Why use local honey, you wonder? The benefits of shopping local can outweigh the ease of buying processed honey from the grocery store. When it comes to honey, not only are you helping the planet (and community businesses), you’re helping yourself, too. From minimizing seasonal allergies to supporting local wildlife, the higher price is worth it. Plus, honey lasts forever, so it’s a great investment in your family’s future health. Keep reading to discover five surprising benefits of local honey!

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1. Eating local honey can prevent seasonal allergies.

Local bees make local honey, which means the pollen they collect and bring back to the hive is all sourced from local plants. Since many seasonal allergies are caused by these same plants, eating honey that contains that pollen can potentially combat allergies.

While no formal studies have been conducted on the effects of local honey on allergies, the logic behind the idea can also be found in trace-exposure to allergens, which is used to desensitize patients to food allergies.

2. Local honey has strong medicinal benefits.

Local honey is unprocessed and pure, whereas the stuff you find in the grocery stores is often filtered, a process that removes the trace amounts of pollen it might contain. The purer the honey, the stronger its medicinal benefits, like potential anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.

3. Local bees help support local wildlife.

The honey produced at local farms often comes in different flavors, including traditional wildflower, orange, and avocado. But these flavors don’t come from additives. Instead, they are created based on the plants from which the bees draw pollen. Releasing the farm-raised bees into select local plant life not only creates some amazing honey flavors, but it also helps pollinate the plants, benefitting all local wildlife in the ecosystem.

4. Local honey helps the bee population.

Since bees are now endangered, it’s more vital than ever to support local bee farmers who are helping raise and maintain healthy bee populations.

Commercial beekeepers often view beekeeping as a means of production to maximize profit, without thinking of how their unsustainable practices are actively harming bee populations’ long-term health. Local bee farmers, on the other hand, tend to help bee populations by carefully caring for their hives and ensuring the surrounding areas are safe for their bees.

5. Local honey helps local farmers.

When you buy honey from the farmers’ market or from a grocery store that sells local honey, you’re directly investing in the small businesses in your community.

How to Reap the Benefits

Like most things in life, honey is best in moderation -- you don’t have to consume an entire jar in one sitting to enjoy the benefits! For allergies, just a spoonful of honey a day during allergy season can potentially make a difference in your allergy symptoms.

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Despite how delicious honey is all on its own, there are plenty of creative ways to incorporate a spoonful of local honey into your regular diet, too. You can add honey to sauces and as a sugar substitute in baked goods, but if you really want to enjoy the health benefits of local honey, it’s best to eat it raw and unheated.

Try adding a tablespoon to fruit smoothies; drizzling some on top of a sharp, dry cheese for a special snack; or using it as a topping for plain Greek yogurt to turn it into a healthy dessert. Honey also makes a great sweetener for lemonade or iced tea!

No matter how you choose to enjoy your honey, the benefits are clearly worth going local. Keep in mind that honey never goes bad, so even if you pay extra, it’s a worthwhile investment.

What are your favorite uses for local honey? Share your ideas in the comments below!

5 Surprising Benefits of Local Honey