Honey has always been a part of humankind’s existence. Before humans settled down to an agricultural subsistence, they were “hunter/gatherers.” While the hunters were out trying to catch an animal, the gatherers were foraging looking for nice things to eat. Imagine the first time they discovered nature’s candy in the form of raw honey. What an exciting day that must have been.
An ancient rock painting, discovered in Valencia, Spain, dating back some 8,000 years depicts a gatherer extracting honey from a beehive. They soon discovered how to calm the bees using smoke, so that removing the tasty honey was not so difficult or painful. Since ancient times, honey has been collected and used for so many wonderful things because, besides being tasty, it has medicinal properties and never spoils. Here are seven amazing things about honey.
Super Nutritious
Honey that is raw contains abundant phytonutrients and anti-oxidants that are good for your health. Anti-oxidants neutralize free radicals in the blood, which are known to cause cancer and other serious diseases. Be aware that in order to have all the health benefits, the honey needs to be raw, unprocessed, and organic. The processing of honey by heating it (pasteurization) destroys many of the beneficial elements it contains when raw.
Eating Local Raw Honey May Reduce Allergies
Bees collect nectar from flowers found in the local area near their hive. In that process, pollen from the flowers gets on the bees. When they fly to another flower, it is naturally pollinated. Unprocessed honey contains trace amounts of these different local pollens. People who are allergic to pollen benefit from consuming these trace amounts to build up the body’s immunity and tolerance. The gentle exposure to a tiny amount of pollen over time reduces the symptoms of allergies. This is why it is a good idea for everyone to eat locally-produced, organic honey.
Treatment for Cuts
Honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties. That is why it does not spoil and is not affected by mold. To keep a cut from becoming infected, first, clean the wound and then apply honey to the injury along with gauze to cover the cut. You will be amazed at how fast it will heal.
Raw Honey Lasts Forever
Honey has so many amazing benefits that it is called a superfood. A superfood is highly beneficial with strong overall nutritional density. Raw honey also has medicinal benefits and it stays fresh for a very long time. Archeologists searching tombs discovered honey stored in pots during the times of ancient Egypt that is still edible. That honey is estimated to be over 3,000 years old.
Eating Honey Supports Working Females
Honey-making is a 99% female effort. In a beehive, there is one queen who lays all the eggs to make more bees. All the worker bees that fly daily to collect nectar from flowers to turn it into honey are her sisters. There are on average 50,000 bees in a single hive. One in 100 bees is a male bee called a drone. The drones only job is to mate with the queen.
Mother’s Favorite Home Remedy
When compared to other old-timely home remedies like castor oil or apple cider vinegar, honey is much nicer because it tastes great. The delightful song A Spoonful of Honey Makes the Medicine Go Down from the classic movie Mary Poppins, is quite true. It is good for a sore throat. You can take it for a stomachache and other intestinal problems like an ulcer, gas, bloating, and diarrhea. It will tame the bad bacteria in your gut and support the healthy bacteria in your system like a natural probiotic. Add a spoon of honey to a cup of tea or a smoothie every day for improved health.
Honey Makes a Fine Wine
Honey wine is delicious and it can be made at home. It is also called mead. This drink has been popular for centuries. All you need is honey, pure water, and yeast for the fermentation process. The honey provides the sugars that the yeast converts to alcohol. The process is really easy. It simply takes patience once you fill the jug with the mixture of honey, water, and yeast for a fine-tasting honey mead wine to be produced. Here is a honey mead recipe. Enjoy!