Whether it was devoured by Winnie the Pooh or promised as a pledge that God gave to the Isrealites as they left Egypt, honey has been used for thousands of years by practically every culture to treat everything from burns to sore throats.
It is more than easy to run to your corner grocery store and purchase a honey bear bottle of this sweet nectar for a few dollars. But when it comes to wellness, there is a stark difference between raw and pasteurized honey commonly found in grocery stores.
Raw Honey Versus Pasteurized Store Honey
Raw honey is unprocessed honey that contains pollen, propolis, honeycomb and live enzymes. All of these elements are what the bees put in it but what processed honey tosses out. Raw organic manuka honey from New Zealand is especially known for its healing properties but it is challenging to obtain from nature. Manuka trees grow only in New Zealand and bloom just six weeks out of the year. This specialized growth season makes active Manuka honey a truly coveted and rare elixir.
New Zealand manuka honey is a unique kind of honey that is cultivated by certified organic beekeepers who have restored the art of beekeeping and interfere as little as possible in the synergistic relationship between the flower and the bee.
In contrast, pasteurized honey or honey that has been heavily processed introduces chemicals into the hive. Not only are chemical residues carried on the pollens and nectars that bees gather, but chemicals and antibiotics are used by beekeepers to control mites and other bee diseases in the hive. This in turn disrupts the quality of the honey.
What is Active Honey and why is it so therapeutic?
When it comes to honey, there is one term that you should keep in mind when you are selecting a honey for therapeutic purposes. That term is “active.” Active Manuka honey labeled as 10+, provides antiseptic properties very similar in effectiveness to other antiseptic solutions that are used in a clinical setting. While there are numerous brands of Manuka honey, only a very small percentage of them are tested and verified as active 10+ Manuka honey.
When selecting Manuka honey for therapeutic use, it is of the utmost importance to select one that is labeled "Active" and that specifies the level of antibacterial activity. The Synergy Company’s Healing Honey is one rare brand of honey that bears this classification making it one of the most unique honey’s that possesses genuine health-enhancing benefits.
Raw Manuka honey Rx:
With flu season upon us, heal a sore throat or some of the other uncomfortable symptoms of a cold by allowing one teaspoon of honey to gently melt in your mouth, slowly coating your throat, four times daily. For best results, do not disturb the healing effect by eating or drinking anything for 30 minutes.
If you have a burn, wound or scrape, spread a generous amount of active Manuka honey on a bandage and place the bandage against the injured area. Seal the corners of the bandage with waterproof First Aid tape to prevent the honey from oozing out.
Dr. Molan at the University of Waikato in New Zealand offers the following suggestions for those experiencing ulcers and gastritis. But do keep in mind that these suggestions are not medical advice. If you are experiencing a persistent health problem, please seek the assistance of a qualified health practitioner.
If you have ulcers or gastritis, spread one tablespoon of honey on toast and eat one hour before meals and then again before bedtime.
If you’re a bit on the fence about the healing benefits of raw honey, consider this: A study conducted in 1991 comparing a conventional burn treatment (silver sulfadiazine) with topical application of raw honey found that in seven days, 91% of the infected wounds treated with raw honey were free of infection while in the sulfadiazine group less than 7% were free of infection.
In addition, there have been over 35 reports in medical journals of raw honey's use clinically as a wound dressing in a total of over 600 patients. These clinical studies have demonstrated raw honey's effectiveness in halting infection, reducing inflammation and stimulating the regeneration of new tissue.
Learning more about manuka honey
There are actually some very important and comprehensive publications on the benefits of honey, the cultivation of it and how our current environment is affecting the survival of bees.
One such book, Honey Your Health, is a veritable encyclopedia on honey written by Dr. Bodog Beck, a physician who has spent much of medical career studying the therapeutic and medicinal effects of honey.
The Honey Book is another formidable read that covers everything from using honey as a beauty product to cooking with honey to learning about the many varieties of honey.
- Heather Ashare, MPH