Raw honey is a power food of note and something, I reckon, that every person should have in their kitchen. Most people see honey as a sweetener and it's true, it is definitely nature's best when it comes to sweeteners, but most people don't realise the true healing properties of honey.
Since ancient times, honey has been lauded for it's healing powers. It's well documented. The problem with honey is that it can't be patented and, for that reason pharmaceutical companies have tried to replace honey with chemical ointments, antibiotics and antivirals. In the process, all of that well-documented information about honey seems to have been forgotten by everyone.
What we do know is the following:
- Honey has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for more than 4000 years. It's an ingredient in 634 remedies in ancient Hindu vedic texts.
- Papyrus discovered from ancient Egypt expounded on the medicinal properties of honey. It's used in nearly every ancient Egyptian remedy.
- In ancient Greece, the “Father of Medicine”, Hippocrates, wrote, ”Honey and pollen cause warmth, clean sores and ulcers, soften hard ulcers of lips, heal carbuncles and running sores.”
Just to be clear, we are not talking just any honey. Honey can be bought pretty much anywhere these days. But don't be fooled. Just because the label says honey, doesn't really mean it's honey, and just because the label says "raw", it doesn't mean it's loaded with goodness either. Confused? Let me explain it a bit.
Honey is loosely defined as "anything containing pollen". But even that very broad definition doesn't stop countries like China from totally removing all the pollen from honey. Why would anyone do that? Because without pollen, the source of the honey can't be traced. It's like the honey's DNA. Some honeys are not allowed to be sold in certain countries but, by rebottling, and removing all the pollen, it's difficult to prove where it was actually bottled and so these companies are still making money and it's not very well policed.
Over 70% of the honey sold in grocery stores is completely devoid of any pollen. Why is this an issue? Honey without pollen is like a multivitamin without the actual vitamins. The label SAYS it's a multivitamin, so you buy it because it's the cheapest on the shelf and you are doing your "healthy" bit. Just like the label SAYS it's honey, so you buy it because it's the cheapest on the shelf and you are doing your "healthy" bit. You might as well buy refined white sugar, or perhaps a tin of golden syrup for all the "health" you'll get from that honey.
Then there's also the issue of pasteurised (or radurised) vs raw honey. I've had this discussion about a different product, but the same principal and that was in my post about milk. Why is anything pasteurised? To remove any possible bacteria. When honey is heat treated, the process is called radurising. The problem with heat-treating anything is that it kills off EVERYTHING good in the product. In the case of honey, it's the propolis we really want to keep. Propolis is a POWERFUL healing agent that is produced by bees to protect the hive from bacteria. You can see why it would be good for us too. Heat treating honey destroys the propolis in the honey, among other things.
It is essential that you buy honey that is local. Why? Because any honey that is imported is required to be heat treated or radurised to destroy any potential bacterial threats. There is a honey at Dischem which is imported. It sits on the shelf next to all the other honeys and it proclaims to be raw but it isn't raw because it is imported and is therefore radurised. It is essentially dead honey and therefore not raw at all. I was highly upset to discover this accidentally from a honey expert who happened to be at Dischem, in the honey section. I was buying it because it was a cheaper price and I thought it was raw so it was a good deal. She warned me about it and gave me the low-down. Not a good deal at all and it is absolutely false advertising as they are required to say "radurised" on the product and a lot of them don't.
A good way to check if a honey is imported is to check if the bottle says, "Bottled in South Africa." That means it has been made somewhere else and re-bottled in South Africa. If it says "Made in South Africa" or "A product of South Africa" you know it's safe. Of course, South African honey can also be heat treated and that is out of a misguided sense of doing the right thing for the purposes of safety. But they are not doing you any favours in terms of health and they are required to tell you whether or not it's been radurised so you can make the choice yourself. As I said earlier, heat treated honey is no better than buying refined sugar. The only difference really, is that honey is sweeter than sugar, so you may use less (or you should) but it's still refined sugar and not a healthier option.
So, if you do buy raw honey, what can you use it for? Well, raw honey is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal, making it one of the most healing substances on earth. It's also extremely nutrient-dense. Honey is a natural multivitamin. It contains significant amounts of: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, C, magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, and phosphate.
Historically, honey has been used medicinally for many health issues:
- Honey applied liberally on a wound, burn or rash will speed healing. Apply honey liberally and cover loosely with a wrap. The honey, applied topically to the wound or cut, moistens the skin and helps prevent or reduce scarring as well. I can vouch for this. I use it often. It also slows down bleeding.
- A teaspoon taken 3 times per day can help prevent seasonal allergies, especially if it's honey bought in, or near, the area you live. Why? Your body builds up an immunity to the local pollen via the honey.
- A tablespoon of raw honey sprinkled with cinnamon taken 3 times per day can boost the immune system and fight off a cold or sore throat.
- A spoonful of honey on its own can soothe a cough caused by a tickle or sore throat.
- A teaspoon of honey stirred into hot tea can lessen the symptoms of a cold or flu.
- Honey mixed with equal parts coconut oil makes a wonderful skin conditioner.
- Studies show that honey can help control blood sugar fluctuations.
- Raw honey increases the production of antioxidants in the bloodstream.
- Recent studies proved that honey reduced overall cholesterol levels when taken daily.
I often get hit by the flu bug during winter. It usually has me flat on my back in bed thanks to my IBS compromising my immune system now and then. But I never take antibiotics, especially not for flu, so visiting a doctor doesn't even enter my mind. I usually hole up in bed (if I can) and wait it out, drinking hourly doses of tea that consists of echinacea, stinging nettle, lemon balm, moringa and rooibos. To that mix, I add a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and cayenne pepper (all organic and non-irradiated) to each cup, along with a generous teaspoon of raw honey. Yeah, it sounds gross, but the spices actually make it taste like chai tea so it's quite delicious and soothing.
But the most important part of my "self-medication" is that, 3 to 4 times a day I liberally sprinkle a tablespoon of raw honey with cinnamon and swallow it which, let me tell you, is absolutely YUMMY! Within 3 days I am up and about and feeling 99% normal again, no conventional medication necessary, not even panado. I know for a fact that honey was at the root of it all. There is never a time when we don't have honey in our kitchen. In fact I panic when it starts coming to an end!
I get my honey from a honey farm in Richmond. It's raw, creamed Saligna honey and it's the best honey I've ever tasted. The farmer is very ethical and very good at what he does and he's just a nice guy. If anyone in Durban or Jhb is interested in trying it, give me a shout. Because I buy straight from the farmer, I get a really good price. Cape Town is a bit further and courier prices may take it out of your reach but Durban and Jhb are manageable. The cheapest raw honey I've found is Peels Honey (also local from KZN) and that is about R49 and it's bottled in plastic. My honey is R45 and it's bottled in glass jars which can be reused for so many things as well. Place your orders at mellowhealth@melanielowe.co.za.
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