Health benefits of raw honey. In this two part series we will dive into the incredible diversity of raw honey, from food source to healing agent. One of the most underused therapies available from our natural world.
Some people refer to it as “liquid gold”, but most of us understand it as honey. The substance we are specifically referring to is raw honey - honey in its purest form; honey that has not been filtered, strained or heated above 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Many of the commercial varieties we find lined in our conventional grocery store shelves have been so processed that many (if not all) of the beneficial enzymes, nutrients and antioxidants have been completely destroyed. Used throughout antiquity, this substance contains many important nutritional components for our body and mind. In order to reap the benefits of honey, we must only consume honey that is raw or unpasteurized.
Honey is becoming increasingly recognized not only for its amazing taste, but rather its medicinal properties. Its application dates back many years; used in many of the traditional medicines of the world, including Ayurveda.
Today, honey is slowly being integrated into modern medicine as science studies are beginning to see that honey is an excellent topical application for healing wounds. Honey is valued and loved worldwide not only because of its taste, but because of the health benefits it provides us. Lets delve deeper into the amazing health benefits honey has to offer.
Key Nutrients
Honey is loaded with many essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 as well as vitamin C are found in honey. It also contains minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, sulphur, zinc and phosphate.
Main Health Benefits
Energy Boost
Carbohydrates in the form of glucose and fructose supply the body and mind with energy which can boost endurance, and reduce muscle fatigue. Many athletes use this wonderful food for an instant as well as a sustained energy source to lift them through their training. In sports and endurance, honey can provide 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon, and can be an inexpensive alternative to commercial sports gels.
Excellent Source of Antioxidants
Honey not only has a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals, but it also contains the flavonoid pinocembrin which is unique to honey. Pinostrobin supports and promotes healthy enzyme activity.
Supports Good Bacteria
Honey supports Bifidobacteria – present in the gastrointestinal tract – which is essential for efficient digestion and good health. Honey contains pre/pro biotics that help the growth and activity of Bifidobacteria because it is an alkaline-forming food, and is similar to ingredients found in fruits. It doesn’t ferment in the stomach and it can be used to counteract indigestion.
Antibacterial and Anti-fungal Properties
Based on these properties honey can treat allergies by promoting a strong immune system, and has powerful anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties that makes it an excellent option to treat wounds with. It has antibacterial properties due to its acidic nature and enzymically produced hydrogen peroxide. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral diseases.
Slows Aging
Part of the aging process is related to the slow depletion of enzymes in the body. Raw honey is one of the few foods to help slow the depletion of enzymes through the ingestion of amylase. Amylase is the enzyme that breaks down sugars and carbohydrates. It can restore damaged skin to give a softer, younger look.
Part of raw honey’s power stems from propolis.
Propolis is composed of a complex mixture of tree resins and other substances that honeybees use to seal the hive, warding off external invasions of bacteria and other micro-organisms. Found in trace amounts in honey, it is nonetheless a powerful contributor to raw honey’s medicinal potential.
From a chemical standpoint, propolis contains more than 180 compounds, including caffeic acid phenethyl ester, which has been shown to inhibit cancer growth, as well as organic acids which contribute to its antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral effects, in addition to an abundance of flavonoids. Pinocembrin is the most abundant flavonoid in propolis, and has been proven to be a powerful neuroprotective. In fact, there is speculation that it might prevent Alzheimer’s disease!
External Skin Conditions
Surprisingly, most studies involving raw honey have investigated not its internal consumption benefits, but instead focus on honey’s effects on external skin conditions like burns, wounds, and infections. The results have been astounding, displaying an efficacy comparable to local antibiotics.
The sugars in honey are strongly hydrophilic, meaning they attract water easily. Because of this quality, honey draws out excess moisture from wounds, allowing the body to heal faster. The removal of fluid from wound-sites also makes the wound site less habitable for bacteria and fungi, thereby averting infection.
Moreover, once the honey draws the water out, a very important chemical reaction happens. The glucose oxidase in honey reacts with the drawn-out water, forming hydrogen peroxide, a well-known gentle antiseptic.
Mix in the added benefits of bee pollen, enzymes, and propolis found in raw honey, and you have a potent boost of new healthy tissue growth. Combined with its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, the revitalizing potential of these components makes raw honey a speedy remedy for burns and wounds. It also renders honey helpful as a facial treatment to combat both wrinkles and acne, as well as making it effective in lessening the appearance and severity of old scars, eczema, warts, and other skin conditions.
Allergies
Worker-bees spend their time traveling between flowers, collecting nectar which they then transform into honey with the help of their hive colony. To get to the nectar, honeybees have to climb through lots of pollen, which sticks to their bodies as they fly around from flower to flower. Inevitably, bits of pollen fall off when they land on a new flower, and this transference helps plants reproduce.
As anyone who’s ever sniffed a lily knows, pollen likes to spread itself out and stick once it lands. Unfortunately for many, the stimulus of air-born pollen can prove to be too much. This results in symptoms like itchy eyes and runny noses for allergy sufferers, as their bodies try to extract the pollen from their systems.
Aside from helping the plants in our environment propagate, the fact that honeybees so easily transport pollen actually has an added benefit for those prone to seasonal allergies. The trace amounts of pollen that are found in honey act as sort of natural vaccine. Specifically, they provide the body with a test-run, gently teaching it to deal with the onslaught of pollen found in the environment.
Because the pollen that people react to is specific to the environment, when treating seasonal allergies it is important that honey is as local as possible. If honey from further away is used, the pollen will be different and won’t effectively prepare the body for the local environmental changes that cause seasonal allergies.
*A note to those with extreme allergies and asthma: sometimes even a little bit of pollen can be too much. If you are a highly allergic person, please take appropriate cautions and consult your healthcare provider before attempting self-treatment.
Prevention
Small amounts of raw honey can also be taken as preventative measures to ward-off more serious illnesses. Its antibacterial properties can prevent or counteract food poisoning caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, as well as combating uncomfortable bacterial ulcers.
Raw honey also has a preservative quality which prevents food from fermenting in the gut and boosts overall digestion. This also makes it an effective remedy for morning sickness.
Honey has also been shown to lower blood glucose levels in diabetes, and long term consumption of honey may have a positive effect on the metabolic derangements common in diabetes mellitus. Indeed, studies have shown that honey can balance cholesterol levels and potentially lower the risks of cardiovascular disease.
It should be noted that the jury is out on raw honey’s glycemic index, though many sources claim it is much lower than that of processed honey. Therefore also makes it a better choice than regular processed sugar.
As is the case for any natural substance, the potency of any specific honey’s components varies depending on the environment in which it was made. As a rule of thumb though, you can assume that when in the unprocessed form, darker honeys have greater antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
Other Benefits
· Honey is a great aid in relieving morning sickness;
· Honey is good for sore throats, laryngitis and pharyngitis;
· Raw honey can be used as a medication for issues related to male impotence and female infertility;
· A salve made of honey can be applied to eczema, canker sores or bleeding gums.
· Calcium absorption and hemoglobin count can be increased by raw honey to prevent anemia.
· Raw honey may also lower total cholesterol while increasing HDL(good) cholesterol.
· Honey acts as a sedative and is very useful in bed wetting disorders.
· Can help treat minor acne by attacking the bacteria that cause outbreaks while moisturizing the skin to aid in rejuvenation.
Precaution
Honey may contain Clostridium botulinum spores and toxins that can cause infant botulism. As such, it is recommended that children under the age of one should not consume honey because their intestinal tract is not mature enough to inhibit the growth of Clostridium botulinum.
Healers from around the world have used honey for centuries for many healing procedures. When shopping for raw honey it is of greatest benefit to buy local and organic. This will support local farmers who practice organic farming where the honey is harvested with care. The amazing health benefits have been known by healers for centuries. According to PubMed, there have been over 4,357 medical studies on healing effects of honey; moreover, 1,194 of these studies relating to honey as a treatment, and 132 of these studies were relating to the antioxidants in honey.
Part two, soon to follow. Taking a dive into the esoteric side of honey and its spiritual healing properties brought forth through the Sufi tradition.
Much love to all,
Marie
For information purposes only. Not intended to replace medical treatment.
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