Explore the benefits of eating honey. From antioxidants, to using on wounds and if honey works for hay fever.
A major benefit of eating honey is the antioxidants present help to protect cells in the body from damage from free radicals. Free radicals contribute to the aging process and are implicated in cancer causation and chronic diseases. Increasing amounts of research suggests that antioxidants in honey known as polyphenols may help with a range of chronic diseases.
The anti-oxidant properties of honey also give rise to it’s many other uses such as being used on wounds.
Honey has been used on wounds since ancient times. In fact ancient civilisations appear to have respected the benefits of eating and using honey much more than we do in modern times.
Honey has been found to be comparable with conventional treatments for acute wounds and superficial burns with a growing body of evidence to support honey for use on wounds. This is based on the anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant and anti-viral properties of honey. If interested to know more please see a recent systematic review evidence for clinical use of Honey in wound healing.
It must be noted that it appears that honey is more effect for use on minor burns, interestingly reportedly helping with pain relief and reducing the inflammatory response. Honey may not be as effective at treating other wounds such as chronic leg ulcers. Any non-healing ulcers should always be reviewed by a doctor.
If using honey for wounds, then the best quality honey that can be purchased in terms of its power is undoubtedly Heather Honey, however all our honey is considered raw/ unpasteurised so retains as much of the natural benefits of honey as possible.
The link between pollen and hayfever has long been known, and the fact that honey has pollen in it is thought to beneficial in getting the body used to pollen if you eat it.
Added pollen honey is created by adding an extra 4% of the weight of the jar of fresh pollen into the honey. The honey preserves the pollen in the same way the bees preserve pollen. This keeps the pollen content of the honey fresh.
There are very few studies into how pollen in honey may help with hayfever. Anecdotally we have many customers who swear by it, and the reasonings make sense, however there are very few studies on the use of honey for hayfever. There is however a recent systematic review that demonstrates just how little evidence is out there and that further robust research is needed to quantify any effects of local honey. Unfortunately there is little funding for the sort of high quality and large scale research that is needed to give meaning to how beneficial honey is for helping with hayfever. We just have to rely on the feedback from customers who use it!
This honey is best taken in small amounts through the winter, spring and autumn months, allowing the body to get used to pollen in time for the hayfever season.
Visit the Honey FAQ page or if you want to buy honey, browse the range below:
Company Number: 09432006
VAT Number: 233561914
AWRS URN: XAAW00000106312
