Sadly, it turns out this bit of received wisdom is more fiction than fact.
“Unfortunately, despite its amazing taste, eating local honey does not prevent or treat seasonal allergies,” says David Stukus, an allergy expert at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
“The pollen that honey bees collect is very different from the pollen that causes outdoor seasonal allergy symptoms,” Stukus says. “In addition, if honey contained the same type of pollen responsible for seasonal allergies, then people would experience reactions from eating it, not relief.”
And another point in the case against honey: Allergy shots to combat environmental allergies require continual dosing over years. Eating honey every now and again, Stukus says, couldn’t possibly have the same effect.
I was certain I’d actually seen scientific studies floating around the internet that supported the honey-allergy connection, like this one, which I shared with Stukus.
But he says that if you dive into the details, those studies don’t really support such a claim. The report I sent him concludes that while some studies show a link between honey intake and allergy relief, the evidence is limited, and more research is needed.
“Unfortunately, much of the online hype quotes papers such as this, but the authors’ own conclusions don’t match,” he says. “This is a case where the evidence does not match the marketing.”
Of course, honey is delicious and there is certainly no harm in eating it. Just don’t expect it to cure your allergies. — Kristen V. Brown
The Sunday read
The drug it makes is so well known that it’s become the center of a national legal battle. But as far as drug companies go, abortion-pill maker Danco Laboratories is all but anonymous.
“It has fewer than 20 employees, uses a P.O. Box to avoid sharing its headquarters address and isn’t listed on any public exchanges,” writes Bloomberg reporter Fiona Rutherford.
The anonymity is an attempt to help shield the company from threats. The concern isn’t far-fetched. Since 1977, there have been 11 murders and thousands of criminal incidents directed at abortion patients, providers and volunteers, according to the National Abortion Federation.
Source: Bloomberg
