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Pure Sweetness

By Rani Yovetich

PURE SWEETNESS

September is National Honey Month. Bees are on the move! It is estimated that over two million bee colonies are transported each year for crop pollination, honey and beeswax production. Many ranchers lease these colonies to pollinate their crops for increased crop yield. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates about one-third of human food consumption is from insect-pollinated plants, honey bees accounting for 80% of those plants. A 1999 Cornell University study showed the value of honey bee pollination to U.S. agriculture to be more than $14 billion.

Not only are honey bees handy for pollination, but they create a miraculous liquid that does everything from enhance athletic performance to heal wounds. Written records suggest ancient Egyptians may have been the first bee keepers, using honey as a food and healing ointment. Honey was so highly valued by many early cultures that it was used as a source of payment, poured over sacred and commemorative objects, and fed to sacred animals. It was used to sweeten alcoholic beverages, one of which became known as "the drink of the gods." Even the Bible mentions honey in Exodus 3:8, "a land flowing with milk and honey," and Proverb 24:13, "My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste." The early American settlers used honey to preserve fruits, for medicinal purposes, and in the production of cement, furniture polish and varnish. Throughout the years honey has been used in face masks, hand lotions, curing pipe bowls, chewing gum, spray adherent, the center of golf balls, and even antifreeze mixture for automobile radiators.

According to ancient folklore, Greek and Roman athletes consumed honey to increase strength and stamina. Recent studies conducted at the University of Memphis confirmed this myth is actually fact. When it came to enhanced endurance and energy, honey proved one of the most effective carbohydrate gels when consumed before or during exercise lasting longer than one hour. It was also an effective post-workout supplement.

Dr. Richard Kreider, lead investigator of the study and Director of the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory at the University of Memphis states, "We were pleased to find that powdered honey promoted favorable changes in post-exercise markers of metabolism equal to that of the current standard, maltodextrin." "We also found that the group receiving honey as the carbohydrate source did not display the typical drop in blood sugar 60 minutes after taking the other forms of carbohydrates."

Dr. Kreider goes on to say, "In addition, honey appears to stand out as perhaps a better source of carbohydrate to ingest with post-workout protein supplements." A combination of specific carbohydrates and protein has been shown to speed muscle and blood glucose recovery. This is very important to athletes in training and serious workout enthusiasts. A higher level of growth hormone was also found in the subjects combining protein and carbohydrates post-exercise.

Honey is a natural anti-inflammatory and antiseptic. It also promotes cell regeneration and scarless rapid healing. Studies as early as the 1930s show honey to be effective in healing wounds. Numerous cases have been recorded where conventional medicine failed to heal wounds while honey succeeded in healing the wounds. Research has shown honey to be better at treating burns than silver sulphadiazine, one of the most commonly used antibacterial ointments. More recent studies show that honey effects even antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This is a major breakthrough!

Honey has also been proven to be effective on the bacteria that cause anthrax, diphtheria, urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal disorders, pneumonia, meningitis, tuberculosis, infected animal bites, septicemia, typhoid, dysentery, abscesses, skin contusions, ear infections, many kinds of fevers, and cholera. Honey may be used to treat yeast infections, various ophthalmologic ailments, and mastitis. However, not all honeys are created equal. You can purchase honey that is packaged just for wounds, like Medihoney, which was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia as a primary dressing. Eucalyptus honey has been used for treating malaria because of its blood purifying, nourishing, and appetite-producing qualities.

It has been said that honey can cure headaches, even migraines. At the onset of a headache, take one tablespoon of honey. If it does not go away, or comes back, take another tablespoon until the headache subsides. It is said that honey has relaxation properties, releasing the tension that has built up and caused the headache.

Honey has food preservation properties. Research conducted at Clemson University showed that turkey processed with honey showed no bacteria growth after eleven weeks of refrigerated storage. The University of Georgia at Athens added honey to marinade and coating for shrimp and catfish. The study found that the fish and shrimp cooked with the honey had either no or little bacteria, which differed from the control group.

Honey is a healthy sweetener. Not only is honey sweeter than sugar, allowing you to consume less, it contains trace enzymes, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants, one of which is unique to honey. It also contains vitamins B6, thiamin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid. The darker the honey, the higher the nutritional value. The color of honey is predicted by the surrounding flora. Although honey inhibits the growth of most bacterias, it enhances the growth of some strains of bifodobacteria, the good bacteria found in yogurts and supplements.

If you suffer from allergies, honey may be able to help. Some people believe honey acts in a way similar to homeopathic medicine or allergy shots. They feel that when you consume honey from your local area, you are getting tiny doses of the flora that initiates your body's allergy response. This forces your immune system to get accustomed to the allergens. Non-filtered honey is the best to consume because it still contains pollen grains.

It is even suggested that honey may benefit your dental health. Its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and pain relieving properties have proven to be effective after oral surgery and on gum ulcerations. Honey also contains only a small amount of sucrose, the primary dietary sugar that causes plaque to stick to teeth. However, due to the acidic content, honey may erode tooth enamel when exposed for long periods of time.

Though there are multiple types of honey, it always found in four basic forms: liquid honey, which is the most common in the United States; whipped honey also known as creamed, sugared, or spun honey, is used as a spread; comb honey is the original form; and cut comb which is packaged with chunks of comb in it. The color, nutritional value, and taste will vary based on the surrounding flora. It seems each individual honey has its own purpose when it comes to healing and cooking.

Support your local beekeepers, and of course, live a healthier lifestyle by using honey as a supplement to your other sweeteners.

WARNING: Do not feed honey to infants under the age of one year. It may cause botulism, a rare but serious disease that affects the nervous system of young babies.

For recipes using honey, go to www.honey.com, a website sponsored by the National Honey Board.

About the Author:

Rani Yovetich is a personal trainer, certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She had her own health and fitness column in a local newspaper and her work has been published in Next Step Magazine. She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached via