Imagine that you are a soldier, wounded during the American Civil War. The medic treating you served only a brief apprenticeship, and few medicines are available to put on your wound. Carbolic or nitric acids. Turpentine. Whiskey could be poured on your injury, but you would rather it go down your throat to dull your pain.
To your relief, the regiment has run out of bromine. The other remedies sting horribly, but bromine is excruciating.
Anesthetics are rationed, so you brace yourself for a painful treatment. Instead, the medic smooths warm honey on your wound. The antibacterial properties of honey are not yet understood, but the medic has had good success applying it.
That was then. Today, we have a myriad of patented medicines available. So why is the medical community studying whether honey has a place in wound treatment? Because the overuse of antibiotics has made germs drug-resistant.
Studies in Germany showed that a specific kind of medical-use honey helped heal wounds when other medicines had failed. Honey has been found to be effective against a strain of flesh-eating Staphylococcus. The medical-honey business now brings in millions of dollars. Honey-infused bandages and wound dressings have become readily available. (Disclaimer. Doctors remind us that burns and open wounds require prompt medical attention.)
Honey-based ointments have made their way into the world of veterinary medicine, to treat animals small and large.
What claims do members of the natural medicine/folk-cure community make? They say honey soothes stomach aches. Nips colds in the bud. Is good for eczema, insect bites, and sunburn. Prevents acne. Soothes dry skin. Aids in foot care. Treats bed sores.
Some believe honey helps prevent tooth decay and gingivitis. A study in New Zealand involving manuka honey (raw, unpasteurized honey made from the manuka plant found in New Zealand) supported this claim.
Cleopatra, the story goes, took milk and honey baths. Folks desiring pretty skin give themselves honey and oatmeal facials, use honey and baking soda masks, or use just honey. Commercial skin products abound that feature honey as an ingredient.
Beekeepers insist that consuming honey has a positive health impact. They understand that medicine with a great flavor has appeal.
I think we shouldn’t overlook the honey/happiness effect. A piece of wholesome bread, warm from the oven, slathered with butter and drowning in honey, has to bolster the health of the person eating it. I feel better just imagining it.
1000 Reasons to Love Bees 