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BOOK: The Healing Powers of Honey
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UN-BEE-LIEVABLE HEALING HINTS TO CATCH
Honey has made its mark in the Bible and is noted for its versatile virtues, including fertility and prosperity for the Promised Land, as a gift and the ultimate healing food.
Honey made its name for its amazing powers in Greek mythology and writings of both the Egyptians and Romans.
By the 17th century, the European honey bee had been brought by man to America and was touted for its usefulness and remarkable gifts to mankind.
Beekeepers and advocates of the healing powers of honey paved the path of healing honey in America in the 1900s.
By the mid–20th century and into the 21st century, beekeeping and bees had developed a reputation as one of nature's greatest gifts in America and around the world.
PART 2
N
ECTAR
OF THE
G
ODS
CHAPTER 3
A Historical Testimony
There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know. The keeping of bees, for instance.
—Henry David Thoreau
1
 
 
 
 
 
At 17, like a worker honey bee, I was on a mission. I remember one night I was sheltered under my favorite magnolia tree—the one my father planted in our front yard. I was sitting cross-legged on the grass. Clad in blue jeans and a sleeveless T-shirt and barefoot, I was the poster child of shaggy-haired, restless youth and eager to spread my wings. Sweet memories of my childhood were fading. The garden lacked nurturing. There was talk of my family uprooting to another home, smaller, which to me seemed would be too crowded. It was on this summer evening that I sensed change was in the air.
With big white blossoming flowers above me (they didn't produce nectar or attract the honey bee), I nibbled on a peanut butter and honey sandwich. I refused to eat my mom's liver and onions. It was time to flee like a young honey bee. At first, I took small daily trips, down the California coast to Big Sur—in search of an oasis, a refuge that promised more. I was hardly alone. During the sixties and seventies, like a bee swarm, it was a movement. A new generation of young people traveled from state to state around America and the world in search of a better place to be.
During the seventies, honey bees and beekeepers were also explorers. Pioneers in the bee world understood the wanderlust of the honey bee and its gifts to nature. They knew that honey was versatile and healthful—both inside and outside the body. And these findings have been embraced and are now becoming the latest buzz for the mainstream audience.
HONEY PIONEERS IN THE 20TH CENTURY
I find it intriguing that some of the noteworthy honey producers of the world made history and paved the way for the 21st-century honey companies in California, my native state. Also, what is so interesting is that these pioneers are family run or have ties back to the early 1900s.
 
The Worldly Bee Lady.
On June 12, 1912, Eva Crane was born, and she ended up being a dedicated worker bee as a researcher and author on the subjects of bees and beekeeping. Once a math wizard, she switched her calling to bees and devoted her life to researching bees and traveling around the world. The
New York Times
reported that “Dr. Crane wrote some of the most important books on bees and apiculture.”
2
Crane is most remembered in the honey bee world for her works, including
Honey: A Comprehensive Survey
(1975),
A Book of Honey
(1980), and
The Archaeology of Beekeeping
(1983). Her writing ended up in two tomes:
Bees and Beekeeping: Science, Practice and World Resources
(1990) and
The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting
(1999). These days, if I had the pleasure to interview her as I did Charles Schulz, another keen observer of mankind and animals, I wonder if I'd capture her interest. I would share my own travel adventures with a knapsack and dog, flittering from state to state like a honey bee.
3
 
The Vermont Country Doctor.
D. C. Jarvis, like Eva Crane, made his mark in the honey world. This family doctor not only turned to apple cider vinegar, which I noted in my book
The Healing Powers of Vinegar,
to help treat his Vermont patients, but the nectar of the gods was part of his bag of folk remedies to prevent and treat illnesses, too.
The country doctor noted in his classic book
Folk Medicine
that native Vermonters had the “nutritional wisdom of the bee, which goes into the fields and selects the materials for the making of a perfect food.” He wrote that the people (not unlike in the 21st century) who knew the food value of honey were more apt to eat it on a regular basis than those who didn't have adequate knowledge of it.
Dr. Jarvis offers many uses for honey. Honey is used for many purposes from athletic nutrition, burns, cramps, cough, and sinusitis to other pesky conditions. (See chapter 11: “Home Remedies from Your Kitchen.”)
THE MANUKA HONEY GURU: DR. PETER MOLAN
Enter Peter Molan, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry at Waikato University, New Zealand. He has been at the forefront of honey research for almost three decades. He heads the university's Honey Research Unit, which is internationally known for its research in the healing powers of honey. In an exclusive interview, I asked Dr. Molan about the future of honey and its place in health and well-being around the globe and in the United States.
 
Q:
For 27 years, you have been conducting research on the healing powers of manuka honey. What inspired you to delve into this scientific research?
A: I started the research after a friend, Kerry Simpson, a high school science teacher and keen beekeeper, persuaded me to investigate manuka honey because he had heard of its reputation in New Zealand folk medicine as the best honey to use as an antiseptic.
[Note: Although the manuka tree is used in traditional Maori medicine, there was no honey in New Zealand until European settlers brought honey bees less than two centuries ago. The antibacterial component in manuka honey does not occur in the manuka tree—it is formed as part of a reaction in the ripened honey.]
Q:
What new honey-sensitive bacteria have you discovered that respond to manuka honey?
A: Manuka honey, even at a concentration as low as 1 percent, stops the growth of campylobacter, bacteria which are a very common cause of diarrhea. It has been found to be effective against a wide range of “superbugs” (bacteria resistant to antibiotics), including MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
 
Q:
Currently, manuka honey is FDA approved and available for purchase through the Internet for people in the United States. Do you feel any large drug company in America may produce a manuka honey product and sell it as a prescribed medicine to hospitals and clinics?
A: Jars of manuka honey on sale in the USA are not approved by the FDA for any therapeutic use, although they are legitimately sold as a food just like any other honey. However, there are various brands of manuka honey on sale with FDA approval for treating wounds. Some are tubes of manuka honey, and some are wound dressings containing manuka honey. All are sterilized products. It is smaller medical companies producing these, but large drug companies are now showing an interest.
 
Q:
You coined the “UMF (Unique Manuka Factor)” term, which is the antibacterial potency of a given honey. Medical professionals in New Zealand use manuka honey with UMF ratings of 10 or higher. Currently, tests are being done in the U.S. to find out if there is antibacterial potency in other honeys. Which varietals do you feel may make the grade?
A: I originally devised the term “UMF” for use by any producer of genuine manuka honey to be able to inform consumers that it had the special antibacterial activity found only in manuka honey (and later found to also be in honey from the same type of trees growing in Australia).
It has since been captured as an exclusive brand by some companies, and many producers of the genuine manuka honey are not allowed to use the term. Even the name “unique manuka factor,” which I gave to the special activity, has been claimed by the exclusive companies to be their trademark, so I no longer use that name. I, like many honey producers, have for decades used the name “non-peroxide activity” to refer to the special type of antibacterial activity in manuka honey.
The antibacterial activity of other types of honey is due to hydrogen peroxide, which is produced by an enzyme that the bees add to the nectar they collect to make honey. There is an enzyme in body tissues and serum which rapidly destroys hydrogen peroxide. Thus, although honeys other than manuka honey may have a high level of antibacterial activity in laboratory testing, they are unlikely to be as effective on a wound.
 
Q:
What is the most important study you've had published and why is this groundbreaking?
A: I don't think any individual publication can be singled out. What has been “groundbreaking” (in that it has got the medical profession using manuka honey) has been the cumulative findings of the effectiveness of manuka honey against wound-infecting bacteria and the explanation of how honey works in other ways as well in getting wounds to heal.
 
Q:
You have said that at present people are turning to honey when nothing else works. But there are very good grounds for using honey as a therapeutic agent of first choice. Why do you feel U.S. medical professionals are hesitant to use honey as they do in other countries?
A: I feel the reluctance to use honey comes from lack of knowledge about it, particularly in the USA, where there has been less publicity than in other countries and fewer presentations at wound-care conferences. Especially, I think that not having had presented the scientific rationale for how honey works leaves medical professionals viewing honey as some sort of “snake oil” being marketed.
 
Q:
And when do you believe the United States will begin using manuka honey in hospitals and clinics?
A: It already is starting, but on a small scale. I feel that it will not take off on a large scale like has happened in the UK until there are presentations at wound-care conferences explaining the scientific rationale for how honey works (as was done in the UK).
 
Q:
Meanwhile, can manuka honey be safely ingested by humans if the UMF is less than 10? If so, how much should one consume per day? And what is it best used for in this form? Also, is manuka safe to use as a dressing for our companion animals?
A: There is a risk to be considered of harmful effects of long-term consumption. I would not consider there to be any significant risk from short-term ingestion, such as treating an infection in the gut. But I do question why anyone would be consuming it regularly, especially the low-activity honey which is unlikely to have any antibacterial effect when diluted by fluid in the gut.
You ask what it is best used for. Wound care, obviously, is a major use (for humans and animals). But this would be with a non-peroxide activity rating above 10. For deep wounds it should be the FDAAPPROVED sterilized products that are used, because otherwise there is a risk of introducing spores of clostridia, which could cause wound botulism and gangrene.
By mouth, treatment of sore throats is a traditional use of honey. Manuka honey lozenges are now on sale, which should be the most effective way of keeping honey in contact with the throat. A small clinical trial has been conducted on treatment of sore gums (gingivitis) which has indicated a beneficial effect. (I use manuka honey–like toothpaste if I get sore gums.) Another traditional use of honey is for treating stomach ulcers and gastritis (inflammation of the stomach). There has been no established dose for this, but people commonly take a heaped teaspoonful. Some other treatments for which I am getting reports of good results are for eye infections, ear infections, and nasal sinus infections.
 
For more information, log on to the Web site of the Honey Research Unit of the University of Waikato:
http://bio.waikato.ac.nz/
honey/
CATCHING UP WITH HONEY MAKERS
When I began my exploration to discover who's who in the honey world I learned quickly that there wasn't a ready-made list compiled of top companies like there is for leading chocolate producers. I followed a path paved by worldly beekeepers that led me to a handful of top honey companies and packers in the United States—the top queen bees in America, which include Sue Bee
®
, Golden Heritage Foods, and Adee Honey Farms.
Other workers that lead the global honey market, according to Global Industry Analysts, Inc., “include Bee Maid, Billy Bee Honey, Capilano Honey, Comvita Limited, Dabur India Limited, Dutch Gold Honey, Inc., Golden Acres Honey, Hebei Wuqiao Mtl Co., Ltd., Odem International, Inc., Rowse Honey Ltd, Shriro Pvt Ltd., . . . and Yanbian Baolixang Beekeeping Co., Ltd, among others.”
4
During my at-home trek through the honey world, I found a tier of like-minded hardworking down-to-earth people in the honey production world. There are the beekeepers or producers and packers (who fill the glass jars and ship them off themselves to corporate food processors, such as General Mills or Kraft Foods). And there are sideliners or mom-and-pop outlets that make a part-time living from selling bee products. (Go to chapter 14 to find out more about the busy bees and their workers.)
FARMERS' AND MAN'S BEST FRIEND: THE HONEY BEE
Beekeepers also supplement their income by renting out bees for pollination of crops—and this requires travel for both beekeepers and bees, a whole lot of hard work, effort, and time. It's a challenge to pinpoint exactly how many commercial beekeepers are working in the United States, but at least 1,000 seem to be hard at work. It's becoming harder for commercial beekeepers to make a living because of obstacles, whether it is Mother Nature's wrath or the colony collapse phenomenon—when bees die off.
Despite the ups and downs for both the honey bee and the beekeeper, many of the beekeepers, big and small, go back generations and are dedicated workers like their bees, which makes their history fascinating with its roots to the honey bee, past and present.
 
Sioux Bee / Sue Bee
®
:
In 1921, five beekeepers located near Sioux City, Iowa, got together and formed the Sioux Honey Association. They shared equipment, marketing, and processing facilities. Sue Bee Honey
®
was born. The rest is history.
In the early days, honey was marketed under the “Sioux Bee” label. Then in 1964 the name was changed to “Sue Bee” because it's easier to pronounce. Later, other lines of honey were added, including the Clover Maid, Aunt Sue, Nature Pure, and Northern American brands. Collectively, around 40 million pounds of honey are produced each year. Sue Bee Honey
®
is processed in plants located in Sioux City, Iowa; Anaheim, California; and Elizabeth, North Carolina.
These days, Sue Bee
®
's global presence extends to the Middle East, the Far East, Europe, and South and Central America and it continues to be a leader in the honey industry.
 
Golden Heritage Foods:
Back in March 2002, with the combining of assets of Barkman Honey Company located in Hillsboro, Kansas, and Stoller's Honey in Latty, Ohio, Golden Heritage Foods was established.
Barkman's and Stoller's similar values, backgrounds in beekeeping and honey packaging, experience, and determination to be the leaders in the honey industry drew these two companies together. Golden Heritage Foods (the company headquarters are located in Hillsboro) is now the number two leader of branded retail honey sales and is the top provider of honey in the U.S. to the food service industry.
Move Over, Honey Bees: Meet the Honey Man
Who in the bee world was smitten by the sacred honey bee at an early age and followed his heart and the bees for decades? Meet Ted Dennard, the founder of the Savannah Bee Company. He has followed fate and his heart to spin a sweet life for himself and others around the globe.
As the story goes, Ted, a young blond-headed kid, was helping his dad work on his forest retreat in coastal Georgia. The Savannah Bee Company took root when an old battered pickup truck swarming with bees rattled into Ted's life. An elderly man stepped out of the truck with bees crawling all over him.
“Roy Hightower's my name and I've been looking far and wide for an ideal honey-making spot. If you let me put my hives here, I'll introduce you to the marvelous world of honeybees.”
At first, thousands of bees buzzing around Ted's head caused more fear than pleasure. The thought of stinging insects all over was almost unbearable. Concentrating on the hum of the bees and their fascinating matriarchal world helped him dismiss outside distractions and his inner fears in a Zen-like fashion.
Old Roy twirled a frame of honeycomb before Ted's eyes so that the sunlight flashed through the honey like nature's stained glass. The intricately patterned, multicolored cells of honey appeared as a window to the honey bee's world. Roy cautioned, “Son, I have to warn you that these bees become a way of life.” And so they did.
Ted's university years found him attending Sewanee and living in a cabin rented from a retired minister who, coincidentally, happened to be an avid beekeeper. He once told Ted, “If you study these bees, you can see the hand of God in all that they do.” Following Ted's graduation, the U.S. Peace Corps chose him to teach beekeeping in Jamaica. Two years later, upon moving back to the Georgia coast, he learned that the world's two finest honeys (tupelo and sourwood) originated in Georgia. That encouraged him to produce as much of that honey as possible and pursue a dream.
These days, more than two decades after Old Roy passed on to that flower field in the sky, Ted finds himself rattling around in an old truck filled with bees. He spends most of his time in the honey workshop, but when he tends the beehives in deep forested river basins and lush mountain valleys his thoughts go to Roy—the one who introduced Ted to the honey bee.
Meanwhile, Savannah Bee Company products are sold in at least 2,000 stores, and they have sold their honey around the world, including Australia, Canada, Dubai, and Japan. Over the years, Ted has built relationships with beekeepers all over the world: “I buy honey from most of them every year. I also pay them a premium price so they always sell me their best,” her says. And yes, the grown-up honey entrepreneur with 25 honey bee colonies of his own uses honey (including acacia and tupelo) in his coffee every morning and in his tea in the afternoon.
So, as Roy the beekeeper cautioned the boy from Georgia, bees indeed would pave a life for Ted, who is thankful for that chance meeting on our little road, and to the honey bee.
BOOK: The Healing Powers of Honey
2.16Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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