To The Daily: In addition to the H1N1 that has invaded North Alabama, we also have to contend with allergies that are not as widely publicized. Nor is a treatment that has proven to be beneficial for thousands of sufferers: honey. I’m not talking about processed honey, available in stores year-round; but rather raw honey that is available from beekeepers and many local fruit stands.

Why raw honey?

Processed honey has been heated and force-filtered, which destroys many of the nutrients and removes 95 percent of the pollens that are found only in raw honey. This is done to honey to give it better eye appeal. It gives clarity, which helps it sell better.

Raw honey will have a cloudy appearance because the natural properties have been left in. The only filtering usually done to raw honey is to strain it through cheesecloth, which removes bits of beeswax and other foreign particles. Otherwise, it is left untouched.

Some of the medical community have recognized the benefits of bee products and have started keeping bees themselves and are prescribing honey as an effective treatment for allergies. It certainly beats taking a day of sick leave and the pain associated with shots.

Two teaspoons of honey a day won’t cure allergies, but certainly will lessen one’s reaction to pollen allergies by processing those grains of pollen that are in honey and helping the body build up a resistance to them.

Jay MacIlveen
Alabama Beekeepers Association
Decatur