Honey is Both a Superfood and Medicine

Margie King, Philadelphia Nutrition Examiner, 9/2/2009

…In addition to its many culinary uses, honey has a long and impressive resume as a medicinal healer. In traditional medicine it has been used for treating gastric ulcers, burns, high blood pressure, sore throat and dry cough.

Modern medicine is also now recognizing the medicinal benefits of honey. In 2007, research out of Penn State College of Medicine concluded that a small amount of buckwheat honey before bed was more effective than over-the-counter cough suppressants for children over 2 years of age.

Also in 2007, the FDA approved a line of wound care dressings lined in honey produced by Derma Sciences, Inc. Because honey is high in sugar and low in moisture it has been traditionally used to fight bacterial growth, producing hydrogen peroxide as it draws moisture from wounds. It also contributes to reduced swelling and inflammation.

In addition, honey has been shown to aid digestion, and an Oklahoma allergist even claims that one teaspoon of raw honey every day is effective to treat 90% of allergies…