Pollen, Raw Honey Recommended for Allergy Relief

To Sneeze or Not to Sneeze
By Laurie Castaneda, The Pinnacle (USA), 5/11/2007

For some, modern medicine often takes a back seat to home remedies. These methods vary, from taking 16 grams of Vitamin C orally over a 24 hour period to aromatherapy (lavender and chamomile oils are said to help calm asthma attacks).

Others, such as Leon Bray, say bees may provide the relief allergy sufferers are looking for.

Bray, a Hollister resident who has kept bees as a hobby for 40 years, says both bee pollen and raw honey may work to ease certain allergy symptoms. Several years ago, a co-worker of Bray's used bee pollen provided by Bray to ease his symptoms.

"I made some pollen traps and brought it into him," he said. "He swore by it."

Bray also said the pollen bees carry naturally finds its way into honey, creating another way to get bee pollen into the diet.

"Bees bring in pollen to feed their brood," he said. "They feed them the nectar which mixes with the pollen. The pollen then transfers when they move from there into the honey chamber. As the bees go up and down they bring the pollen with them."

The pollen in the raw honey can help a person build up immunity to the pollen, said Bray, who suggests taking a teaspoon of raw honey every day.

"Some people swear by it, but I believe that while it will work for some people, maybe it won't for others," he said.

Bray said he believes the honey eases symptoms from pollen that was in the air at the time the bees made the honey - pollen released later won't find its way into the honey until the next batch - and that only raw honey provides the benefits allergy sufferers seek…