Honey Brings Many Health Benefits

Bee Mindful of Your Health

By Chris Valentine / Photography By Andrew Hyslop | March 04, 2019

The best part of being caught up by bees and honey are the amazing questions and conversations that always just seem to unfold. Every beekeeper has an extraordinary story. Visits to farmers’ markets become rich opportunities to learn and discover. Memories of distinctive flavors and aromas of honey from all over the world, from California, Greece, France and Denmark open up a global perspective. Books, Edible magazine articles, clippings and gifts from friends do so much to build a sense of appreciation and gratitude for relationships built on enthusiasm for bees and honey.

From a honey enthusiast’s perspective, then, there is a temptation to answer questions about health claims made for honey with more confidence than is probably warranted by actual scientific research. In reality, there is relatively little evidence since large-scale medical studies are expensive and tend to be carried out only if supported by revenue from a potentially lucrative drug.

Historical and anecdotal evidence certainly supports the claim that honey is healthy. A German company working on wounds caused by diabetes offers gauze products infused with honey that allow patients to heal more quickly. Doctors involved with inserting cardiac devices within the body have found that surgeries have better outcomes when some devices are coated with honey before they are implanted. From antiquity to the present, honey has been used to help patients heal.

Many allergy sufferers swear by the usefulness of a daily teaspoonful of honey made from the plants causing an allergic reaction. Do antigens in honey really help fortify our immune systems? Maybe. Results seem very good for some people, using some honeys. No evidence suggests that experimenting can do any harm. There is such a wide range of plants that bees will forage for, select and use to make honey that generalizations are tricky. A reliable source of raw, unpasteurized local honey is always a good place to start.

Honey is the only food on earth that doesn’t ever spoil. Even when it crystallizes, honey is still just fine. A jar of local crystalized honey, placed in hot (not boiling) water, will soon become liquid again. Boiling or microwaving honey will, however, destroy the interesting enzymes and antigens and definitely change the flavor.

Dinner party conversations about bees and honey are endlessly fascinating. “Why do bees make honey?” Honey is in fact both food and medicine for the bees. During the winter, a hive consumes as much as a pound of honey every day.

“But what do bees do during the winter?” The worker bees throw out all the males in the fall, because drones don’t contribute anything, don’t clean up after themselves and only eat the precious stores of honey in the hive. When drones are required again in the spring, the hive will produce more. In the meantime, the females cluster together and vibrate their wings and bodies, to keep the interior of the hive warm and clean.

All over the internet there are sites that suggest honey and cinnamon cure heart disease, arthritis, skin infections, flu, indigestion and diaper rash, lowers cholesterol and promotes longevity. Elixirs of honey and vinegar are an effective tonic for some. Anyone who hasn’t tried a mixture containing 1/3 lemon juice, 1/3 honey and 1/3 Kentucky bourbon while suffering from a cough or cold has, at a very minimum, missed out on a delightful flavor sensation and possibly some blessed relief from the misery of a sore throat.

Honey is so much more than a marvelous sweetener. Honey is nature’s mysterious gift that provides both extraordinary pleasure and health benefits. Good and good for us. What could possibly be better than eating and enjoying our medicine?