It’s time. Add a modern scientific affirmation to the long held healing uses of honey. Honey is considered a medicine in Ayurveda wisdom, not a food. The bees have had our back for a long time. Now…modern science concurs.

Scientists have found that the “pollen in honey contains all 22 amino acids, 28 minerals, 11 enzymes, 14 fatty acids and 11 carbohydrates.”

Taking small amounts of honey each day is an Ayurveda treat with a healing benefit. Small amounts mean a teaspoon or two daily. I have seen some recommend that you could have up to 4 teaspoons daily, but that would only be appropriate if you didn’t have blood sugar issues or eat other forms of sugar. Keep it low to be safe.

You should never cook with honey or heat it in any way. Add honey to your tea only when it is cool enough to drink. When heating honey to pasteurize it, almost all of the nutritive benefits are destroyed. Some say never heat honey above 104 degrees F. Honey becomes like glue when heated and digests slowly, having a negative impact. All the good, healing qualities of honey are for raw honey.

Because bees “pre-digest” honey, we can easily digest and assimilate honey and it can enter directly into our bloodstream, offering instant energy. Honey is a great anupana, which means a ‘carrier’, to transport Ayurveda herbal powders into the blood stream. This knowledge puts new zing in the idea that a spoonful of “honey” helps the medicines go down.

Other anupans are warm water or milk, alcohol, aloe vera juice, and ghee among others. An anupana can enhance the medical effect and can direct the herb to specific tissues. Honey especially directs healing to muscle tissues.

I had bee hives a number of years ago and would take my hives to get the honey extracted once a year—always leaving sufficient honey for the bees to winter over. So find some real, local, raw honey and try some of the healing tips here.

Honey Facts

Honey has remarkable healing capacities. Here are some:

• Feeds the good bacteria: Bees add Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and other beneficial probiotic lactic acid bacteria to their honey crop. Stimulates production of antibodies.
• Fights the “bad” bacteria, i.e. MRSA (staph): Honey is effective at breaking through the biofilm that protects MRSA from antimicrobial agents. Honey can also directly destroy MRSA in chronic ulcers. And in one study honey has been shown effective in treating herpes.
• Builds Hemoglobin in the Body: Treats anemia because of the iron, copper, and manganese in honey.
• Aids Digestion: All the organs respond favorably to honey to promote digestion. Honey reduces constipation, bloating and gas, and is a mild laxative
• Clears Accumulated Phlegm in the lungs. Lick some honey to cure a cough.
• Offers Antibacterial, Antiseptic, and Antifungal Properties: Used externally to treat skin conditions such as cold sores.
• Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: Honey is sourced from flowers which are the plant’s reproductive organs and is likely the explanation for its aphrodisiac qualities.
• Protects Against Allergies: Eating locally produced honey can protect you against seasonal allergies such as hay fever and asthma.
• Offers Antioxidants: Darker honey has more antioxidants.
• Keeps Us Alive: Almost 80% of food in the supermarket is there as a result of bee-pollination.
• Contraindicated: Children under 1 should not be given honey.

Healing Honey Formulas:

• Weight Loss – small dosage, 1 teaspoon daily can reduce weight by increasing metabolism of fat and reducing Kapha.
• Coughs and Colds – Mix ½ tbsp each of ginger, black pepper, cardamom, clove, cinnamon and turmeric (or as many of those as you have). Mix ½ or 1 tsp of this mixture with honey and take twice a day. Honey’s heat clears mucus.
• Improve Eyesight – Mix 2 teaspoons of honey with fresh carrot juice and consume before breakfast.
• Skin Treatment – rub raw honey on minor wounds, burns, honey skin acne, and scars. Some research shows that honey sterilizes wounds. Test in a small area first.
• Energy – Take 1 tsp of honey. This might be an alternative to morning coffee for you or an afternoon sweet.
• Insomnia – take 1 tsp of honey in warm milk or water at bedtime. Honey is a healthy energy aid that boosts energy if taken in the morning, and allows restful sleep if taken at night because it is deeply rejuvenative and is not a stimulant. If it disturbs your sleep, it is a stimulant in disguise and may not be pure raw honey.
• Blood – 1 tsp of honey daily in tepid water raises bloods hemoglobin levels and increases iron, copper, and manganese absorption and some evidence that honey can prevent low white blood cell count.

Do not mix honey and ghee in equal portions as it produces a chemical called hydroxymethyl furfuraldehyde (HMF) which has a negative effect.

Disappearing Bees is Alarming

Honey bee populations have plummeted in recent year by as much as 70%. The problem is termed “colony collapse disorder” (CCD).  Some say the cause is all the harmful pesticides we use on crops; agrichemical companies tend to blame the problem on mite infestations in the hives. The Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] has been the group investigating this, however, we do not know what effects recent cuts will have on the capacities of the EPA.

Here is what you can do: 

• check out petitions and actions you can take at Save Bees
• Let dandelions and clover grow in your yard
• Stop using toxic chemicals in general and especially on your lawn
• Eat more raw honey from local beekeepers
• Plant bee-friendly flowers like bee balm, berries, goldenrod, and lavender
• Buy organic honey

Dr. Rhonda Egidio, R.A.P, [Registered Ayurveda Professional] provides Ayurvedic assessments of primary health concerns, diet, sleep and lifestyle and offers Ayurvedic recommendations. It’s a good idea to get a baseline assessment to help you to apply Ayurveda knowledge in a customized way to your particular needs. You can sign up for Dr. Rhonda Egidio’s free monthly Ayurveda newsletter filled with Ayurveda wisdom and daily tips at http://www. radiantlifeayurveda.com