Nourishing Honey

Honey is a wonderfully rich golden liquid that honey bees make for their own nourishment. After laborious collection of the flower nectar, they mix it with special enzymes in the saliva. Then they put honey into the the cell walls of the hive and it is ready for harvesting.

The rainbow of honey colors range from white, amber, red to brown and almost black. Its color, flavor, texture and medicinal properties depend on the type of flower nectar from which it was made.

Healing nourishment
Honey is a delicious viscous natural sweetener and a marvelous alternative to sugar. With many medicinal properties, honey has been used traditionally for centuries as an anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal substance; for contraception, coughs, colds and flu, digestive problems, bronchitis, eye infections, baldness, and various skin conditions. The Greeks and Romans used honey as a laxative, for diarrhea, sunburn, sore throats and eye diseases. The Chinese prevented scars, treated smallpox and diseases of the mouth and throat with honey.

Sun-gold nature’s gift is also a superb source of polyphenolic antioxidants known to minimize free radical damage to tissues created by daily living. It contains minerals Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium, Copper and Manganese, vitamins B and C, and various enzymes and organic acids with anti-microbial properties.

Nurture your skin with honey
Honey has been used as a medicinal aid for wound healing for centuries. Indians, Greeks and Romans mixed honey with fat and used it as an ointment on ulcers, skin cuts, burns and wounds. The reasons why this nutritious food as we know it helps the skin to heal have been well researched and documented in scientific literature.

When 104 first-degree burn patients were treated with honey for just one week, 91 per cent were infection free compared with only 7 percent receiving the conventional treatment by silver sulfadiazene.

Another study showed that honey helped the caesarean section and hysterectomy patients to clear wounds and heal sooner than the standard solution of iodine and alcohol. When honey was applied to wounds, 58 of the 59 cases studied promoted remarkable improvement, and 51 of the infected wounds became sterile within one week. Multitudinous explorations have confirmed honey’s healing properties, and for a good reason.

We know that bacteria love sugar. So, why is honey so potent in preventing most bacteria and other microorganisms growth or reproduction? Here are the reasons:

• Honey is composed mainly of glucose and fructose, two sugars that attract water. When applied to the wound, honey dries it by absorbing water and inhibiting the growth of moisture-loving bacteria and fungi.

• With about 17 per cent water and a bounty of vital nutrients, honey is a good skin tonic often used for acne, rashes, pimples and to balance oily skin complexion.

• Honey is acidic, and acids prevent the growth of bacteria. Raw honey contains an enzyme called glucose oxidase which, when combined with water, forms a mild antiseptic Hydrogen Peroxide. This disinfects the wound without harming the tissues or forming scarring.

• Specific enzymes, antioxidants and flavonoids found in honey may also help in the healing process because these have magnificent antibacterial properties. One antioxidant unique in honey, pinocembrin, is currently being studied for its antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus. This common infectious bacteria found in our environment can travel to skin, in the nose and throat and cause Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) leading to constant pain, loss of motor functions, insomnia and depression. Treatments of fungus Candida albicans (known as yeast infection) and bacteria Escherichia coli ( source of intestinal and urinary tract infections, meningitis, peritonitis, mastitis, septicema and pneumonia) are also under investigation with honey.

Choosing and keeping the goodness of honey
Darker honeys from buckwheat flowers, sage and tupelo have the widest variety of nutrients than lighter varieties. And if you choose raw unprocessed honey, you have the best chance to boost the body’s immune system, lower cholesterol, prevent hypertension, minimise inflammation, improve digestion, slow down aging and protect against cancer.

Most honey sold in the stores is usually pasteurized, but oftentimes you may find it raw. Organic honey that hasn’t been processed, clarified, or filtered will present you the highest quality of phytonutrients that naturally live in the hive and same anti-bacterial and anti-fungal resins found in propolis.

Honeybees make propolis by combining plant resins with their own secretions and use it as a "glue" to seal the hive and protect honey from bacteria and other micro-organisms. Other phytonutrients (such as caffeic acid methyl caffeate, phenylethyl caffeate, and phenylethyl dimethylcaffeate) found both in raw honey and propolis have cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties.

Both translucent and creamy honey are excellent choices. The difference is that the sugars in opaque honey are crystallized.

Keep honey in a cool dry place in an airtight container so that it doesn’t absorb moisture from the air. Colder temperatures may thicken the liquid, while higher temperatures has a tendency to change honey’s color and alter flavour.

Applying honey as a wound dressing
• Fill the abscesses in the wound area with honey for direct contact with exuding fluid in the wound. The amount of honey needed depends on how much fluid the wound exudes (greater dilution lessens the quality of protection).

• Spread the healing nourishment on a waterproof dressing. Absorbent dressings may soak the honey making it less effective and are not recommended. Use adhesive tape or bandages to hold the dressings in place and change the dressing up to three times a day.

Elena Voropay is a professional health writer and science journalist with a passion for natural health. She is a Certified Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, Iridologist and Herbal Medicine Specialist. For a wealth of information visit her web sites at www.AustralianNaturopathy.com and www.AustralianFitness.com

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