Honey and Hay-fever.
How to obtain local honey and how it may help with relieving hay-fever symptoms.
We are often asked "Do you sell honey?"
The simple answer is that the honey we produce in the Apiary is from the colonies that we use to teach beekeeping. We sell this twice a year, at our Open Day (in late May / early June) and our Honey Show (early October). Usually we sell out and do not have honey for sale at other times.
However those of our members who have their own beehives often sell their honey in the local shops etc, so if you look around you can find local honey for sale. All jars have the address on the producer on them.
Very often, people buying 'local' honey want to use it as a possible aid to relieve hay-fever symptoms. This article is about aspects of this therapy.
1. What is 'local' honey? When honey is suggested as a possible reliever of hay-fever symptoms, it is often stated that it should be "local honey". Bees forage for up to 5km from their hive, so 'local' covers a reasonable area, not just your street!
2. How might it work? All honey contains pollen grains from flowers that the bees visit to collect nectar and make honey. By taking a small amount of honey each day (say a teaspoonful on one or two slices of bread) , you are exposing yourself to a very small amount of pollen. The therapeutic approach is that this will gradually de-sensitise you to pollen allergy responses, to a greater or lesser extent.
3. Will it work for me?
All plants produce pollen (it is an essential part of their own reproductive processes). However, from a pollen point of view, plants form two groups:
a) Grasses, cereals and some trees (e.g. willow and hazel). These plants are wind-pollinated – they produce a lot of pollen which is blown from plant to plant in the wind. They do not need bees for pollination (hence they have no noticable flowers) and their pollens are only present 'by accident' in honey.
b) Flowering plants. These plants are those that produce flowers to attract bees or other insects for pollination. Their pollen is always present in honey.
If you are sensitive to grass pollens, then honey therapy may have a limited effect; generally, sensitivity to flowering plant pollens is more likely to be reduced by eating honey.
4. When should I start? Since the underlying mechanism is one of a slow reduction in sensitivity, it takes time. Ideally, you should start at least six months before the start of the pollen season, which means October or November in the UK. If you wait until symptoms start to appear you are unlikely to gain any benefit in the same year.
5. Should I consult my GP?
Your GP will not mind you asking about this approach. He or she may be able to carry out (or arrange for) tests to see if you are sensitive to grass or flower pollens.
You should check with your GP if you have:
• other symptoms of a strong histamine reaction (e.g. skin condition or asthma) or
• a history of problems with your immune system or
• you are taking medication that may have compromised your immune system or
• you are proposing to treat an infant
to ensure that you will not create additional problems.
Also, if you are diabetic, you will need to allow for the sugar content of honey in your management of this condition. However, the amount of honey ingested per day is small.
Otherwise, in general, the honey will do you no harm.
As in all medical matters, consult your GP if you feel there is any cause for concern. Twickenham & Thames Valley Beekeepers' Association cannot accept any responsibility arising from the advice in this article.
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