The little bee expends an endless amount of energy and time collecting nectar to produce a tiny amount of honey. The process of a community of hundreds of bees creates a delicious, nutrient packed sweetener with a variety of health benefits and uses including healing wound infections, soothing a sore throat and relieving stomach ulcers.
Healing Infections
An ancient Sumarian medicinal treatment using honey to heal infected wounds was tested by a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine on a patient who had little hope of keeping his foot due to a severe infection. After applying honey-soaked gauze to the wounds for two weeks the wounds began to heal and the patient walked a year later. This report, appearing in the October 11, 2006 issue of Health News on Wired.com, showcased the amazing healing antibacterial properties of honey contained in the over 600 compounds contained within a bees saliva.
Boosts Energy
Skip the energy drink loaded with caffeine and a myriad of other suspicious ingredients. Mixing a teaspoon of honey with some warm water and drinking the solution in the morning is a quick way to get honey’s natural glucose content into the bloodstream quickly and give you a quick lift.
Soothes a Sore Throat
If you’re suffering from a sore throat due to a cold or allergies, pour a teaspoon of honey onto a spoon, add a little lemon juice and swallow it. Take another teaspoon every three hours until your scratchy, swollen throat is soothed. The anti-inflammatory properties of honey helps speed up the healing process.
Duodenal and Gastric Ulcers
Chinese physician Henry C. Lu reports in his book, “Chinese System of Food Cures” about clinical studies using honey as a treatment for duodenal and gastric ulcers. After taking a third of a cup of honey, three times a day before meals for ten days and increasing the amount to one half a cup following, the pain experienced from the ulcers was gone as soon as six days and on average the ulcers resolved within 22 days.
Moisturizer
A somewhat unconventional method of adding moisture to the skin, mixing two egg whites with three tablespoons of flour and four tablespoons of honey acts as a natural skin moisturizer. Gentle to the skin and anti-inflammatory, those with skin sensitivity or acne won’t experience unwanted side effects.
Allergies
There is a school of thought if you eat honey that is found locally in your neighborhood, it will help combat the allergies you suffer from. Since the honey you’re eating came from the pollen the bees foraged from local agriculture, it’s felt to have a stronger effect than honey farmed elsewhere.
