Honey has been said to be an important diet of the ancients, no doubt because of its numerous medicinal uses. Here are reasons why eating natural honey is healthy.

Why is honey a special food?

One of the greatest surprises of modern archeologists is the discovery of pots of honey that are still edible after thousands of years, among artifacts collected from Egyptian tombs. Salt and sugar are also other similar foods that can be stored for long but honey offers a direct satisfaction and is highly medicinal effects these other foods don’t have. This makes one ask the question- why is honey so unique and special?

Bacteria can’t survive in Honey

Honey is a good preservative as bacteria cannot survive in honey, that’s why it can stay and also preserve food for a long period of time. As a natural sugar, it is hygroscopic, containing little water in its natural state though it can easily absorb moisture when left uncovered.

In addition, honey is also acidic in its natural state and as such will not permit the growth of any microbe. Other hygroscopic sugars like Molasses have a shorter lifespan when compared to natural honey.

Bees are important in Honey’s Long life

One may wonder why honey lasts longer and other hygroscopic sugars that are equally acidic do not, it’s simply because bees play a crucial role in the way honey is made from the natural sugar nectars. They fry out the nectar using their wings and glucose oxidase, an enzyme in the stomachs of bees mixes with the nectar and also adds to the resilience of honey. The enzyme breaks down the nectar into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide which are both anti-microbial.

Sealing Honey is important for healing effect

Honey has been used for ages for medicinal purposes. When used topically on a wound, they help dry the wound by killing micro-organisms. Sumerians who lived in present-day Iraq documented using honey to treat wounds, burns, skin, and eye diseases. Special bandages have been made with honey.

It draws water out of the environment or wound surface, as such it is always good to cover honey when not in use so that it won’t draw water and become less effective.

If your aim is to preserve honey for generations, learn from the bees and keep it sealed always even though it’s a hard thing considering its good taste and health benefits.