Honey - Liquid Gold
A Sweetener So Amazing It Can Be Used As Food or As A Healing Agent
We enjoy honey in our tea, bake with it and sometimes even use it in our beauty rituals. But honey is more than a sweetener and beauty product. It is formed by the honeybee as their food source and research studies suggest that it has healing properties as well.
How Honey is Formed
Honey is made by the honeybee (genus Apis). The bees gather flower nectar where it combines with the mouth's natural enzymes, forming a thick substance. In the beehive, the bees store the mixture in the hive's walls. Bees keep the air in the hive moving by flapping their wings to evaporate the moisture which is necessary to produce the honey. When the water content is reduced, the concentration of sugar is increased and this prevents fermentation. Because honeybees produce honey for their own consumption, beekeepers promote overproduction of honey so it can be taken from the hive for human use without putting the bees in jeopardy.
Nutritive Value of Honey
Honey is a thick and sweet liquid consisting mainly of fructose (38.5%) and glucose (31%). However, honey also contains nutrients such as niacin, vitamin B6, iron, zinc, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. It is fat free and has about 64 calories per tablespoon.
The Interesting History of Honey
Honey has been around for thousands of years. The Bible contains references to it as pleasant and life-sustaining. In the book of Judges (14:8-9) for instance, Samson ate honey that he scooped from a lion's carcass. In the book of Exodus (3:8), God promised the Israelites a land flowing with milk and honey and in the book of Matthew (3:4) John The Baptist ate a diet of wild honey and locusts.
Honey was so great a commodity during the Roman Empire that it was a substitute for gold to pay taxes. In Ancient Middle Eastern times, the fortunate wealthy could be embalmed with honey upon death.
Many famous women in history used honey as a beauty treatment. Cleopatra of Egypt regularly took honey and milk baths to maintain her youthful appearance. Queen Ann of England used honey and oil to keep her long hair lustrous and shiny. Chinese women have a tradition of using honey blended with orange seeds to keep their skin blemish free.
Honey as Healer
In addition to its sweet taste and interesting history, honey also has been studied for it's healing abilities. According to Sarah Marie Dreisbach, certified Ayurvedic lifestyles counselor and body image consultant, honey is heating as well as sweet in Ayurvedic healing. "It is recommended for colds and to clear out congestion".
In one study, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that honey contains the same amount of antioxidants as many fruits and vegetables. Study author Nicki Engeseth, PhD, says that adding small amounts of honey could enhance the effects of an already heart healthy diet and keep cholesterol levels low.
Perhaps one of the most favorable uses of honey is for healing wounds, burns, and even the bug Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Areus (MRSA). A study in India compared the healing effects of honey to silver sulfadiazine in 104 burn patients. After one week, 91% of honey treated burns were infection free compared to only 7% of those treated with silver sulfadiazine. Researchers at Waikato Honey Institute in New Zealand found that a type of honey called Manuka showed the most promise in eradicating MRSA.
Raw honey contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide in a wound. This form of peroxide is a little stronger than store-bought variety. According to Dr. Bucci, vice president of research at Schiff Nutrition International, honey keeps the wound covered so it doesn't dry up and pulls water out of the wound so it stays the right water balance. With a pH of between 3.2 and 4.5, honey also helps inhibit germ growth. "It does speed up the healing process if there is an infection. It is inexpensive and natural and would be a good choice", says Bucci.
So next time you reach for a sweetener, choose honey and reap the healing benefits while savoring it's sweet taste and maybe even keep some in your medicine cabinet just in case. There is just one caveat: honey is not meant for children under 12 months of age.
Sources:
National Honey Board
National Agricultural Library
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