Honey

[Pat Robinson]

"Honey" - Do be aware that most honey has been heat pasteurized. Raw honey has amazing antimicrobial benefits and even probiotic benefits - including bifidum, the predominant microbial in the young human gut. As we age, we lose bifidum as the dominant microbial. (or as we lose bifidum in the gut, we age?)

Bifidum is in some honey and in breastmilk. Otherwise, I have heard there isn't another natural source. The "source" for inoculating our human gut at birth is breastmilk. Proper ph and other microbial balance allows it to reproduce. Honey has bifidum factors which enhance bifidum's growth and reproduction also.

Different varietals of honey possess a large amount of friendly bacteria (6 species of lactobacilli and 4 species of bifidobacteria), which may explain many of the "mysterious therapeutic properties of honey."
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=96
http://www.prohoneyandhealth.com/UserFiles/Image/Symposium%20Report...

Clinical studies have shown that honey enhances the growth of healthful bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. The effect of honey was similar to that of commercial FOS, GOS and inulin. Sweeteners other than honey did not appear to have an effect on stimulating bifidobacteria growth.
1. Honey can enhance the growth of acid production of human Bifidobacterium ss. Journal of Food Protection. 2002; 65(1); 214-8
2. Honey enhances the production of lactic acid from Bifidobacteria, Journal of Food Science, 2001;66(3): 478-481
http://www.weebeehoney.net/honey_for_health.html


Unfortunately, most honeybees have been fed HFCS, as the beekeepers take all of the bees' honey, leaving none or little of their honey for them to feed on. The bees eat the honey and regurgitate it to make more honey. So, when the commercial beekeepers use HFCS, we actually end up with regurgitated HFCS labeled as "honey". Most beekeepers give their bees prophylactic antibiotics also. So, it is important to know your source. Ask if they fumigate or give antibiotics or sugar water or HFCS or heat the honey.

Ideal, imo, is RAW, local, untreated honey which has received no antibiotics, nor sugar water (which apparently is often from GMO-sugar beets nowadays!), and the bees are left to over-winter with their own honey. No HFCS as "food".

Honey has antifungal and antibacterial effects also. Raw honey helps to kill staph, even MRSA.

RESULTS: MRSA was eradicated from the ulcer and rapid healing was successfully achieved. CONCLUSION: Honey is recognized to have antibacterial properties, and can also promote effective wound healing. A traditional therapy, therefore, appears to have enormous potential in solving new problems.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12171686

Effect of medical honey on wounds colonized or infected with MRSA:
Full healing was achieved in seven consecutive patients whose wounds were either infected or colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antiseptics and antibiotics had previously failed to irradicate the clinical signs of infection.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17927079


Manuka honey has the benefit that its hydrogen peroxide decomposes much more slowly than what's in standard honey. This special honey is made from the manuka bush, Leptospermum scoparium, only found in New Zealand.
http://rn.modernmedicine.com/rnweb/Clinical/The-buzz-on-manuka-hone...



Found this portable tube of Manuka Honey

Many more research studies, from GreenMedInfo, on the medicinal benefits of honey.

More on the nutritive constituents of honey from World's Healthiest Foods.




Pat

 

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Nettle Leaf herbal infusions 101.
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[Sarah Thompson]

Are raw honey and dark maple syrup okay for peopple ona sugar-restricted diet?

[Christine Cagnina]

Wow--- great info! I was wondering whether I should continue to let my lil guy consume spoonfuls of his raw, organic honey before bed (and when he wakes up in the middle of the night... it's a battle), and at least this helps me feel a little better!

Pat-- how bad is it that he eats spoonfuls in the middle of the night...?!?!

[April Hildreth]

I just bought some "really raw honey" it has a milky color.. and it actually has bits of pollen, and the honey comb and probably propolis and all as well.. it is sooo good.. and the benefits are amazing.... so excited to have added it to our family's cupboard :)

[Sarah Thompson]

The honey that I buy is downright murky, and it is different in every batch. I buy it in 24lbs buckets, and it is wonderful!