The Miracle of Raw Honey - Liquid Gold

Raw honey – liquid gold – is the most ancient medicinal food we know of. Eight-thousand-year-old cave paintings in Spain tell stories of people foraging for honey. Most microorganisms cannot grow in honey. If kept in a sealed container, it will not spoil for thousands of years. Edible honey was found in four-thousand-year-old Egyptian tombs.

Honey loses its fantastic properties through heat. Commercial honey is heated and consequently robbed and depleted of its wonderful benefits. In addition, commercial honey is often diluted with sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup. The VBA (Vermont Beekeepers Association) did a study on honey sold in Vermont stores. The VBA discovered that 25% to 75% of all honey tested had been adulterated and mixed with sweeteners like corn syrup! Make sure you know where your honey comes from.

Raw honey is a fantastic source of antioxidants derived from plant chemicals. The antioxidants in honey are mostly polyphenols, which are said to reduce inflammation, heart disease, dementia, even certain types of cancer, and more. Raw honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is a phytonutrient powerhouse and a prebiotic that helps with digestion. Its enzymes are known to fight the H.pylori bacteria in the stomach, a bacteria that can lead to stomach ulcers. Honey can soothe a sore throat and greatly help with seasonal allergies.

Honeycomb is another way to benefit from the hard work of honey bees. The honeycombs contain besides beeswax and raw honey, also bee pollen, propolis, and royal jelly. It is rich in nutrients and a good source of carbohydrates and antioxidants. It also contains trace amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. When chewing honeycomb, one inevitably is left with a moth full of delicious beeswax, which is rich in long-chain fatty acids and is known to lower cholesterol.

Besides its nutritional values and its use as food, honey has also been used as pure medicine and beauty product. It is particularly effective for wounds and burns. When stabbing my palm with a sharp stick that deeply penetrated my hand, I had a chance to experience the miracle of raw honey:

Day one : I received a deep puncture wound (3/4”) in my palm from falling on a stump that had been chewed to a razor-sharp point by a beaver. I had washed it well with alcohol before I took this picture. Then I covered it with a bandage for the remainder of the afternoon and night.
Day two: It looked a little nasty when I took the bandage off in the morning. So, I decided to put some raw honey on the wound and another bandage for the day and the second night.
Day three : I was blown away when I took the bandage off the morning of day three!

Note of caution : Raw honey is not suited for children under the age of one or pregnant women.