local honey cures allergies: myth or miracle?

i've been suffering from hardcore allergies since moving to "the utopia for young families" (what my amazing mother-in-law coined our new town). congestion, headache, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, sore throat, sinus pressure, and a runny nose has been a part of my daily life for the past six months! with all the wild flowers and trees, this place is more of a utopia for bees.

it's sucked so bad that i've seriously considered moving my family back to city...where skyscrapers stand in place of trees and street lamps instead of stars. after shooting down my proposal, which was in formatted and spiral bound, my husband recommended a spoonful of honey. not only would it help me swallow my pride, but apparently, if local, it helps treat seasonal allergy symptoms!

well, it didn't take much convincing.  i ran to the pantry, grabbed the honey, tilted my head back, and gulped the glorious, golden goo.

it was only after i'd chugged half the bottle that i thought to check the validity in this folk remedy.

honey studies

the New York Times reported on a University of Connecticut Health Center study. allergy sufferers were put into 3 groups. the first groups was treated with local honey, the second was treated with commercial honey, and the third was given a honey-flavored corn syrup placebo. the results showed that neither of the honey treated groups showed improvement over the placebo group.  however, a similar study at Xavier University, though informal, found that those who were treated with honey had fewer symptoms after six weeks, and those who were treated with local honey reported the most improvement.

guess the jury is still out on this one.  

benefits of honey

did you know honey has many benefits? according to the National Honey Board, it's chock full of vitamins and minerals...B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. not to mention, it has it's fair share of antioxidants and vitamin C. and, it's also a natural energy booster and cough suppressant. 

not too mention, it's antimicrobial and moisture retaining properties are great for the skin. why do you think it's in so many beauty products!

from here on out, i'm totally putting honey in my tea in the morning. and, i think i'll have a spoonful before my workouts!

after all, i have a responsibility to test this natural allergy remedy...you know, for the good of mankind!

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