to pollen eat the pollen they're allergic to.
If a person experiences symptoms when eating a food, then they should not eat that food without at the very least consulting their doctor. As many people have stated here, OP's symptoms are concerning because what begins as a slight throat irritation could, in some people, develop into a potentially deadly anaphylactic reaction if the person continues to be exposed to the substance that causes those symptoms. These deadly reactions can develop without warning. It is irresponsible and dangerous to recommend that OP continue to eat honey when there is any potential at all of a negative reaction, whether that reaction is "just" a scratchy throat or something more severe.
I am not sure why you want to keep arguing this point, but it really doesn't matter whether we call it hay fever or an allergy. The point is that no one should continue eating things that harm them, no matter whether we perceive that level of harm to be small or large.2 -
Runaroundafieldx2 wrote: »I've always heard of the benefits of honey. But does as that mean any honey or just raw honey?.
If it just means raw honey I'll likely skip honey all together. Raw honey makes my throat itch and I can't stop coughing when I have it. It's not healthy for me.
People will tell you anything is healthy to sell you things.
No one food is healthy, it is your total diet that matters.
By this thinking, no one food is bad for you. Just like food can poison is it can rejuvenate us. Not in the ways we always want, and moderation is best, but don't throw out the notion that some foods actually are "super" foods.15 -
First of all, @mdtb8 mentioned an ichy throat and coughing when she ate raw honey. She came back with additional information that indeed she has a pollen allergy.
From itching to swelling to anaphylactic shock are just baby steps away.
Proof that for some people, a touted superfood should be avoided. Because for her, it’s potentially deadly.
I like raw local honey. I don’t have an allergy to it. Yay for me. I am diabetic though so I must watch the dosage. Boo.4
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