Posted by itsallgreenandmore on 7/25/2011 to Green Living Tips

Honey is more than just something you put on toast, in tea, or that you mix with butter, it is phenomenal---- and in so many ways. Honey's healing benefits have been around for thousand's of years, Cleopatra used milk and honey in her baths. It contains several minerals, enzymes, trace elements, and vitamins, including beta-carotene. It has antibacterial properties and it contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide. Honey is produced when the bee assimilates juices of different kinds of flowers and fruits thus forming within its body the honey.

Of course raw unprocessed honey, especially Manuka Honey from New Zealand has the most medicinal and nutritional value. Although honey is very safe and natural it should not be given to infants, especially under the age of one because it is a source of bacteria spores that produce a toxin which can cause infant botulism. Unfortunately, healing properties of honey are lost when it is heated.

Honey has been known to heal wounds, stimulate new tissue growth, soften the skin, and soothe sore throats. It can also prevent infection, promote fast healing, and reduce scarring.

It has been studied for its use in dressings when there is tissue damage such as burns because it prevents the dressing from sticking to the wounds. The National Honey Board states that it creates a moist healing environment which allows skin cells to regrow across a healing wound flush with the surface of the wound preventing deformity of the skin and helps lift dirt out of the wound bed. Honey reduces odor in wounds, however will not help heal an infection if the infection has entered the blood system.

Biochemist Peter Molan, who is a professor at the University of Waikato in New Zealand has researched honey and other natural antibiotics for 25 years. Those who research honey extensively feel as though the therapeutic potential of honey has been grossly underrated.

b - happy, b - healthy, b - green