The Healing Power of Honey: For thousands of years, honey has been called the ‘Nectar of the Gods’

With Spring here, the pollen is up and the insects are buzzing, but so are allergies.

One natural treatment for allergies is to take a teaspoon of local raw honey per day, especially if you can find honey that is made from the plants that you are allergic to.

Studies on the use of local honey for allergies are mixed, but many people find that it can help some with nasal stuffiness, itchy eyes and mucous membranes.

But honey has other healing properties besides helping with allergies. Use of honey has a long history, and honeybees are included in hieroglyphs in Egypt, in cave paintings from Spain dating back to 7000 BC and other ancient texts and scrolls. Its use as medicine is thousands of years old and extends through many cultures.

Did you know that honey is a great topical antimicrobial for infected wounds? It is rich in many antibacterial and antifungal agents, including hydrogen peroxide. Applying a coat of honey to a wound, can reduce infection but it also has enzymes in it that help to “debride” a wound (Clean up the funky stuff). It softens the wound and minimizes scarring. If it is a deep wound, you should heat the honey first to kill any botulism spores which could be potentially harmful. Apply honey to the wound and cover with gauze or a bandage. Change at least once per day.

Honey is also very soothing for sore throats and internal mucous membranes. There are reports of honey and cinnamon being soothing to treat ulcers and stomach cancers (although, I would not recommend using ONLY honey for these things). A tea with fresh thyme and honey is great for quieting a cough.

Honey is made of mostly carbohydrates and water, but it is also a source of minerals and antioxidants which promote healing. The amount and type of nutrients depend on the source of the nectar gathered by the bees. Honeybees tend to forage nectar from one type of plant at a time, which is why many local honeys will name the source that the honey came from. It is also why the argument about urban bees competing with native bees is mostly false. Most pollinators go from plant to plant, unlike honeybees. With the exception of very remote alpine or desert sources of nectar, there is ample pollen to support our many pollinators here in the Portland/Metro area.

Manuka honey is a special honey that comes from New Zealand manuka plants. Manuka honey is known for its healing properties for internal infections as well as external, including MRSA, an aggressive antibiotic-resistant form of staphylococcus.

Honey is mostly safe for all ages but avoid raw honey in infants as it may contain botulism spores which their digestive tracts can’t break down and could cause a life-threatening infection of botulism.

Dr. Jennifer Means welcomes you for Primary Care for the whole family: Nutrition, IV Therapy, Naturopathy, and Acupuncture. Contact us at 503-641-6400.