Nov 13, 2010 Posted Under: Allergies

Sweet Remedy for Seasonal Allergies

For someone who suffers with allergies, the joy that should accompany the arrival of spring and summer can be missing. Rather than playing in the sunshine and reveling in the return of grass and leaves to trees, allergy sufferers may spend their warmer months retreating indoors to hide from an array of allergens that are mixed into every warm and balmy breeze. Watery itchy eyes, scratchy throat, runny nose and headaches are just a few of the seasonal allergy symptoms that may plague the chronic allergy sufferer.

The majority of people will wind up turning to a bottle of antihistamines to control their symptoms, but are drugs the best – or even the only – option? Before reaching for a bottle of Sudafed, how about revving up your immune system for an extra boost of protection? Eating plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains provides your body with vitamins and antioxidants, which help your body to fight off allergens and seasonal illnesses. Additionally, avoiding sugar can help to give your body a boost, as too much sugar can cause you to feel fatigued and lethargic, as well as interfere with some of those vitamins and much-needed nutrients your body needs in order to perform at its best. But does that mean you can’t have anything sweet when that sweet tooth strikes? Not at all. Actually, new studies suggest an extra sweet remedy to help build immunity to local allergens: honey.

Honey has touted immunity-boosting properties for years. Now local honey is being given new attention as a healthy way to build up a resistance to local allergens. Local honey, in theory, works like a vaccine; with vaccines, your body is exposed to low doses of a dead virus so that it will build a resistance to the disease, whereas with honey, the bits of pollen and plant particles from local plants can build a resistance to the allergens. Thanks to the bees that work hard harvesting nectar from all the plants that are blooming, their honey can provide a natural way to combat those pesky allergies while giving your taste buds a yummy treat!

Sadly, finding the right kind of honey is a little trickier than simply heading to your local grocery store and hitting the honey aisle. First, it must be unfiltered and unprocessed honey. In other words it should still be 100% all natural honey. Second, it must be local honey. While the honey on your supermarket shelf may have pollen and allergens in it, they are likely from other geographic regions and your body will be working to build a resistance to plants and trees that you may never see or smell.

For the best results in building your immune system against local allergens, look for local honey in your natural food stores – or even better, at a local farmers market. Ask questions about the honey, such as “where it is harvested” and “is it put through any processes?” Once you find a great local honey, you can go home with the sweet reward of a delicious and healthy way to combat allergies. Who knew fighting allergies could be so sweet?

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