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Honey has been a common sweetener for foods and a powerful medicinal tool for centuries. The oldest civilization known, the Sumerians, were well acquainted with bee keeping and honey, and it is safe to assume that early man also know how to gather honey and enjoy its sweetness. As long as there have been bees, and that was long before man walked the earth, there has been honey, and other species eager to raid the hives.

Honey bees originated in Asia, but are now spread all over the world. There is disagreement on whether honey bees were brought to the Americas by colonists, or whether they already made their way there in ancient times, perhaps taken across the land bridge that once existed and was used by Homo Sapiens to migrant to the new world. Whatever the truth, honey is certainly held in high regard by most peoples now.

Medicinally, honey has a long and illustrious history, and still commands respect. Putting a little honey on a cut, sore or wound, is a sure way to promote healing - so sure that it is now marketed commercially in a medication. Honey varies according to the plants used by the bees, but generally consists of fructose (fruit sugars from the plants and glucose, a monosaccharide, or simple sugar, and other carbohydrates in lesser amounts. Honey is rich in vitamins, including the B group, and antioxidants.

A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, according to Mary Poppins, but a spoonful of honey may make the medicine unnecessary. It is the simplest and often the best way to soothe a sore throat, and it can be taken at any time. Add the juice of a lemon, and a cup of warm water, and you have an age old remedy for colds which is still effective.

Colloquial medicine holds that honey is effective in the treatment of stomach ulcers, and is a safe and gentle way to deal with this unpleasant problem. Certainly on the surface of the body, honey has shown again and again that it can clear up the dirtiest wound and the most stubborn sore.

In some areas today, where modern medicines are hard to come by, honey is still being used to treat burns and wounds. It is applied directly to the area, and covered with clean gauze or cloth. The cloth is removed and discarded when a fresh application of honey is needed. The effects of honey's healing properties can be dramatic. For example, I once had a cut on my thumb which turned septic and refused to yield to any treatment. After honey was applied for 24 hours, the layer of infected skin peeled away to reveal new pink skin underneath and no sign of the infection. This was ordinary jarred honey bought from the supermarket.

I now keep a special jar of high quality honey just for healing wounds, and one for internal treatment. Honey should be part of the everyday diet, used as a sweetener in herbal teas, cakes and instead of sugar syrups in pancakes. Regular use of honey will promote health, and specific use of honey will treat many stubborn conditions.

To use honey internally, just take a spoonful as needed. Try different types of honey, as you may find some more effective than others. Manuka honey, made by bees from the New Zealand Manuka tree, is proving very popular because of its enhanced healing qualities. But you may find a locally produced honey just as effective. It is said that eating locally produced honey can help with environmental allergies, so if you suffer from such allergies, it may be the wisest thing you can do.

There is no harm in honey, and there are great benefits to be had, so don't bypass the honey jars at the supermarket. Even the generic brands will help you, so it is actually an inexpensive all round healer for everyone, no matter what their financial situation.

Learn more about this author, Gail Kavanagh.
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