Honey has been around for longer than mankind and has been used by us for as long as we have been around. It has many benefits and If you want to get the best health benefits from it then you must know what are the uses for honey. It does not just sweeten your tea or make great mead, it has other significant benefits as well.
History Of Our Use Of Honey
There is no evidence of man cultivating bee colonies until 2 400 BC but there are cave paintings that indicate that honey was being used by humans as far back as 8000 years ago.
Honey has been found in medicinal substances for over 4000yrs and it was used in traditional Ayurveda medicine to treat indigestion and other imbalances in the human body. Honey was rubbed onto the skin to treat wounds before the ancient Egyptians used it
Modern medicine has also studied the benefits of honey and has found evidence that suggests that some ancient reputation of honey may in fact be true so, for the best health benefits, know what are the uses for honey.
So What Is Honey
Honey is an incredible viscous liquid made by bees by collecting pollen in the region that they live. They collect it in their special honey stomach and at the hive, it is passed to special honey-making bees that pass it between them, mouth-to-mouth until its moisture content is reduced from around 70% to 20%. Some of the nectar is stored in cells in the honeycomb before it is passed from mouth to mouth because some evaporation is caused by the 32.5Deg temperature inside the beehive.
When the honey is ready, it is sealed in cells in the hive, ready for the arrival of the newly hatched bees.
Different Types Of Honey
I am sure that you have seen that all the honey in the supermarket is the same colour and quality. It is generally about the same price and you don’t get a choice of flavours. It is all Honey so how would there be different flavours?
Well, the truth is that the flavour and quality of the honey are dependent upon which flowers the bees collect pollen from. The flowers even determine the medicinal benefits of honey.
Honey is graded by its colour. The clear, golden amber honey often fetches a higher retail price than the darker varieties. The honey is often blended to provide the market with a semi-consistent colour and clarity. In some countries, it is illegal to sell honey that is not pasteurised.
The reason for pasteurization is to kill the spores of Clostridium Botulinum.
Now we all know that honey is famed for its antibacterial properties, that it is still used in some areas to dress wounds, and that it can keep for years on end. So why, exactly, do we need to kill bacteria?
According to some sources, children under a year or those with compromised immune systems should only consume pasteurized honey because there are a minimal number of cases each year when spores of Clostridium botulinum in honey have caused botulism poisoning.
These spores cannot grow or make toxins in the acidic environment of the honey but they do lay dormant and can then cause drama once they have been consumed with the honey.
Why Is Honey More Healthy Than Sugar
Sugar has a higher Glycemic Index (GI) than honey and increases blood sugar levels more than honey. Sugar also has a higher fructose content and has no trace minerals. Honey has more calories than sugar but is sweeter so less honey is required.
Sugar has Glucose and Fructose. Most cells in the body use glucose for energy but only liver cells break down fructose. What happens to fructose inside liver cells is complicated. The end products are triglyceride, a form of fat. Uric acid and free radicals are also formed.
None of this is good. Triglycerides damage liver function by building up in liver cells. Triglycerides can contribute to the growth of fat-filled plaque inside artery walls when released. Free radicals (also called reactive oxygen species) can damage cell structures, enzymes, and even genes. Nitric oxide helps protect artery walls from damage and Uric acid can turn off the production of nitric oxide. Another effect of high fructose intake is insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
Honey is The Lesser Of Two Evils for Diabetics
The jury is still out in this regard. There are pros and cons.
The PROs
It may lower;
- “bad” LDL cholesterol
- triglycerides
- inflammation
and it raises “good” HDL cholesterol
The CONs
There are some studies that have found that it can increase blood sugar levels — but just not as much as refined sugar (Trusted Source).
There are more pros than cons in this regard and honey should still be consumed with caution as with most high carb foods for Diabetics.(Trusted Source).
One thing to remember is that there are many money-hungry people out there and many are not averse to mixing lower grade honey or even other products with the honey to get a better return on their investment{paraphrased}Source).
Benefits Of Honey
Modern science is confirming much of the historical uses of honey.
Healing Wounds And Burns
There have been some cases in which people have reported positive effects of using honey in treating wounds for thousands of years.
The Cochrane Library published a review showing that honey might be able to aid in the healing of burns. The lead author of the study said “topical honey is cheaper than other interventions, notably oral antibiotics, which are often used and may have other deleterious side effects.”
There is, however, a lack of evidence to fully support this claim. A study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases concluded that applying medical-grade honey to the wounds of patients has no advantage over normal antibiotics among patients undergoing dialysis.
I would consider the difference in price would be an advantage for some.
Reducing the duration of diarrhoea
Research-based reviews have shown that honey can decrease the severity and duration of diarrhoea. Honey also promotes increased potassium and water intake, which is quite helpful when experiencing diarrhoea.
Nigerian research that took place in Lagos suggests that honey has also shown the ability to block the actions of pathogens that commonly cause diarrhoea.
Fighting infections – Honey Kills Bacteria
With the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, more attention is being directed to the antibacterial properties of honey by modern research. Scientists from the Academic Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam discovered that honey’s ability to kill bacteria lies in a protein called Bee defensin-1.
Honey is currently under preliminary research for its potential antibacterial properties. It has been a common belief around the world that honey, especially Manuka honey, has healing and antibacterial property but the way that they achieve this is still unknown. If science could determine how honey achieves this then it could be used more commonly as a first-line treatment for antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The journal Pediatrics published a study that compared honey to placebos in helping children with nighttime coughs that found that the honey helped the children. The study rated honey better than the traditional Middle Eastern date syrup for the symptomatic relief of their children’s nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty due to URI (upper respiratory infection).
Researchers, published in The Scientific World Journal, confirmed that natural honey was as effective as an antiseptic solution in reducing wound infections.
Relieving Cold And Cough Symptoms
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends honey as a natural cough remedy, as does The American Academy of Pediatrics but, as already stated, they do not advise honey for children under the age of one year.
In 2007, in a study by Penn State College of Medicine, it was suggested that the cough medicine “dextromethorphan” was
less effective in treating children with an upper respiratory infection and nighttime cough and improved their quality of sleep.
Replacing Added Sugar In The Diet
Honey, that sweet amber coloured viscous liquid’s sweet flavour makes it an ideal substitute for sugar in our diet. Cane sugar in the diet provides excess calories with no nutritional benefit. This leads to an increase in body weight, which in turn causes an increased risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.
Honey can be added to food and beverages to sweeten the taste with less negative health impacts of other added sugars. Honey is still a sweetener and it is important to remain aware of how much honey is being used.
Medicinal use
Honey is a wonderful natural product with a range of medicinal uses to treat illnesses, ailments and injuries. It can be used in brews, Drunk, put in food, added to other remedies and used as a soothing paste on the skin.
It is very popular with Practitioners of Ayurveda medicine who often use it for:
- Bad breath
- teething pain, in children over a year old
- stress
- sleep disturbance
- vision problems
- weakness
- vomiting
- cough and asthma
- hiccups
- stomach ulcers
- diarrhea and dysentery
- bed-wetting and frequent urination
- high blood pressure
- obesity
- jaundice
- hangover relief
- eczema and dermatitis
- burns, cuts, and wounds
- arthritis
Not all uses of honey have been confirmed scientifically as effective but trying it as treatment will not cause harm or make conditions worse.
Traditional Uses For Honey
These are some of the traditional uses of honey in the different cultures around the world and as such, most have not been verified by science.
Children’s Food (not for children under one-year-old)
Honey’s numerous benefits make it a great way to get healthy nutrients into your toddler. Simply add some honey to warm water and you have a nutritious snack for your child. It is free from preservatives and artificial additives if it is pure honey. A far better snack than all the modern sodium and sugar enriched snacks of today.
Better Immune System
Millions of people from any culture still use honey with meals because it is still considered to be an effective immune system booster
The reason for the ability of honey to influence the immune system lies in polyphenols and other phytochemicals that are found in the pollen of flowers, from which bees make this substance are the reason for honey’s ability to influence the human immune system. These Polyphenols and other phytochemicals act as a gym for the immune system, to boost its responsive power by triggering low-end immune reactions that are quite harmless.
Improve circulation
The reason for honey improving circulation is the fact that honey drops the negative cholesterol levels which in turn, removes the instances of the bad cholesterol building up on the walls of blood vessels. The more the vessels are free of cholesterol, the better cardiovascular health becomes. Don’t miss this tried and tested way of improving circulation by adding honey to your diet.
Eczema Relief
Honey is a great soothing agent because of its antibiotic properties and it has been used for generations by people who suffer from eczema. These properties help to reduce the multiplication of harmful bacteria when honey is applied to the affected area and it also hydrates the skin and soothes it. If you or anyone that you know are struggling with eczema, you should really try honey as it has no downsides to its use.
Energy Booster
Honey is a great source of energy as, unlike industrial sugars, It does not have the undesired side effects of these other industrialised sugars, yet is still metabolised quickly giving the quick natural energy boost.
Good Source Of Antioxidants
Antioxidants combat the occurrence of free radicals and lowers the chances of serious and chronic illnesses like cancer and other degenerative medical conditions. As honey is made from natural elements and hold little or no impurities or toxins but is high in antioxidants, it has a great effect on the human body by helping combat these diseases.
Helps With Allergies
Honey is very effective with allergies for the same reason it is an immune booster. The plant pollen allows the immune system to become more effective and less likely to react to the pollen in the air. Anyone having problems with allergies could benefit from honey.
Helps with Gum Disease
We all know that gum diseases can be painful at best and even life-threatening, but honey can provide some protection, no matter how severe. Honey’s soothing aspect is even more pronounced with the skin of the gums, where the honey’s antibacterial traits fight the development of infection in the mouth. Eating honey is a sure way to make sure that gum and oral problems can be at least soothed if not cured.
Lower Cholesterol
As mentioned above in honey improving circulation, it is also great for lowering cholesterol levels. Because of its content of natural sugars, honey actually allows the bad Cholesterol to leave the body harmlessly. With the ever-increasing problem of high cholesterol, this trait of honey is definitely one of the need to-haves in your cupboard.
Memory booster
Thanks to the Antioxidants in honey, it positively impacts your memory and stops or slows down the loss of memory functions over time. These are able to oppose the degenerative process of the free radicals degrading the memory functions in the brain. By using honey, your memory can keep working well in spite of your age.
Moisturiser
Honey is believed to makes it a perfect moisturizer. For ages, honey was used as a moisturizer for the skin of the face, hand, and neck. The highly dense nature of honey makes it one of the favourite natural ingredients for the cosmetics industry which still regularly adds it to a range of hydration products.
Reduce Inflammation
Many of the health benefits of honey come down to its anti-inflammatory characteristics. They make this golden product of nature a good choice for both acute and chronic issues with slight inflammation. While it cannot solve serious inflammations, as a rule, honey certainly helps with smaller hotbeds of infection.
Relieve Nausea
Honey coats the linings of the digestive tracts and thus helps reduce the symptoms of nausea. The level of acidic reflux and other characteristics of nausea is reduced.
Relieve a Sore Throat
Honey is also favoured for relieving a sore throat and it does it in much the same way as it relieves nausea, by lining the throat and mouth with its bacteria-fighting ability. This is probably one of the best know properties of honey.
Treat Insect Bites
Relieve the irritation of the miniature creature bites like mosquitoes whether at home or in the wilderness. Your little jar of honey will soothe the skin and possibly even neutralise any remaining poison in the bite area. Don’t travel without your honey, Honey.
Acne Treatment
Most of us have suffered from the dreaded teenage scourge of acne at some point in life. Some of us might even suffer from it into our adulthood. Honey has been trusted to deal with this scourge for as long as can be traced back into history. It is still providing us with that multilayered approach of covering the skin with its anti-inflation, soothing and antibacterial properties. This age-old trusted remedy might not be a new scientific solution to clear up your trouble spots instantly but it will help in improving them.
Burns Treatment
Serious burns will need immediate medical attention if it is available, but the lighter burns can certainly benefit from the application of honey with its anti-bacterial, soothing relief. The honey will protect the skin from secondary infections and inflammation.
Restorative Sleep
Honey an excellent natural relief from insomnia. This is believed to be caused by the insulin levels rising slightly and releasing tryptophan which then arrives at the brain where it slowly induces the sense of sleepiness. The same sense of drowsiness that is induced after a large meal. A nice warm honey drink before going to bed can be helpful.
Wounds Treatment
Honey has been a traditional treatment for wounds throughout the ages in many different cultures. This is probably because of the belief in its antiseptic properties which would minimise the likelihood of infection. If no other treatment is available, pure honey could be an alternative.
Cure Hangovers
A hangover can often feel as vicious as hell and many who have experienced this know it only too well. Honey can be an effective cure for a hangover because it is an easily accessed source of nutrients that helps settle an upset stomach that had to process all that alcohol.
When The SHTF Medicine
Our supply of modern medicine that we stockpile is not likely to last very long. At some point, we will likely have to try to find alternatives. Honey is just one of natures gifts that is available and it would be in your best interest to try to find out more about what resources are out there, freely supplied by nature. We just have to look and learn. So, do it now before the SHTF. Know what you can use and, if possible, get seed of the natural local plants that can be used for medical medicines and stockpile natural medicines.
Your Opinion Counts
No matter how much you know about survival, there is always more and better ways to learn. If you have any ideas, suggestions and or tips, please leave them in the comments below, or send them, with any questions, to me here. Your comments, ideas and suggestions are really appreciated.
“It is better to have prepared and never to need it than to be unprepared and be in desperate need of it”.
Be Aware. Be Safe. Be Prepared!