- With Mayo Clinic internist
Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Brent Bauer, M.D., is board certified in internal medicine. He is a consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine and director of the Department of Internal Medicine's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Bauer, a native of Madison, Wis., is also a professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School and a graduate of Mayo Medical School.
He serves on the editorial board of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter and is medical editor for EmbodyHealth Newsletter. He has been on staff at Mayo Clinic since 1992, first practicing at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., before joining Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., in 1996.
Dr. Bauer's principal research focus is the scientific evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies that patients and consumers are using with increasing frequency. He has authored several book chapters and papers on this topic, and is the medical editor of the "Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine." Dr. Bauer also spearheaded collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Gaiam in the creation of a series of 10 DVDs (Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions). These DVDs address common health problems (for example, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure) with integrative medicine approaches that empower people to take charge of their health. His work is at the forefront of the emerging field of integrative medicine which combines the best of conventional medicine with the best of evidence-based complementary therapies.
Dr. Bauer has served on the NIH-NCCAM study section and is currently collaborating on over 20 studies being conducted at Mayo Clinic evaluating CAM therapies ranging from acupuncture to valerian. He is also a member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society; the American Federation for Medical Research; the North Central Cancer Treatment Group and other professional organizations.
Risk factors (1)
- Food allergy: Can it develop later in life?
Symptoms (3)
- Trouble breathing: Could it be asthma?
- Food allergy vs. food intolerance: What's the difference?
- Aspirin allergy: What are the symptoms?
Treatments and drugs (1)
- Nasal spray addiction: Is it real?
Lifestyle and home remedies (2)
- Can you use honey for allergies?
- Ozone air purifiers: Can they improve asthma symptoms?
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Can you use honey for allergies?
Can honey lessen seasonal allergy symptoms?
Answer
from Brent A. Bauer, M.D.
Probably not. Honey has been anecdotally reported to lessen symptoms in people with seasonal allergies. But these results haven't been consistently duplicated in clinical studies.
Still the idea isn't so far-fetched. Honey has been studied as a cough suppressant and may have anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, some experts point out that honey can contain traces of flower pollen — an allergen. And one treatment for allergies is repeated exposure to small amounts of allergens.
For now, however, it appears that honey may just be a sweet placebo. But don't let that stop you from using it in food and beverages. Just don't give honey to children younger than 1 year because of the risk of infant botulism, a rare but serious form of food poisoning.
Next questionOzone air purifiers: Can they improve asthma symptoms?
- Rajan TV, et al. Effect of ingestion of honey on symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. 2002;88:198.
- Heimal J, et al. Defining complementary and alternative medicine in allergies and asthma. Clinical Reviews in Allergy and Immunology. 2004;27:93.
- Saarinen K, et al. Birch pollen honey for birch pollen allergy: A randomized controlled pilot study. International Archives of Allergy and Immunology. 2011;155:160.
- Honey. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed Sept. 12, 2012.
- Engler RJ, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine for the allergist-immunologist: Where do I start? Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2009;123:309.
- Botulism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/botulism/#prevent. Accessed Sept. 19, 2012.
Find Mayo Clinic on