Time to change our tune?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Adansoni do the same in the Kalahari

 

[enrico]

Total change of topic sorry BeeKey, but I didn't realise these honey bees can "migrate seasonally traveling vast distances, sometimes up to 200km over many months to follow the wet season building combs along the way".

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/plant/bees-and-wasps/giant-honey-bee

Ah! thats where mine went to

 

[pargyle]

Interesting I’ve had honey samples tested via the hms and there was grass pollen present, maybe there is more airborn pollen in honey than we think?

Hay fever is a collective term for an allergic reaction to pollen - sadly, it is not confined to pollen from grasses.. My hay fever starts with the early tree blossom - Horse chestnut trees are the worst and it follows on with other types of flora throughout the spring and summer. I've suffered since I was about 15 and it really is debilitating - at the worst times the symptoms are more like asthma, my eyes are irritated, I sneeze prolifically and my nose runs constantly, I'm lethargic - pure misery. I could never get along with Piriton - it just puts me to sleep - and I live with a daily dose of Loratadine during the hay fever season (in my case basically most of spring and summer). On its own it provides some relief but it's not a complete cure. However, since I've been eating my own honey, alongside the tablets, I've found the symptoms are noticeably reduced. I've experimented - leaving out the honey - it gets worse, leaving out the Loratadine - it also gets worse, leaving both out and I can barely function on some days.

I don't know whether it's a placebo effect - I could try some control experiments and get my wife to substitute Tesco own label honey and a sugar pill in place of the anti histamines as a blind test - Can I be bothered ? It works for me, I see the benefits and I'm happy to accept that the combination of the two makes my life with hay fever liveable.

I have a lot of customers who are convinced that my local honey has an effect on their hay fever - when I am asked I tell people that it works for a lot of people and the only way to find out is to try it and see - but there's no guarantee.

There is no cure for hay fever - but in the worst cases immunotherapy is possible - where small quantities of pollen are injected into the person on a regular basis - building up immunity to some degree and perhaps the pollen found in local honey is having a similar effect - who knows ? There's apparently no appetite for any formal medical testing .. and probably never will be.

 

[bpmurray]

The vet suggested the honey route and after a while once she had started the horse on honey she no longer needed to have the expensive vet bills.

Perhaps it was a bit of training, offering honey if he stopped having symptoms (suppressed equine sneezes in the background)

 

[Moobee]

Hay fever is a collective term for an allergic reaction to pollen - sadly, it is not confined to pollen from grasses.. My hay fever starts with the early tree blossom - Horse chestnut trees are the worst and it follows on with other types of flora throughout the spring and summer. I've suffered since I was about 15 and it really is debilitating - at the worst times the symptoms are more like asthma, my eyes are irritated, I sneeze prolifically and my nose runs constantly, I'm lethargic - pure misery. I could never get along with Piriton - it just puts me to sleep - and I live with a daily dose of Loratadine during the hay fever season (in my case basically most of spring and summer). On its own it provides some relief but it's not a complete cure. However, since I've been eating my own honey, alongside the tablets, I've found the symptoms are noticeably reduced. I've experimented - leaving out the honey - it gets worse, leaving out the Loratadine - it also gets worse, leaving both out and I can barely function on some days.

I don't know whether it's a placebo effect - I could try some control experiments and get my wife to substitute Tesco own label honey and a sugar pill in place of the anti histamines as a blind test - Can I be bothered ? It works for me, I see the benefits and I'm happy to accept that the combination of the two makes my life with hay fever liveable.

I have a lot of customers who are convinced that my local honey has an effect on their hay fever - when I am asked I tell people that it works for a lot of people and the only way to find out is to try it and see - but there's no guarantee.

There is no cure for hay fever - but in the worst cases immunotherapy is possible - where small quantities of pollen are injected into the person on a regular basis - building up immunity to some degree and perhaps the pollen found in local honey is having a similar effect - who knows ? There's apparently no appetite for any formal medical testing .. and probably never will be.

Similarly I’ve had bad hayfever since I was 12 (summer of 1976 kicked it off) and regularly took antihistamines every year until I became a beekeeper and started having a teaspoon of my own honey every day. Now I only take them if the pollen count is crazily high.
Several regular customers swear it has improved their symptoms and one woman claims it’s cleared up all her husband’s allergies, so who knows.

 

[bpmurray]

a damn sight better for you than processed sweeteners.

Since honey is about 80% sugars, mainly fructose and glucose, there's very little between it and so-called "processed" sweeteners. Pure sucrose, glucose and fructose can be bought in pretty much any supermarket, and there is exactly zero difference between these and the sugars in honey. Most of the remaining 20% is water with around 2% being the various things that impart flavour to the honey and possibly imbue some positive effects.

I won't dispute a claim that says that honey is probably better for you than processed sugars, but it definitely is not a damn sight better. It does, of course, usually taste better, but things like ivy show this is not universally the case.

 

[Martin S]

Hay fever is a collective term for an allergic reaction to pollen - sadly, it is not confined to pollen from grasses.. My hay fever starts with the early tree blossom - Horse chestnut trees are the worst and it follows on with other types of flora throughout the spring and summer. I've suffered since I was about 15 and it really is debilitating - at the worst times the symptoms are more like asthma, my eyes are irritated, I sneeze prolifically and my nose runs constantly, I'm lethargic - pure misery. I could never get along with Piriton - it just puts me to sleep - and I live with a daily dose of Loratadine during the hay fever season (in my case basically most of spring and summer). On its own it provides some relief but it's not a complete cure. However, since I've been eating my own honey, alongside the tablets, I've found the symptoms are noticeably reduced. I've experimented - leaving out the honey - it gets worse, leaving out the Loratadine - it also gets worse, leaving both out and I can barely function on some days.

I don't know whether it's a placebo effect - I could try some control experiments and get my wife to substitute Tesco own label honey and a sugar pill in place of the anti histamines as a blind test - Can I be bothered ? It works for me, I see the benefits and I'm happy to accept that the combination of the two makes my life with hay fever liveable.

I have a lot of customers who are convinced that my local honey has an effect on their hay fever - when I am asked I tell people that it works for a lot of people and the only way to find out is to try it and see - but there's no guarantee.

There is no cure for hay fever - but in the worst cases immunotherapy is possible - where small quantities of pollen are injected into the person on a regular basis - building up immunity to some degree and perhaps the pollen found in local honey is having a similar effect - who knows ? There's apparently no appetite for any formal medical testing .. and probably never will be.

I used to have an allergy to horse chestnut trees, but after years of therapy I've conkered it now.

 

[Mint Bee]

Since honey is about 80% sugars, mainly fructose and glucose, there's very little between it and so-called "processed" sweeteners. Pure sucrose, glucose and fructose can be bought in pretty much any supermarket, and there is exactly zero difference between these and the sugars in honey. Most of the remaining 20% is water with around 2% being the various things that impart flavour to the honey and possibly imbue some positive effects.

I won't dispute a claim that says that honey is probably better for you than processed sugars, but it definitely is not a damn sight better. It does, of course, usually taste better, but things like ivy show this is not universally the case.

 

[Mint Bee]

Since honey is about 80% sugars, mainly fructose and glucose, there's very little between it and so-called "processed" sweeteners. Pure sucrose, glucose and fructose can be bought in pretty much any supermarket, and there is exactly zero difference between these and the sugars in honey. Most of the remaining 20% is water with around 2% being the various things that impart flavour to the honey and possibly imbue some positive effects.

I won't dispute a claim that says that honey is probably better for you than processed sugars, but it definitely is not a damn sight better. It does, of course, usually taste better, but things like ivy show this is not universally the case.

you obviously never went to Silvertown before they cleaned the area up. Sure the locals would definitely understand difference between the processed sugar and honey

 

[mbc]

Its horses for courses, honey will be a miracle cure for some hay fever sufferers and yet have little effect on others.
I dont see any value in denying it works for some, so long as its not sold as a snake oil guaranteed cure all.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No science behind the hayfever cure or part remedy but the fact is for some, honey does work for hayfever sufferers.

One reason I know it works for some is because the wife once had a horse that suffered terrible bouts of hayfever and the equine vet costs were quite expensive. That is intially how I got into this fantastic hobby of beekeeping as she wanted a regular supply of home produced honey for her steed. The vet suggested the honey route and after a while once she had started the horse on honey she no longer needed to have the expensive vet bills.

Instead it was me who ended up paying via buying all the beekeeping stuff to continue the hobby, however one silver lining is I can spend/buy what ever I want on the hobby without complaint.

one of my regular buyers (from the farm a few fields away from me) buy my honey for the horse's hay fever and swears it makes a difference.

 

[JamezF]

one of my regular buyers (from the farm a few fields away from me) buy my honey for the horse's hay fever and swears it makes a difference.

They eat the honey and the horse's hay fever gets better? That's amazing!

James

 

[RichardK]

Hay fever is a collective term for an allergic reaction to pollen - sadly, it is not confined to pollen from grasses.. My hay fever starts with the early tree blossom - Horse chestnut trees are the worst and it follows on with other types of flora throughout the spring and summer. I've suffered since I was about 15 and it really is debilitating - at the worst times the symptoms are more like asthma, my eyes are irritated, I sneeze prolifically and my nose runs constantly, I'm lethargic - pure misery. I could never get along with Piriton - it just puts me to sleep - and I live with a daily dose of Loratadine during the hay fever season (in my case basically most of spring and summer). On its own it provides some relief but it's not a complete cure. However, since I've been eating my own honey, alongside the tablets, I've found the symptoms are noticeably reduced. I've experimented - leaving out the honey - it gets worse, leaving out the Loratadine - it also gets worse, leaving both out and I can barely function on some days.

I don't know whether it's a placebo effect - I could try some control experiments and get my wife to substitute Tesco own label honey and a sugar pill in place of the anti histamines as a blind test - Can I be bothered ? It works for me, I see the benefits and I'm happy to accept that the combination of the two makes my life with hay fever liveable.

I have a lot of customers who are convinced that my local honey has an effect on their hay fever - when I am asked I tell people that it works for a lot of people and the only way to find out is to try it and see - but there's no guarantee.

There is no cure for hay fever - but in the worst cases immunotherapy is possible - where small quantities of pollen are injected into the person on a regular basis - building up immunity to some degree and perhaps the pollen found in local honey is having a similar effect - who knows ? There's apparently no appetite for any formal medical testing .. and probably never will be.

My son suffers from hay fever, and as you're experienced it can be quite debilitating at times. Out of interest, how much honey do you consume each day over spring / summer?

 

[user 819]

one of my regular buyers (from the farm a few fields away from me) buy my honey for the horse's hay fever and swears it makes a difference.

Yes as with my wifes horse , it debunks the theory of honey for hayfever is a myth. Unlike humans a horse doesn't have the mind or knowledge of a placebo affect.
There are differing effects amongst humans some say it helps and others not.

 

[JamezF]

Yes as with my wifes horse , it debunks the theory of honey for hayfever is a myth. Unlike humans a horse doesn't have the mind or knowledge of a placebo affect.

Sadly, it doesn't, necessarily. Research into the efficacy of treatments for medical conditions using "drugs", for want of a better word, is considerably more tricky than that, even when the subject of the testing doesn't have any comprehension of the fact that they're being tested.

James

 

[Ely]

Interesting I’ve had honey samples tested via the hms and there was grass pollen present, maybe there is more airborn pollen in honey than we think?

The stuff is everywhere. They are bound to collect particles that have settled in flowers by mistake

 

[Erichalfbee]

The stuff is everywhere. They are bound to collect particles that have settled in flowers by mistake

Spot on. Which is why a pollen analysis means little with reference to honey composition unless you know how to apply that analysis.

 

[Sutty]

Yes as with my wifes horse , it debunks the theory of honey for hayfever is a myth. Unlike humans a horse doesn't have the mind or knowledge of a placebo affect.
There are differing effects amongst humans some say it helps and others not.

As James says, not necessarily!
Even if the horse is not aware the honey is supposed to be a treatment, the person assessing it's effectiveness probably is.

 

[mbc]

The stuff is everywhere. They are bound to collect particles that have settled in flowers by mistake

Bees are electrostaticly charged hairy creatures buzzing about a little above ground level, there'll be a bit of everything in the environment on them besides what they're actually foraging for when they've been out for a bit.

 

[Karol]

Bees are electrostaticly charged hairy creatures buzzing about a little above ground level, there'll be a bit of everything in the environment on them besides what they're actually foraging for when they've been out for a bit.

Electrostatically charged honeybees. Sounds like a new theory. Bit like succussion in homeopathy!