Limited research has suggested that honey can serve as an integrative treatment for symptoms of hay fever and other allergies. However, results have varied, likely because bees make honey by gathering nectar from a mix of flowers near them. This can affect the composition and medicinal properties of honey.
Bees that feed on New Zealand’s Manuka bush produce Manuka honey, a specific type of honey that may promote wound healing and work against bacteria, according to the National Cancer Institute.
People have used Manuka honey as food, to promote wound healing, and to relieve gastrointestinal problems, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Other names for Manuka honey include tea tree honey, Australian tea tree honey, active Manuka honey, and antibacterial honey.
Talk with your physician before you try Manuka honey to treat or prevent your allergy symptoms.
Can Manuka Honey Treat Allergic Reactions?
No studies have looked into the use of Manuka honey specifically for the management of hay fever and other allergic reactions. However, some studies have considered honey to be a natural allergy reliever. A mini-review found that taking a type of honey called Tualang honey relieved symptoms of allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, more than a placebo, meaning that it may be useful alongside standard allergy medications.
However, the review also showed no difference between honey and placebo for the treatment of symptoms for a different type of reaction, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, which also involves the eyes. The authors reference animal and cell studies in which honey has demonstrated the ability to control how immune cells activate in allergic diseases, but given the limited findings on allergy symptoms in human studies, more research is necessary.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, no significant evidence supports the use of honey to manage seasonal allergies.
Can People Be Allergic to Manuka Honey?
Honey allergies are possible, but rare, affecting less than 0.001 percent of the population, according to research. According to Mayo Clinic, those with an allergy to honey usually develop an allergic response to the bee pollen.
However, bees are attracted to flowering plants, which have heavy, sticky pollens, allowing insects to pollinate them, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Pollens that causes allergic rhinitis are wind-pollinated, so they’re lighter and blow for miles around. The stickier varieties don’t cause hay fever.
Most food allergies occur due to milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat, and sesame, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Honey is not a major allergen. However, rarely, honey’s pollen, bee protein, or enzyme content may trigger a food allergy in some people.
According to the National Health Service, symptoms of a food allergy may include:
- Dizziness
- Light-headedness
- Hives
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Breathing difficulties, including noisy breathing or hoarseness
- Sneezing or a blocked, itchy, or runny nose
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Belly pain
- Diarrhea
A severe allergic reaction to any food, including honey, is known as anaphylaxis. Contact emergency services if you or someone nearby experiences the following symptoms:
- Sudden swelling of the lips, throat, mouth, or tongue
- Rapid breathing or breathing difficulties
- Tightness in the throat
- Swallowing difficulties
- Skin that has turned blue, gray, or pale, which may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet in people with darker skin tones
- Sudden confusion, drowsiness, or dizziness
- Fainting from which a person doesn’t wake up
- In a child, limpness, floppiness, or nonresponsiveness
- Hives
Research indicates that if you have a honey allergy, you may need to have an epinephrine autoinjector (EpiPen) with you at all times to treat allergic reactions quickly.
Avoid giving honey to any child under 1 year of age, as honey contains Clostridium botulinum spores that can cause a serious condition called botulism.
