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Local Honey May Provide Sweet Relief from Seasonal Allergies
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Besides being the live music capital of the world, Austin also holds the dubious title of “Allergy Capital of the World”; that being said, this time of the year can be particularly challenging for Austinites who suffer from ragweed, cedar and mold allergies. The constant flux in temperatures and stirring winds produce more of the nasty stuff that makes us sneeze and cough, and feel bad in general.
Certainly not an overnight cure, but a natural way to curb your allergies is local honey. Two teaspoons of local honey eaten daily is believed to build up your immunity to seasonal allergies. The honey must be local and typically not store bought, unless it is labeled local honey, and it has not been pasteurized. The pasteurization process that most store shelf honey goes through, kills the natural pollen in the honey, and renders it ineffective for the purpose of building immunity. Pasteurized honey is relatively simple to spot; first read the label, and second look for clarity. Pasteurization clarifies the honey, so cloudy or darker honey is more likely to be unpasteurized, and make sure that it says that it is local, otherwise you may be building your immunity to allergies found in Albuquerque, not Austin.
An alternative to hunting through the store shelves is to purchase directly through a local purveyor. A good way to find local honey is at the farmers market. Austin has a year-round market at Republic Square every Saturday with many local vendors. Republic Square is located downtown at Fourth Street and Guadalupe next to the central library. More information on the market can be found at www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M6376. One can also consult the Honey Directory of Texas, which specializes in connecting consumers with local honey producers. The Honey Directory of Texas can be found at http://texas.uscity.net/Honey/.
There are risks involved with taking local honey since there is exposure to pollens that one is allergic to, and as with any medical treatment, one should consult with their physician before beginning honey therapy.
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