By Elena Voropay

Honey is a delicious viscous natural sweetener is a marvelous alternative to sugar. With a many medicinal properties, honey has been used traditionally for centuries as anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal substance for contraception, coughs, colds and flu, digestive problems, bronchitis, eye infections, baldness, and various skin conditions. The Greeks and Romans used honey as a laxative, for diarrhea, sunburn, sore throats and eye diseases. The Chinese prevented scars, treated smallpox and diseases of the mouth and throat with honey.

Sun-gold nature's gift is also a superb source of polyphenolic antioxidants known to minimize free radical damage to tissues created by daily living. It contains minerals Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium, Copper and Manganese, vitamins B and C, and various enzymes and organic acids with anti-microbial properties.

Nurture Your Skin With Honey

Honey has been used as a medicinal aid for wound healing for centuries. Indians, Greeks and Romans mixed honey with fat and used it as an ointment on ulcers, skin cuts, burns and wounds. The reasons why this nutritious food as we know it helps the skin to heal have been well researched and documented in scientific literature.

When 104 first-degree burn patients were treated with honey for just one week, 91 per cent were infection free compared with only 7 percent receiving the conventional treatment by silver sulfadiazene. Another study showed that helped the caesarean section and hysterectomy patients to clear wounds and heal sooner than the standard solution of iodine and alcohol. When honey was applied to wounds, 58 of the 59 cases studied promoted remarkable improvement, and 51 of the infected wounds became sterile within one week. Multitudinous of explorations have confirmed honey's healing properties, and for a good reason.

We know that bacteria love sugar. So, why honey is so potent in preventing most bacteria and other microorganisms grow or reproduce? Here are the reasons:

• Honey is composed mainly of glucose and fructose, two sugars that attract water. When applied to the wound, honey dries it by absorbing water and inhibiting the growth of moisture-loving bacteria and fungi.
  
  

• With about 17 per cent water and a bounty of vital nutrients, honey is a good skin tonic often used for acne, rashes, pimples and to balance oily skin complexion.
  
  

• Honey is acidic, and acids prevent the growth of bacteria. Raw honey contains an enzyme called glucose oxidase which, when combined with water, forms a mild antiseptic Hydrogen Peroxide. This disinfects the wound without harming the tissues or forming scarring.
  
  

• Specific enzymes, antioxidants and flavonoids found in honey may also help in the healing process because these have magnificent antibacterial properties.
  
  One antioxidant unique in honey, pinocembrin, is currently being studied for its antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus. This common infectious bacteria found in our environment can travel to skin, in the nose and throat and cause Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS) leading to constant pain, loss of motor functions, insomnia and depression. Treatments of fungus Candida albicans (known as yeast infection) and bacteria Escherichia coli ( source of intestinal and urinary tract infections, meningitis, peritonitis, mastitis, septicema and pneumonia) are also under investigation with honey.

Choosing and Keeping The Goodness of Honey

Darker honeys from buckwheat flowers, sage and tupelo have the widest variety of nutrients than lighter varieties. And if you choose raw unprocessed honey, you will do your best to boost the body's immune system, lower cholesterol, prevent hypertension, minimise inflammation, improve digestion, slow down aging and protect against cancer.

Most honey sold in the stores is usually pasteurized, but oftentimes you may find it raw. Organic honey that hasn't been processed, clarified, or filtered will present you he highest quality of phytonutrients that naturally live in the hive and same anti-bacterial and anti-fungal resins found in propolis.

Honeybees make propolis by combining plant resins with their own secretions and use it as a “glue” to seal the hive and protect honey from bacteria and other micro-organisms. Other phytonutrients (such as caffeic acid methyl caffeate, phenylethyl caffeate, and phenylethyl dimethylcaffeate) found both in raw honey and propolis have cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties. Both translucent and creamy honey are excellent choices. The difference is that the sugars in opaque honey are crystallized.

Keep honey in a cool dry place an airtight container so that it doesn't absorb moisture from the air. Colder temperatures may thicken the liquid, while higher temperatures has a tendency to change honey's color and altered flavor.

Applying Honey as a Wound Dressing

Fill the abscesses in the wound area with honey for direct contact with exuding fluid in the wound. The amount of honey needed depends on how much fluid the wound exudes (greater dilution lessens the quality of protection).

Spread the healing nourishment on a waterproof dressing. Absorbent dressings may soak the honey making it less effective and are not recommended. Use adhesive tape or bandages to hold the dressings in place and change the dressing up to three times a day.

References

Ensminger AH, Ensminger, ME, Kondale JE, Robson JRK. 2003, Foods & Nutriton Encyclopedia. Pegus Press, Clovis, California

Dunford, C., Cooper, R., Molan, P. & White, R. ‘The use of honey in wound management’, Nursing Standard, 2000;15 (11):63.

Jefferay, K. 2002. Introduction to Nutrition: A Workbook to Accompany Lectures in Nutrition 1a, Australasian College of Natural Therapies, Sydney.

Gribel' NV, Pashinskii VG. The antitumor properties of honey. Vopr Onkol 1990;36(6):704-9, PMID: 13980

Gross H, Polagruto J, Zhu Q, Kim S, Schramm D, Keen C. Effect of honey consumption on plasma antioxidant status in human subjects. Paper presented at the 227th American Chemical Society Meeting, Anahein CA, March 28, 2004.

Dixon, B.‘Bacteria can’t resist honey’, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 2003; 3(2):16.

D’Arcy, B. ,2002. ‘Honey - food or medicine’, Australian Honey Research Unit, The Uni

versity of Queensland. http://www.fst.uq.edu.au/staff/bdarcy/honey/honeyfoodormedicinebw6.pdf Lusby, P.E., Coombes, A., & Wilkinson, J.M. ‘Honey: A potent agent for wound healing?’, Journal of Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing (WOCN), 2002; 29 (6):295-300.

Miraglio, A. 2003. ‘Honey-health and therapeutic qualities’, The National Honey Board: http://www.nhb.org/download/factsht/compendium.pdf

Molan, P. (Updated 18 July 2002). ‘Honey as an antimicrobal agent’, University of Waikato – Honey Research Unit. Retrieved 26 February 2003 from http://honey.bio.waikato.ac.nz/contents.html