Honey is one of the most complex and precious natural biological products, used since ancient times, both for human nutrition and in medicine.
For example, among the various uses, honey was formerly used on the skin, for the treatment of burns and wounds. In ancient texts there are references to its use in civilizations:
- Sumerian (pottery fragments, 2100-2000 BC)
- Ancient Egyptian civilization (Edwin Smith’s papyrus, 2600-2200 BC)
- Ayurveda and Chinese Medicine
- Ancient Greek civilization (“De Materia Medica” by Dioscorides, for the treatment of fistulising wounds; Hippocrates)
- Ancient Roman civilization (Pliny, for the treatment of infected wounds)
- Mentions in the Bible and the Koran.
Honey was then “rediscovered” by modern medicine as a topical agent for the treatment of wounds and burns, but also for the benefits deriving from its intake as a food.
Today the therapeutic properties of honey have been scientifically highlighted by numerous in vitro studies, in the laboratory and by experiments and clinical studies also conducted on humans.
Chemical composition of honey
Honey is the nectar of flowers, collected by bees, stored in their stomach to transport it to the vines and concentrated by evaporation.
Natural honey, what is commonly referred to as “Millefiori” derives from a wide variety of wild flowers that grow almost everywhere and therefore has the essence not of one, but of a variety of wild plants, mostly with medicinal properties.
Bees are attracted to numerous medicinal plants such as elderberry, clover, alfalfa, black locust (or pseudoacacia), thyme, dandelion, lavender, sage, calendula, lime and many more.
And in the honey produced by bees, the nectar of many of these plants is present.
Before being transformed into honey and regurgitated, the essences and pollens of the flowers mix with the digestive enzymes of the bees, so as to form a new compound, which contains completely unique properties.
So honey, which is mistakenly considered little more than a natural sweetener, is actually a nutraceutical food rich in beneficial substances for the body.
Half a kilogram of natural bee honey contains:
- about 1333 calories (versus 1950 for white sugar);
- between 66% and 80% of simple sugars (glucose and fructose);
- 1.4 g of protein;
- mineral salts (calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, silicon, iron, copper, manganese, chlorine, potassium, etc.)
- vitamins (niacin, vitamin C, vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin E, vitamin K);
- organic acids (in particular gluconic acid);
- high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and formic acid;
- other components present in trace amounts (enzymes, flavonoids, anthocyanins, pigments, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, esters, etc.)
Honey also contains some substances that are so complex that, to date, they have not yet been identified.
The regenerating and antibacterial properties of honey
Honey has been used as a medicine for infections and wounds for thousands of years, but only in more recent times have careful studies been done to provide a scientific explanation for its effectiveness.
From the studies carried out, honey has resulted in a broad-spectrum antibacterial remedy, active against numerous bacterial strains, such as:
- Staphylococcus aureus [1, 2] (responsible for pneumonia and post-operative infections);
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa [3] (responsible for respiratory diseases, ear infections, eye infections, etc.)
- Steptococcus of the various species [4 , 5] (responsible for pneumonia and meningitis);
- Helicobacter pylori [6] (responsible for many gastric ulcers).
On a medical level, honey has been seen to be effective in preventing the proliferation of pathogenic germs and in promoting healing of skin damage caused by burns, wounds and bedsores [7, 8, 9].
In some cases of severe third degree burns, full healing was achieved using honey without having to resort to skin grafting and managing to avoid infections and muscle damage.
Furthermore , honey has surpassed antibiotics in the treatment of gastric ulcers, gangrene, postoperative infections, surgical incisions and in the protection of skin grafts, corneas, blood vessels and bones.
Honey is also effective in respiratory diseases. A Bulgarian research carried out on 17,862 patients has shown that honey is effective for the treatment of chronic or asthmatic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, chronic and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.
It is also effective in treating colds , flu, respiratory tract infections and immune deficiency problems.
How to use honey to treat bacterial infections
Honey can be applied directly to wounds, or taken internally to stimulate the immune system, boost overall health and naturally treat ailments such as flu and respiratory tract infections.
For external use.
To treat burns, wounds and bed sores, honey can be applied directly to the area to be treated, in large quantities, then covering with sterile gauze, which will then be changed once a day until healing.
For internal use
As Father Romano Zago advises, the best way to use natural bee honey is in combination with whole leaves of Aloe Arborescens, useful for purifying the body, strengthening the immune system and treating bacterial, viral and fungal infections.
Find the complete recipe here .
For coughs and flu diseases, honey is excellent in herbal teas of ginger, thyme and plantain, which are excellent herbs with a balsamic and expectorant action.
