Health Benefits of Honey
Index of Diseases / Health Conditions ... Medicinal Foods, Herbs, Spices & Household Items
The below provides a general overview on this topic and may not apply to everyone. Any treatment protocol should be discussed with a qualified healthcare practitioner ... Please refer to: Medical & Legal Disclaimer.
Raw unpasteurized honey from the health food store (not processed or pasteurized from the supermarket) is one of the oldest and most reliable healing foods - specifically Manuka Honey is highly recommended for its healing properties. It's a superfood that provides antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients. It fights bacteria, builds the immune system, and provides energy.
- Processed Honey: According to the National Honey Board (NHB), (http://www.honey.com) , 82 percent of households currently use processed honey, which has been heated and pasteurized, and can contain botulism and High Fructose Corn Syrup, (HFCS). Processed honey is not as antibacterial, as raw honey, and is dangerous for diabetics and infants under 12 months old.
Benefits of Raw & Unprocessed Honey:
May Berenbaum, Ph.D., a University of Illinois entomologist, shares that "Honey has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of medical problems like wounds, burns, cataracts, skin ulcers and scrapes," Various researchers worldwide are finding strong antimicrobial properties in some honeys.
Healing Qualities:
Raw honey is used by many cultures as a remedy for ulcers, digestion, bronchitis, and as an energizer, as well as many other answers to health problems.
- Recently, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration, the equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, approved Manuka Tree honey as a medicine.
Wound Care:
Up until World War II, honey was used commonly to treat skin wounds. With the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s, honey was taken out of the medicine cabinets and returned to the kitchen. Some doctors are starting to use honey when modern medicines have been tried - and failed - to cure skin wounds. Honey contains three ingredients that make it ideal for treating wounds.
- Because it's high in sugar, it absorbs much of the moisture inside wounds, making it hard for bacteria to survive.
- In addition, many honey varieties contain large amounts of hydrogen peroxide, the same medicine you use at home to disinfect cuts and scrapes.
- Finally, some honey contain propolis, a compound in nectar that can kill bacteria. In a laboratory study, researchers smeared honey on seven types of bacteria that frequently cause wound infections, and according to a renowned professor of biochemistry at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, it effectively killed all seven types.
Ulcers:
Formerly, stress, fatty foods and smoking were blamed by scientists for causing ulcers. (For tips to stop smoking, please click here.) Now research indicates that the real culprit may be bacterial infection. Since antibiotics are typically prescribed for relief - and resistance to them can mean several rounds of drugs to completely destroy the ulcer-causing bacteria - new research favors a sweeter solution: Manuka Honey.
- "Manuka Honey is the only kind that retains its bacteria-fighting power when ingested," says Peter Molan, Ph.D., Director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato on the New Zealand's North Island. It also soothes the pain from ulcers and stimulates the growth of cells to repair damaged tissue.
- Manuka Honey works for non-bacterial ulcers as well; the kind that is caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), alcohol and stress, and may alleviate mild to severe stomach pain due to inflammation following meals.
- For existing ulcers, take one heaping spoonful of the honey on an empty stomach while symptoms persist.
- For prevention, take a spoonful 30 minutes prior to taking any NSAID and before meals.
- Manuka Honey works for non-bacterial ulcers as well; the kind that is caused by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), alcohol and stress, and may alleviate mild to severe stomach pain due to inflammation following meals.
- However, because of Manuka Honey's 80% sugar content, diabetics and those with insulin sensitivities should talk to their healthcare provider before following this protocol.
- Raw Active Manuka Honey: Clean the area first and dab a bit raw active Manuka Honey on the wart, then spread some on a bandage and cover the wart. This will keep it on the skin longer and won't be so messy. Repeat daily and change the bandage. This will usually take about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks.
Information contained on this website is provided as general reference only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought.
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