As a child, my father would tell me about all of his allergies – cats, bananas (as a child), pollen, etc. But, I’ve been fortunate throughout my life to have zero allergies.

That is, until the past 2-3 years. (Personally, I blame climate change.) And things are bound to get worse as pollen levels are predicted to double by 2040…

A few weeks ago, I woke up with terrible allergies. I couldn’t stop sneezing or blowing my nose, only to feel like I had to grab another tissue immediately. My eyes were watery, and I wanted to go back to bed. I was miserable.

Unfortunately, when you’re an entrepreneur, you don’t have the luxury of sick days instead, “putting things off until you do them later” days.

Pollen to the rescue: An experiment

Bee pollen is technically “the pollen ball”, carefully packed by worker honeybees and gathered from plants. It’s also the food of young bees.

I’ve heard that ingesting bee pollen (adding into cold water or taking with fruits) helps alleviate allergy symptoms. Since I try avoiding non-essential pills, I strolled into Reading Terminal with desperation and hope.

Although I heard you should try pollen within 20-30 miles of your home, I came across Bee Natural based out of Smyrna, DE. When the young woman told me it was 70 miles away, I bought the smallest 7 oz size and immediately took it to my office to pour a pollen concoction.

Hours after I drank the water and 1/4 teaspoon mixture, I started to feel better. And over the past few weeks with my daily pollen routine, my allergy symptoms haven’t returned.

There is debate if bee pollen for allergies is a bunch of BS (since typically tree and grass are blamed for allergies). After all, if you prefer your Claritin or Flonase, I’m not stopping you. But no complaints during my trial. Plus, bee pollen is high in protein, antioxidants, and vitamins so there are numerous other health benefits.

If you try it: Take 1/4 teaspoon of pollen daily for 2 weeks, increasing by 1/4 teaspoons every 2 weeks and capping out at 2 tsp max.

Disclaimer: We’re not a medical doctor, just into trying natural alternatives. Proceed with caution in case of allergic reactions (start with one pellet to gauge for any reactions) and consult your doctor before trying. Also, if you have a bee allergy, obviously avoid. 

Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher