Manuka Honey for Allergies: What You Need To Know

Please note: Always consult your doctor before using anything as a treatment for medical conditions. This guide should not be used as medical advice in place of your physician.

Who doesn’t love spring?

Well, probably people with allergies.

All that extra, sweet-smelling pollen can be hugely problematic for a lot of people. And many of them will want to find natural solutions to their itchy eyes and runny noses.

With its unique properties and growing reputation in wellness circles, many wonder if Manuka honey might help with allergy symptoms.

Some people worry that honey might make allergies worse, while others have heard it could help. Let's look at what the research actually tells us.

In this guide, we'll be exploring what science says about Manuka honey and allergies, what you need to know before trying it, and how some people choose to use it.

In this guide to Manuka honey for allergies:

• Does honey help with allergies?
• How does honey help with allergies?
• Ways people use Manuka honey for wellness support
  

Does Honey Help With Allergies?

“Although there is limited evidence, some studies showed remarkable improvements against certain types of allergic illnesses and support that honey is an effective anti-allergic agent.”

- The potential use of honey as a remedy for allergic diseases: a mini review, National Library of Medicine.

Honey has been used in medicine for thousands of years.

Its intriguing health properties have prompted scientific investigation worldwide. As a result, we now have growing research into honey's composition and potential wellness benefits.

The research on honey and allergies shows mixed results.

The technical term for the seasonal runny noses and itchy eyes that many of us experience is allergic rhinitis [AR].

This study showed honey to improve AR symptoms not only during the research period, but afterwards too:

“Only the group that ingested honey showed a significant improvement in individual AR [allergic rhinitis] symptoms. The improvement persisted for a month after the cessation of the treatment.”

- Ingestion of honey improves the symptoms of allergie rhinitis: evidence from a randomised placebo-controlled trial in the east coast peninsula of Malaysia, National Library of Medicine.

However, other research has found contradicting results. This study found no significant difference in allergy symptoms between people who consumed honey and those who took a honey-flavored placebo:

"Neither honey group experienced relief from their symptoms in excess of that seen in the placebo group."

• Effect of ingestion of honey on symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis, Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

The mixed findings suggest that honey may help some people but not others, and more research is needed to understand why.

How Does Honey Help With Allergies?

Studies into using honey for allergies have taken a range of approaches.

Some have had patients consume the honey orally.

Others have administered honey as a topical application or spray.

There are still gaps for scientists to explore, but evidence suggests that honey can:

• Reduce the inflammation of airways [source].
• Suppress the immune system’s response to allergens [source].
• Reduce nasal mucus [source].
• Soothe the throat. The smooth, viscous nature of honey may help provide temporary relief for irritated throats that often accompany seasonal allergies.

Which type of honey has the most beneficial properties?

High grade Manuka honey is considered the best for medical use in general. It contains high levels of methylglyoxal (MGO) which has proven antibacterial and antioxidant activities that help to reduce inflammation and support the immune system.

Manuka honey is also the most strictly regulated type of honey worldwide, so when you buy it from a reputable source, you can be confident that what you're getting is the real deal.

While there isn't a wide body of research looking specifically at Manuka honey for allergies, a number of customers using it for this purpose have reported positive results:

"I can't say enough good about this honey. It came fast and is so delicious. Only been a week of taking a teaspoon every morning on an empty stomach and my horrible allergies seem calmed as does my joint pain. Will definitely order again!"

• Rhodes J., Verified Buyer | Manuka Honey UMF™ 24+ | MGO 1122+

"Love this honey keeps me healthy and helps with allergies."

• Verified Buyer | Manuka Honey UMF™ 20+ | MGO 829+

"Got this to help a sore throat from allergies. Works very well."

• Verified Buyer | Manuka Honey UMF™ 20+ | MGO 829+

Honey for Hay Fever: Separating Fact from Fiction

Hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis) affects millions of people worldwide. One common claim is that consuming local honey helps build immunity to local pollen, thereby reducing hay fever symptoms.

The Local Honey Theory
This idea is based on the concept of immunotherapy – exposing yourself to small amounts of an allergen to build tolerance. However, there's an important scientific gap in this theory: most seasonal allergies are triggered by wind-pollinated plants (trees, grasses, and weeds), not the flower pollen that bees collect.

As experts explain, because of this distinction, it's unlikely that pollens found in local honey would lead to tolerance to the specific allergens causing hay fever symptoms.

Can Manuka honey trigger allergies?

Honey shouldn’t typically trigger allergy symptoms in most people.

But if you are allergic to bee products or a certain type of pollen, and you eat honey made from it, it's possible that honey could cause an allergic reaction.

During processing, honeys can become contaminated with different pollens, particularly if they’re multifloral honeys (made with pollen sourced from more than one kind of plant).

Our Manuka honeys are raw, less processed, and monofloral (made only from manuka nectar).

They’re independently graded to ensure that only Manuka honey is in your jar.

However, if you have severe allergies, it's always advisable to consult with your healthcare provider before trying new foods or supplements, including Manuka honey.

How People Use Manuka Honey For Wellness Support

If you’re keen to try incorporating Manuka honey into your wellness routine and potentially soothe your allergy symptoms, here are a few options:

• Add it to your tea or coffee. You want liquids to help loosen and move mucus, so sweetening your hot drink with Manuka honey is a great option. Add a little ginger or cinnamon for an extra natural kick.
• Add it to fruit. It’s a good idea to boost your Vitamin C intake when you’re suffering from allergies. Try broiling a grapefruit and eating it with Manuka honey to get a powerful immunity boost.
• Add it to meals. You can make a delicious dressing using pineapple juice (high in bromelain, an anti-inflammatory), cayenne pepper, ginger, and Manuka honey. These ingredients are all recommended for fighting allergy-style symptoms.

A few other recipes from our blog:

• Manuka honey and pumpkin soup
• Salted caramel bliss balls
• Manuka honey infused chia pudding
• Paleo banana bread with Manuka honey

How much honey should you to take?

There's no universally established amount of Manuka honey for optimal wellness support.

The successful clinical study on allergic rhinitis used high dose honey, which was at 1 g/kg body weight daily. However, this is quite a significant amount of honey to consume.

Everyone's body is different, and individual responses vary. So it may be best to start with a small amount and increase as required.

Many Manuka honey enthusiasts incorporate it into their daily wellness routine. If you're using Manuka honey for its beneficial properties, consistency is key - many people take a small amount daily rather than occasional larger doses.

When selecting Manuka honey, the UMF™ or MGO rating indicates the concentration of key compounds. Higher grades contain more of these beneficial compounds, which is why they're often preferred for wellness support.

You can explore our range of UMF™-certified Manuka honey here.

Suggested further reading:

• • Thinking Of Buying Medical Grade Honey? Read This First…
  • Manuka Honey Benefits [Guide]
  • How to Avoid Buying 'Fake' Manuka Honey
  • UMF™ vs MGO vs KFactor vs BioActive vs MGS vs NPA? Who’s confused about Manuka Honey?

Sources referenced in the text (in order):

The benefits of manuka honey [guide], New Zealand Honey Co.

The potential use of honey as a remedy for allergic diseases, National Library of Medicine.

Thinking of buying medical grade manuka honey? Read this first…, New Zealand Honey Co.

Birch pollen honey for birch pollen allergy, National Library of Medicine.

Seasonal allergies, Yale Medicine.

Ingestion of honey improves the symptoms of allergic rhinitis, National Library of Medicine.

Effect of ingestion of honey on symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis, National Library of Medicine.

Inhalation of honey reduces airway inflammation…, National Library of Medicine.

Immunosuppressive effects of honey on the induction of allergen-specific humoral antibody response in mice, National Library of Medicine.

Manuka honey: Histological effect on respiratory mucosa, National Library of Medicine.

Decoding UMF™, New Zealand Honey Co.

Allergic to honey, Healthline.

Monofloral vs. Multifloral Manuka honey: why does it matter? New Zealand Honey Co.

Coffee with honey: why you should put Manuka honey in your cuppa, New Zealand Honey Co.

Bromelain, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

Manuka honey and pumpkin soup, New Zealand Honey Co.

Manuka honey salted caramel bliss balls, New Zealand Honey Co.

Manuka honey infused chia pudding, New Zealand Honey Co.

Paleo banana bread with manuka honey, New Zealand Honey Co.

How much UMF™ is enough? New Zealand Honey Co.