Some people have believed for some time that honey can help aid and possibly even cure allergies. The reasoning behind this is that since bees pollinate flowers and are covered in pollen, all the pollen should transfer over to honey. Therefore, if you consume a little bit of honey each day, your system should gradually be able to handle pollen in higher amounts. So, the University of Connecticut Health Center decided to put this belief to test. The research team would give different substances to people affected with allergies and see if any type of honey would add relief to allergies. The 36 people were split into three groups: one would receive local honey, the other commercial honey, and the last corn syrup that was made to taste like honey (the placebo group). After a few months went by, none of the groups reported having relief or aggravation and this myth was proved wrong. According to Doctor Stanley Fineman, president of a college that specializes in allergies and asthma, "Seasonal allergies are usually triggered by wind borne pollens, not by pollens spread by insects." To me, I found this to be a real bummer, since I suffer from pretty bad allergies. When I first saw this title, I was secretly hoping that this might be the key to end itchy eyes and constant sneezing. Oh well. I am sure many other allergy-stricken people will be surprised and slightly saddened when they hear this news, but I found it interesting that allergies were caused by wind borne pollens, a fact I was unaware of before. This article made me wonder what other remedies there might be out there that people habitually (and stupidly) follow in hope of curing whatever ailment they need to cure.
Citations:
O'Connor, Anahad. "Eating Local Honey Cures Allergies." The New York Times.
N.p., 9 May 2011. Web. 9 May 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/
health/10really.html?_r=
J, Clive. "Effect of ingestion of honey on symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis."
Pub Med. Gov . N.p., 7 May 2011. Web. 9 May 2011.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11868925>.
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