5 Honey Facts You Might Not Know

Honey, particularly in its raw form, offers unique health benefits that you might not be
aware of. Among them
1. Honey Makes Excellent Cough Medicine
The World Health Organization (WHO) lists honey as a demulcent, which is a substance
that relieves irritation in your mouth or throat by forming a protective film. 5
Research shows honey works as well as dextromethorphan, a common ingredient in
over the counter cough medications, to soothe cough and related sleeping difficulties
due to upper respiratory tract infections in children. 6
2. Honey Can Treat Wounds
Honey was a conventional therapy in fighting infection up until the early 20th century, at
which time its use slowly vanished with the advent of penicillin. Now the use of honey in
wound care is regaining popularity, as researchers are determining exactly how honey
can help fight serious skin infections.
Honey has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidants activities that make it ideal for
treating wounds. In the US, Derma Sciences uses Manuka honey for their Medihoney
wound and burn dressings.
Manuka honey is made with pollen gathered from the flowers of the Manuka bush (a
medicinal plant), and clinical trials have found this type of honey can effectively
eradicate more than 250 clinical strains of bacteria, including resistant varieties such as:
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
MSSA (methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus)
VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci)
Compared to other types of honey, Manuka has an extra ingredient with antimicrobial
qualities, called the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). It is so called because no one has
yet been able to discover the unique substance involved that gives it its extraordinary
antibacterial activity.
Honey releases hydrogen peroxide through an enzymatic process, which explains its
general antiseptic qualities, but active Manuka honey contains "something else" that
makes it far superior to other types of honey when it comes to killing off bacteria. 7
That being said, research shows that any type of unprocessed honey helped wounds
and ulcers heal. In one study, 58 of 59 wounds showed remarkable improvement
following topical application of honey. 8
3. Honey Improves Your Scalp
Honey diluted with a bit of warm water was shown to significantly improve seborrheic
dermatitis, which is a scalp condition that causes dandruff and itching. After applying the
solution every other day for four weeks, all of the patients responded markedly.
According to the researchers:9

Itching was relieved and scaling was disappeared within one week. Skin lesions were
healed and disappeared completely within 2 weeks. In addition, patients showed
subjective improvement in hair loss.
4. Help Boost Your Energy
A healthy, whole-food diet and proper sleep is the best recipe for boundless energy, but
if youre looking for a quick energy boost, such as before or after a workout, honey can
suffice. This is particularly true for athletes looking for a time-released fuel to provide
energy over a longer duration.10
5. Reduce Allergy Symptoms
Locally produced honey, which will contain pollen spores picked up by the bees from
local plants, introduces a small amount of allergen into your system. Theoretically, this
can activate your immune system and over time can build up your natural immunity
against it.
The typical recommendation is to take about a teaspoon-full of locally produced honey
per day, starting a few months PRIOR to the pollen season, to allow your system to
build up immunity. And the key here is local.
This approach only works because it has pollen of local plants you may be allergic to.
Honey from other parts of the country simply wont work. While research on this has
yielded conflicting results, one study found that, during birch pollen season, compared
to the control group, the patients using birch pollen honey experienced: 11
60 percent reduction in symptoms

Twice as many asymptomatic days

70 percent fewer days with severe symptoms

50 percent decrease in usage of antihistamines

Interestingly enough, there were few differences between the two honey groups (those
who took regular honey, versus those who took honey that contained birch pollen.)
However, the birch pollen honey group used less histamines than those who used
regular honey. The authors concluded:
"Patients who pre-seasonally used birch pollen honey had significantly better control of
their symptoms than did those on conventional medication only, and they had
marginally better control compared to those on regular honey. The results should be
regarded as preliminary, but they indicate that birch pollen honey could serve as a
complementary therapy for birch pollen allergy."

Honey for Herpes

Good-quality honey offers several topical wound-care benefits that can explain some of
its success as a remedy for herpes sores:

It draws fluid away from your wound

The high sugar content suppresses microorganism growth

Worker bees secrete an enzyme (glucose oxidase) into the nectar, which then
releases low levels of hydrogen peroxide when the honey makes contact with your
wound

In one study, 16 adult subjects with a history of recurrent labial and genital herpes
attacks used honey to treat one attack, and a commonly prescribed antiviral drug,
Acyclovir cream, during another. (It's important to realize that neither the drug nor the
honey will actually cure genital herpes. They only treat the symptoms.)
Interestingly, honey provided significantly better treatment results. For labial herpes, the
mean healing time was 43 percent better, and for genital herpes, 59 percent better than
acyclovir. Pain and crusting was also significantly reduced with the honey, compared to
the drug. Two cases of labial herpes and one case of genital herpes remitted completely
with the honey treatment, whereas none remitted while using acyclovir.12

3 DIY Honey Home Remedies

Honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture, making it an ideal
addition to moisturizers, shampoos, and conditioners. Along with its antimicrobial
properties, honey makes a wonderful addition to homemade personal care products.
The National Honey Board has a few you can try out for yourself: 13
1. Honey Hair Conditioner: Mix cup honey with cup olive oil. Work a small
amount through your hair until coated. Cover your hair with a shower cap and let
sit for 30 minutes. Shampoo as normal and rinse.
2. Honey Body Moisturizer: Mix 5 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons rose oil, and
2 cups almond oil in a medium-sized bottle. Apply as needed onto wet skin.
3. Honey Almond Scrub: Mix 3 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and 6
tablespoons of finely crushed almonds. Rub the exfoliating scrub onto your face
gently and rinse with warm water.
The Organic Consumers Association has also published this simple honey lemon cough
syrup thats useful to keep on hand during the winter months: 14