Honey bees produce a wide range of therapeutic substances beyond honey, e.g. propolis, bee venom, royal jelly, beeswax, bee pollen, etc. but this sweet, sticky stuff that we all love to dip our paw into occasionally, is the most well-known and most copiously consumed of them all – and for good reason, it tastes great!
However, did you know that this sweet treat is one of nature’s most powerful healing agents, as well? Here is just a smattering of some of honey’s more scientifically researched health benefits and/or applications:
· Aspirin-Induced Gastrointestinal Toxicity (honey coats the delicate linings of the stomach, preventing aspirin-induced lesions and bleeding)
· Bacterial Infections
· Burns
· Candida infection (despite the fact that honey contains sugar, it demonstrates anti-fungal properties)
· Conjunctivitis
· Dental plaque (a recent study showed that Manuka honey was a viable alternative to chemical mouthwash in dissolving dental plaque)[iii]
· Dermatitis
· Diabetic Ulcer
· Herpes-related ulcers
· MRSA (especially for Manuka honey). There are many more uses for honey than covered here. Replacing synthetic sweeteners or highly processed sugars or high fructose corn syrup with a moderate amount of honey may be a great preventative health step to take.
Apples – an apple a day does in fact keep the doctor away, especially cancer specialists it would seem.
For instance, one of the most well established health benefits of consuming apples is to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. The more apples you consume, the less likely you are to develop this potentially fatal disease.
To view the five studies that reference this relationship, go to the GreenmedInfo.com apple research page where you will also find 50 other health benefits of apple or apple by products (e.g. apple vinegar) consumption, which include:
· Aging, Reduce Rate
· Allergies
· Alopecia (Hair Loss)
· Diarrhoea
· Insulin Resistance
· Liver Cancer
· Radiation Induced Illness
· Staphylococcal Infection