Known for its antiseptic, healing and anti-inflammatory properties, honey is used to treat wounds, burns, respiratory inflammations, and many others! Unquestionably the best-known product of the hive, honey is used both for its taste and health benefits. It has been used since the dawn of time, and it was a true nectar of the gods that the pharaohs used at weddings (hence the famous “honeymoon”!). According to Egyptian mythology, bees are the tears of Ra, the sun god, and honey is therefore a divine product used in many medications, and not simply as an excipient! For example, we can note that during the First World War, honey was used in the trenches to treat soldiers' wounds in order to accelerate their healing. As Victor Hugo said “Life is a flower, love is its honey”. And this maxim clearly shows to what extent honey is a food with multiple virtues, whether for health, cosmetics or food.
This article was updated on 04/12/2023Therapeutic properties of honey
Main properties
Anti-infectious and antibiotic properties:
Honey has been known since Antiquity for its anti-infectious properties: honey prevents bacterial, viral or fungal proliferation thanks to an enzyme, glucose oxidase, producing hydrogen peroxide (as in hydrogen peroxide) which is a natural antiseptic. Additionally, it has a low protein concentration which prevents bacteria from growing. Finally, its acidity hinders the multiplication of bacteria, complementing its antibacterial action. It can be used for this purpose both on the skin and ingestion for the respiratory or digestive sphere.
Healing properties:
Often used as an antiseptic to treat wounds, honey also has healing properties which again justify its use on the skin. It then prevents the development of bacteria and regenerates the skin tissue in order to have good healing. This action is due to its high osmolarity, which causes honey to attract water, draining lymph and plasma outwards, which removes debris and cleans the wound. Honey is therefore a very recognized antiseptic and antibacterial, which helps wound healing.
Antioxidant properties:
Thanks to the presence of numerous flavonoids, honey has significant antioxidant power, because they neutralize free radicals, thus having a beneficial effect in the prevention of certain cancers or certain cardiovascular diseases. We can also note here that “dark” honey, richer in flavonoids and fructose, would be more effective for these therapeutic properties.
Energetic and toning properties:
Honey is a general tonic for the body which notably strengthens the immune system. It therefore allows you to better resist microbial infections and constitutes an ally of choice when you feel tired and woozy. Plus, because it's full of sugar, honey is a great energy source that can give you a boost when you need it. Be careful though if you are diabetic or watching your figure, because honey has a sweetening power greater than sugar and is very high in calories. Likewise, it has a significant cariogenic power, and all these carbohydrates do not necessarily go well with the teeth!
Sedative and calming properties:
Honey allows the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter which will promote sleep. So, rather than adding a piece of sugar to your evening herbal tea, dilute a spoonful of honey to have a good, calm and peaceful night!
Respiratory properties:
Against coughs or sore throats, honey will provide an immediate and lasting soothing effect. Thanks to its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, it is effective in calming cold symptoms and soothing your respiratory system. It will calm respiratory irritations and reduce the adhesion of bacteria to the respiratory wall, thus preventing their proliferation.
Other uses
Digestive properties:
Honey acts directly on the digestive sphere, and is effective in treating infections of the stomach and intestine, reducing inflammation or gastric ulcers, as well as temporary constipation. Thanks to its “diastases” enzymes, it helps digestion and stimulates the stomach. Finally, it has a slight laxative power (variable depending on the honey) and limits intestinal fermentation.
Cardiovascular protective properties:
Thanks to B vitamins, which are antioxidants, honey will limit atherosclerosis, having a beneficial action on the heart and blood vessels.
Support for essential oils ingestion:
This is something that we don't necessarily think about at first, but which can be very useful: and yes, honey is a very good solution for diluting essential oils and serving as a support for their ingestion. In addition, if the mixtures are made in large quantities for long-term use, in this case we can speak of aromiels, which are therefore associations between honey and essential oil(s) (in quantities less than 1 %).
Taste properties:
If honey is so famous, it is above all for its use in cooking! Whether to accompany food, in a sauce or on toast, this succulent sweet product is not to be outdone, and, we must admit, it would be wrong to deprive ourselves of it!
Cosmetic properties :
Used since Antiquity in beauty treatments, honey has a pH close to that of the skin (4 to 6), and its rich composition makes it a very good moisturizing, emollient, softening and toning agent! It nourishes the cells, promotes their renewal and helps maintain the youthfulness of the skin.
Precautions for use
The specificities of each type of honey
Depending on the plants foraged, and therefore depending on the environmental environment where the bees are located, there are different types of honey whose composition is different and therefore whose properties will be different; Here are some examples:
- Acacia honey : it is one of the best known honeys, it is clear, almost transparent and with a golden reflection. It is considered an intestinal regulator recommended for young children. With its pleasant flavor and sweet smell, it is particularly used in cooking, to sweeten thanks to its high fructose content.
- Chestnut honey: Quite used but often within “forest honey”, which therefore comes from several trees, it is a very good healing agent, rich in trace elements and even having a beneficial effect on blood circulation.
- Rapeseed honey: This semi-solid, pale yellow honey crystallizes quickly (about a month after harvest). It is calming and nervous rebalancing, and is recommended in cases of heartburn.
- Lavender honey: and yes, lavender which provides so many essential oils also makes it possible to obtain honey! Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, it is used for the treatment of respiratory infections, to treat insect bites and to heal infected wounds or burns. It is also very relaxing, promotes sleep and relieves irritability.
- Dandelion honey: This bright yellow honey with a mild taste is particularly popular with children who like to spread it. It is considered to have diuretic properties and to soothe the liver.
- Fir honey: It is also generally a constituent of the famous “Forest honey”, but also of “Mountain honey”. It is rich in trace elements and has antiseptic, antianemic and diuretic properties, and is recommended in the treatment of asthma or colds.
- Buckwheat honey: from its name, you think it comes from Brittany and you are right! It can be used to fight against demineralization and bone diseases. It is therefore recommended for growing children and convalescents, but be careful of its very strong taste!
- Thyme honey : It is a general antiseptic recommended in infectious pathologies, whether respiratory or digestive. It also has a toning effect which is very appreciable in case of cold or flu.
- Linden honey : This light-colored honey, with a very mild taste and delicate aroma, is soothing and promotes sleep. It is pleasantly used to sweeten your infusion in the evening.
But that's not all ! Hawthorn, Buckthorn, Heather, Oak, Eucalyptus, Raspberry, Orange, Rosemary, Sunflower, or even Clover honeys, we could almost say that there are as many honeys as there are flowers , which would make… a lot of different honeys! So, the list above is not exhaustive, and there are some particularly powerful honeys, like Manuka honey which we are going to expand on now!
Focus on Manuka honey
Manuka Honey, the star of honeys? According to some research, the latter is the Rolls-Royce of honeys!
Amber yellow to orange in color, this honey comes frommanuka tree (a cousin of the tea tree, a major plant in the Maori pharmacopoeia) which is found exclusively in New Zealand and Australia. Manuka Honey would be a much superior honey to others due to its high content of methylglyoxal, at the origin of the UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) index: the higher it is, the more active the honey! And as the French like to do what they want, this index is equivalent toLPN at our place. This index therefore represents the power of honey: below 10+, it will be used solely for its nutritional qualities, between 10+ and 16+ it will be ideal to support your body, give it a boost and take care of your health on a daily basis, and you need an LPN of at least 18+ in order to benefit from all its therapeutic benefits to the fullest.
It's a powerful antibacterial, very healing, which reinforces theimmunity and warns respiratory infections. It is very effective against coughs and respiratory problems, and has an action on acne/eczema. Finally, it facilitates deep and restorative sleep.
Studies have shown that Manuka honey has a bactericidal action superior to certain antibiotics, and that it is even effective against the terrible Staphylococcus aureus! Effective against the various bacteria involved in sinusitis, colds, and other respiratory infections, studies have also proven that it acts faster and stronger than other honeys. In addition, it has an extraordinary action on wounds, scars, burns, mycoses, stomach ulcers (especially those due to Helicobacter pylori), as well as canker sores, sinusitis and sore throats. And as if that wasn't enough, it will stimulate the immune system!
The methylglyoxal contained in Manuka honey prevents bacteria from attaching to damaged tissues, and constitutes a moisturizing antimicrobial very favorable to healing. In this context, you can use it on a cleaned wound before applying a dressing. In addition, it is preferable to use honey with a UMF (or IAA) of 18+ or 20+ in order to benefit from its maximum potency.
So, although more expensive than other honeys, Manuka honey is an incredible honey with exceptional properties! You can use it in different forms to benefit from its fantastic virtues: applied to the skin, ingested as is, or even as a throat lozenge or honey-based spray.
Manuka honey is a real hit!
How is honey made and what is it made of?
Honey making
Honey comes from nectar processing (sweet substance secreted by the glands of certain flowers, honey flowers) which is collected by the bees then stored in their crop (a sort of pocket) in order to be brought back to the hive. Also, honey can come from aphid honeydew, made up of excrement from various (less glamorous) insects and harvested in the same way. During this transitional phase between the flower and the hive, the enzymes in the salivary secretions of the bees will act and transform this nectar. Once arriving at the hive, the forager bee transfers its harvest to a worker bee who absorbs and regurgitates it before passing it on to another worker, and so on until these small insects consider that the nectar transformed suits them. Real teamwork and quality! For information, and to win wild games of Trivial Pursuit or Scrabble, this stage of successive transformations is called the trophallaxis, literally “exchange of food”. At this stage, the nectar then corresponds to honey, and the bees store it within the cells of the hive, drying it using their wing beats. Then they close the cells with wax in order to keep it in good conservation conditions: and yes, as honey constitutes their main source of food, it must be well preserved and of exceptional quality!
This is where the beekeeper comes in! After having smoked the hive to keep the bees away, he will remove the frames carrying the cells, then the honey is extracted and stored at room temperature in tightly closed jars. On average, the annual production by a hive of around 30,000 bees is 20 to 30 kg of honey. To give you an idea, 1 kg of honey produced represents the work that a foraging bee does for 200 days, traveling 40,000 km and gathering 800,000 flowers!!!
Composition of honey
Her composition varies depending on the flower(s) foraged, hence the different names (Flower, Mountain, Forest honey, etc.). Thus, there are two kinds of honey: uni-floral honeys, coming from a single species of flower (or at least of which this species is predominant), and the “all flower” honeys, coming, i tell you in thousands, from several flowers!
Generally speaking, honey is composed of:- Sugars (75-80%) with mainly glucose and fructose
- Water (15-20%)
- Nutrients various (minerals, enzymes, vitamin B, proteins, amino acids, etc.). In addition, it is these nutrients, although in small quantities, that play a major role and are responsible for a large part of its positive health effects.
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Bibliography
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Work : April, G. (2014). Natural health with apitherapy: Honey, propolis, pollen, royal jelly... Éditions Terre vivant.
Work : Domerego, R., Imbert, G., & Blanchard, C. (2016). Practical guide to bee medicine: honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly... on a daily basis. Baroch Editions.