Apitherapy Popular in Russia

Health Food in Moscow: Honey
By Sonia Kishkovsky, International Herald Tribune, 3/5/2008

After a month and a half of battling a cold/flu that keeps coming back this winter, I decided it was high time to give folk remedies a try. Loads of garlic did the trick when I suffered a similar bout several years ago, but I kept putting that cure off this time and finally went for something, well, less smelly.

Oh, and sweeter, a lot sweeter: Honey, of course. Honey to a Russian is like wine to a Frenchman: endlessly diverse and healthful as well. So here’s a guide…

Russians are quick to point out how many illnesses can be treated with honey. At the House of Honey and at honey fairs, honeys are marked not only with a price, but also with a list of illnesses alleviated by the sort. For example, acacia honey helps fix everything from diabetes to eye illnesses. Lipa take is good for everything from the heart to burns and eczema (when applied locally for the latter), while Chichkan treats everything from prostate to gynecological problems. It is good for colds. (Honey should not be added to tea. It loses its curative qualities when heated.)…