In Support of Honey

The more I explore all things holistic, the more I am becoming aware of how many common foods and plants have hidden benefits and alternate uses that most of us these days are totally unaware of. Fact is, when getting relief from a headache or buying cleaning supplies or stocking up on skin and hair cleansers is as simple as a quick trip to the local Target, very few of us have ever been in a position to look to our kitchens or gardens for a quick fix.

Recently someone asked me what one item I thought was the most versatile. Truth is, there are many, many food items and plants that can be used for multiple purposes. So it was hard for me to narrow it down to just one. But I decided to look for something that EVERY household has...even if you might not always use it. And honey was the first thing that came to mind.

Honey isn't just a sweetener, although it's a great a processed sugar substitute. Honey is fat-free, cholesterol-free, and sweeter than table sugar which means you need to use less of it to sweeten foods and drinks. The varieties of honey are as numerous as the types of plants bees visit for pollination. As far as I could tell, there are about 25 types of honey available in the contintental U.S. (this includes manuka honey, a relatively recent import from New Zealand). But there are numerous other types of honey available throughout the world. So not only is honey better for you than processed sugar, but because it comes in so many different varieties, you can endlessly adjust the flavor of a single recipe or cup of tea just by rotating to another type of honey. Top that sugar!

Of course you already knew about honey as a sweetner. But did you know about honey's medicinal properties? Way before Neosporin appeared, honey was being used as a topical ointment to dress burns and wounds. It's antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory properties make it perfect for all sorts of skin injuries. In fact, recent studies show honey is highly effective against MRSA (aka flesh eating disease). Honey has also been shown to be more effective than cough syrup when it comes to chronic, nighttime coughing in adults and children. It's also great for chronic sinus infections and throat infections too.

Sounds great, right? Well, for the most part, honey really is the ultimate multitasking food. However, keep in mind that a) honey is never ok to give to children under the age of one due to botulism risks (and some doctor's recommend holding off until a child is two) and b) while local honey has been actively promoted as a way to combat seasonal allergies, no studies have been able to prove this 100%.

Oh, and when I talk about honey as a healing agent....I do not mean Sue Bee honey or any other big brand honey found at your local supermarket. The best honeys to buy are raw, local, and organic honey (all three if you can find it). These are highest in infection-fighting nutrients, full of flavor, and coming from beekeepers who are concerned about the dramatically declining bee population and doing their part to protect bees (and consumers) from pesticide exposure (sadly, the EPA is still not 100% convinced the pesticides are responsible for colony collapse even though many, many beekeepers and scientists feel it's the most likely cause).

So next time you open up your pantry and spot that humble jar of honey on the shelf, give it the respect that its due as one of the world's oldest, and most reliable, sweetners and medicinal remedies.