Ken asked "Does eating locally-produced raw honey reduce ones
reaction to airborne pollen i.e. hay fever?"
 
My wife, who suffered from air-borne pollen allergies for years before we
were married, claims she was "cured" by using our unfiltered honey.
 
Perhaps more important, we just met a new couple in town who are both
doctors.  One of the first things they did on visiting here to look for a
home was find a local beekeeper (me) who did not extract his honey, but
"drained honey from crushed comb" (the words in quotes were their
requirements). One of this pair has terrible allergies.  They explained they
have moved several times and found that allergic symptoms can be prevented
by eating "raw" honey from the new location for 6-8 weeks before moving.
They attributed this build up of resistance to trace amounts of pollen in
the honey.
 
For what it is worth, they claimed that any heating destroyed trace pollens,
and the amount of trace pollens were increased by using honey from crushed
comb that had been drained.
 
Lloyd
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Owner, Ross Rounds(tm)  the finest in comb honey production.