EAACI Molecular Allergology User's Guide 2.0 - Dramburg - 2023

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North Texas Allergy Sufferers Buzz About Raw, Local Honey

You're not alone if you're suffering from allergies. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation ranks the Dallas-Fort Worth area as the number two most challenging place in the United States for seasonal allergies. Many allergy sufferers in North Texas are buzzing about a sweet remedy.

It's another busy day for Scott Jackson, who co-owns Texas Raw Honey with his business partner, Carlos Hambleton.

"We've done this now for 15 years. We've been beekeeping for probably 25 years," Jackson said.

Customers are buzzing for their honey this time of the year.

"Allergy season is always good for our business because raw honey naturally has pollens in it," Jackson said.

Dr. Alfred Johnson recommends raw, local honey to his allergy patients.

"Bees do collect the pollen. That's part of what the honey is. A little bit of honey will help some people build up tolerance to the different pollens in the local area, and so that's why they talk about local honey," Johnson said.

The cloudiness in Texas Raw Honey's bottles is the micropollens. The company also sells pollen granules produced from bees, which provide a larger dose of pollen. Customers often mix it with yogurt or cereal.

Jackson said local honey can include pollens from up to 300 miles away. He mixes honey from the Alvarado bee farm with honey from San Antonio for even more protection from pollens.

"The prevailing winds that come from the south, they'll blow your ragweed," Jackson said. "I think every year we get people that say, 'Oh, I'm allergic to ragweed, and I eat your honey, and it benefits.'''

Texas Raw Honey sells about 300,000 bottles of honey per year, and this is the sweet time for sales.

"We just have people that swear eating a teaspoon of raw honey per day helps them with their allergies," Jackson said.

Moving bottles of honey from the warehouse into customers' hands brings Jackson a sense of satisfaction.

"It makes you feel pretty good that not only are you helping with those allergies, but you're providing a natural sweetener," Jackson said. "You're doing something for the health benefits of people."

The duo plans to remain busy as the buzz for raw, local honey continues to grow.

Allergies And Honeybees: What These Two Share

Most people love spring but hate what comes with it, like the sneezing and itchy eyes from pollen-related allergies. Over-the-counter medicine is usually the default to help aid allergies but honey can oftentimes be the simple fix.

Wednesday, March 19th 2025, 6:29 pm

By: Stephanie Maniche

OKLAHOMA CITY -

Beekeeper and owner of Eason Farms Steven Easom said it is the pollen in the local honey that people are ingesting which helps counteract the allergies.

Easom shares some things to know when sourcing honey as well as fun facts you might now know.

How bad will allergies be this year?

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) recently released its report ranking the most challenging places to live with seasonal pollen allergies and Oklahoma City took the number three spot this year due to a higher-than-average pollen count.

What should be our focus when looking for local honey

The vegetation, trees, and flowers where the pollen is coming from should be the main focus when finding honey.

What to know about honey

Honey in itself is nectar and most of the time it has pollen and honey in it.

It is the pollen in the honey that people are ingesting that helps counteract the allergies.

What to know about bees

Honeybees are super pollinators and they are usually in one spot.

Easom said typically in Oklahoma, we are going to see somewhere between 40 to 60,000 bees in a colony.

Bees usually do not fly more than about three miles in any direction. You can see where they are going to collect that local pollen when they get that honey.

Once we consume that honey, we actually are then getting some of that local pollen into our system.

Something rare beekeepers do for a higher dose of pollen

They have pollen traps; Easom said as the bee is coming back, some of the pollen is deposited in the trap.

Easom said they package the pollen and then people will use it in a higher dose in their tea, coffee, or drink of choice.

Fun Fact

A bee is the Oklahoma State insect.

The Oklahoma State bird is the scissor-tailed flycatcher and also catches honeybees.

Only in Oklahoma do we have the Oklahoma bird going after the Oklahoma insect.

Stephanie Maniche

Stephanie Maniche is an experienced news reporter with a passion for telling compelling stories that inform, engage, and inspire communities.

Why Local Honey Can Be Sweet Relief For Allergies

Spring allergies are blooming. Here's what a San Joaquin Valley farmer says about what to look for in local honey.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Spring is a time of growth and bountiful color. It is also the time allergy sufferers seek relief from itchy, watery eyes and sneezing.

Local honey is one of the natural ways some people try to ease some of the symptoms.

James Chinchiolo is the owner of Lodi Blooms and manager of Chinchiolo Farming Company in California's San Joaquin Valley. As a fellow allergy sufferer, he's always looking for remedies. One of them is local honey.

Bees are a critical component to helping pollinate his many crops. Just like Chinchiolo, their beekeeper is fourth generation — with a lot of experience.

They are mindful not to overextend the bees' services, realizing these tiny insects are being asked to do a lot — especially in the spring when James says the largest bee migration in the world is happening in California. These bees are pollinating everything from agriculture to grasses and flowers. All of this is carried by the wind and to different regions.

He says understanding that correlation is key to local honey consumption to help ease allergy symptoms. While the allergy treatment is debatable, he says adding pollen that travels by wind is the key ingredient to create immunity within one's body.

To give their flower power honey an extra boost, they add pollen to the Northern California wildflower honey. Providing this local honey from their beekeeper is one of the ways they are working to create a company that helps people develop an intimate relationship with modern agriculture.

James says he saw this interest firsthand when they opened up the orchard for people to pick cherries. He thought it would be a fun hobby but realized it was much more when he saw a huge line of cars ready to come in to experience modern agriculture.

It was a job that was coming full circle, from growing the food people put on their tables to educating to help "demystify what we're doing out here in these orchards."

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