Why Are Allergies On The Rise?

Currently, over 150 million EU citizens suffer from chronic allergic diseases and by 2025, it’s predicted that half the entire European population will be affected. In the UK, 44% of adults suffer from at least one allergy and the number of sufferers is rising, growing by around two million between 2008 and 2009 alone.

What is causing this rise in allergies? Nobody knows for sure, although there are some interesting theories and studies. And what can you do to cope with allergies?

eddie wrote:I really do think there’s something in the idea that you take allergy medicine before allergy season so your body gets to work before the pollen starts it’s evil work.

Honey too, locally sourced honey.

Perhaps wolf can answer that one.

Ben Mothafuckin' Reilly wrote:
I think the hygiene hypothesis makes the most sense on both food and pollen allergies. And air pollution is definitely a huge factor as well.

I see these people jogging next to major roadways and think about all the shit they're sucking into their lungs, even as they think they're helping their health. That's why I never exercise, fam.

Ben Mothafuckin' Reilly wrote:

eddie wrote:I really do think there’s something in the idea that you take allergy medicine before allergy season so your body gets to work before the pollen starts it’s evil work.

Honey too, locally sourced honey.

Perhaps wolf can answer that one.

From what I understand, honey is a bit like a vaccine -- it's supposed to introduce an irritant to your immune system in a form that won't make you sick.

However, I'm not sure as I haven't looked into it very deeply, Eddie.

eddie wrote:I really do think there’s something in the idea that you take allergy medicine before allergy season so your body gets to work before the pollen starts it’s evil work.

Honey too, locally sourced honey.

Perhaps wolf can answer that one.

Dr. Axe food & medicine wrote:Top 20 Uses for Honey in Home Remedies.
Honey is a delicious and natural sweetener many of us are already familiar with. For those looking to eat fewer processed foods, honey may seem like a good natural choice as a sweetener, but first you must know that not all honey is created equal.

Most commercial honey sold in stores is heated to high temperatures and pasteurized, getting rid of most of the beneficial enzymes, antioxidants and other nutrients that are heat-sensitive.

Commercial honey has also had most of the pollen removed. Bee pollen is considered to be one of the most nutritionally complete foods available due to its high amino acid and antioxidant content.

Although most commercial honey is not beneficial to your health, raw honey has multiple health benefits. Raw honey is unheated, unprocessed and unpasteurized. Therefore, it is able to keep all of its nutrients intact, as they are not destroyed by processing.

Raw honey contains bee pollen, has a high content of antimicrobial agents and is full of antioxidants. It will generally have a honey comb included in the jar along with the honey.

Since it is not processed, it will usually crystalize easily and may not be in an easy to use liquid form. It will also usually not be clear, as we are used to with commercial honey, but may be a little cloudy due to the pollen and nutrient content.

The best way to buy raw honey is from a local honey producer in your area. Many larger farmer’s markets may have a honey stand which may offer raw honey. Raw honey will likely be more expensive than traditional honey, so be prepared. Make sure to ask questions about where the honey is sourced from and if it has been processed.

20 Uses for Honey in Natural Remedies
If you’re ready to incorporate raw honey into your diet, then check out these honey uses.

1. Improve digestion – Use a tablespoon or two to counteract indigestion since it doesn’t ferment in the stomach.
2. Relieve nausea – Mix honey with ginger and lemon juice to help counteract nausea.
3. Acne cure – It can be used as an affordable face cleanser to fight off acne, gentle on sensitive/all skin types. Take half a teaspoon, warm between hands and spread on face gently, leave on for 10 minutes then rinse with warm water and pat dry.
4. Exfoliator – Honey makes a great exfoliator! Use honey on dry winter skin by adding two cups of honey to a bath, soak for 15 minutes, then add one cup of baking soda for the final 15 minutes.
5. Improve diabetes – Consumption of raw honey can reduce risk of developing diabetes and help aid medication used to treat diabetes. Raw honey increases insulin and decreases hyperglycemia. Add a little at a time and see how your blood sugar reacts to it.
6. Lower cholesterol – It can help reduce cholesterol and therefore decrease your risk for coronary artery disease.
7. Improve circulation – Raw honey makes your brain function optimally by strengthening the heart and improving blood circulation.
8. Antioxidant support – Consumption of raw honey increases plaque-fighting antioxidants.
9. Restore Sleep – Raw honey promotes restorative sleep. Add a tablespoon to warm milk to help increase melatonin and help you sleep.
10. Pre-biotic support – Raw honey is full of natural prebiotics which promote the growth of good bacteria in the intestine.
11. Improve allergies – If sourced locally, raw honey can help reduce seasonal allergies.
12. Lose weight – Substituting raw honey for white sugar can help in weight management
13. Moisturize – A spoonful of raw honey mixed with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon can be used as a hydrating lotion.
14. Hair mask – Raw honey hair mask can help boost shine, mix 1 tsp of raw honey with 5 cups of warm water, rinse thoroughly , air dry and style as usual.
15. Eczema relief – Use to treat mild eczema. Use it as a topical mixture of equal parts of honey and cinnamon.
16. Reduce inflammation – Raw honey has anti-inflammatory agents that can treat respiratory conditions such as asthma.
17. Heal wounds – Raw honey used topically can help quicken healing time for mild burns, wounds, rashes, and abrasions.
18. Cure UTI – Honey can help improve urinary tract infections due to its antibacterial properties.
19. Shampoo – Raw honey can cleanse and restore the health of your hair and scalp. Try this homemade shampoo recipe.
20. Relieve sore throat – Honey uses for sore throats is another fantastic remedy. Simply mix it with lemon essential oil and peppermint oil for fast acting benefits.

As you can see, there are many uses for honey in personal care products, as medicine, and of course, a way to naturally sweeten up your diet without the negative side effects of sugar. I recommend going to your local farmers market, health food store or buying raw honey online.

With so many great benefits, why not try adding a little raw honey to your diet?

HoratioTarr wrote:
You have to be very selective about honey.    Raw is best.  Most commercial honey is not pure.   I buy Manuka.

Dr. Axe food & medicine wrote:Types of Honey
There are several types of honey each with their own nutritional benefit and usage.

Manuka honey is a common natural healing agent that has been used for centuries as a topical antibiotic on wounds and acne. It can also be used for sore throats, colds, and other common ailments due to these properties. Other types of honey with antibacterial properties are eucalyptus and linden honey.

Acacia honey helps cleanse the liver and digestive tract.

Buckwheat honey, usually darker in color than its other counterparts, is full of antioxidants due to that deep color.

Neem honey has been used to treat high blood pressure and diabetes.

WhoseYourWolfie wrote:

HoratioTarr wrote:
You have to be very selective about honey.    Raw is best.  Most commercial honey is not pure.   I buy Manuka.

The concept of "raw" honey is more marketing myth than actual fact...

As there is no actual legal definition for "raw" honey, it is a pretty meaningless and uselss term --  I prefer to use the terms organic, pure, unheated, unstrained and/or unfiltered, when describing the way that honey is produced and marketed..


'Manuka' honey is produced from a few dozen varieties of shrubs and small trees belonging to the genus Leptospermum --  there is one common species of manuka native to New Zealand, and dozens that are indigenous to here in Oz, a few of which may well prove to be more potent to better-known Kiwi item.

While Manuka honey has antibacterial properties that can make it effective in treating some infections and inflammations, it makes no difference whatsoever to an otherwise healthy person if simply ingested like normal honey..


In yet another example of smart marketing, Manuka honey is being sold in a few outlets in Europe and North America for several times its going price down here;  (in much the same way that Wagyu beef (grown in Qld, by the way..) sells for $1500/kg or more over in Japan, at the same time that it turns up in Aussie butchers shops for around $50/kg or less..).

The current fashion in "superfoods" among some gullible buyers (i.e. those who believe that by over-indulging in certain healthy alternatives in their diet, they will somehow improve their intelligence, run faster, work harder, look better, even neutralise bad habits in their lifestyles..), has now led to a greed-fuelled cowboy element entering the NZ beekeeping industry over recent years, threatening to destroy it with their recent behaviour..