**Good to see this is being tested.
my answers are preceded by **

On Thu, 29 Jul 2004 21:05:36 +0100, Graham &/or Annie Law <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Questions;
>•           Do honey bees collect pollen from grasses?

**Bees have seen collecting corn and rag weed pollen, both are wind pollen.  I
almost killed myself once (being highly allergic to rag weed pollen) by chewing a
piece of comb honey with pollen.

>•           What would be a reasonable radius to take to guarantee "local" honey

**I would say 50 miles are ok, plants do not change that much.

>•           How can you get honey analysed for its pollen content - place,
>cost, timescale etc?

**This is well established. basically dilute with water, centrifuge and count with
hemocytometer.  The main cost is labor. Need a hemocytometer, centrifuge and a
microscope (40x subject, 10 x ocular).

>•           Is there anyone else undertaking this type of research at present?
>
>•           Has there been any research carried out in the past?

**I am not aware of any past of current research on this. Have heard it many times
though.

>•           Are there any organisations that can be applied to for funding
>for reserach of this type?

**Apitherapy group? (www.apitherapy.org)

>•           What would be the recommended "dose" of honey per day?

**I would say use whatever the folklore says. perhaps one teaspoon a day?

>•           What could be used as a placebo

**Probably the best would be the same honey untralfiltered or simply fine filter with
pressure (to remove pollen).

It is important to have this study "double-blind". I.e. both the administrator (nurse?)
and the eaters do not know which honey is filtered and which one has pollen (the
filtered and unfiltered honey are coded and known by one person). Sample size
must be large enough (100 patients in each group?), and be balanced with respect
to age, gender, medical history etc.  To be medically convincing, it will not be an
easy study.  Probably long term too (3 years?) since honey would not cure that fast.
how do you gauge whether the hayfever is getting better or not? need good
"assay"...

Zachary Huang
http://www.msu.edu/~bees

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