THE HEALING PROPERTIES OF MANUKA HONEY
The first general meeting of this year commenced with us all eating somebread and honey, manuka honey, a familiar name, but not universally understood.
Our speaker, Mr. Clinton Lammas, a New Zealander by birth told us how hehad become aware of his country's production of Manuka honey, when he became interested in a bee-keeper's daughter. 'Manuka' is the maori namefor a flowering bush grown in the antipodes with which we are all familiar from some of its other products. The tea-tree plant.
He explained that it is grown on the northern part of South Island, where there are only 800,000 people despite being the size of England and Wales combined. Infra-structure is limited, pollution unheard of, and the good climate produces much good fruit, and, of course flowers for honey. Because of the prevailing conditions the honey produced there is organic - impossible for the crowded islands of Britain. Manuka honey is the product of bees that only feed on the blossom of the tea-tree bush. It has a distinctive colour, viscosity and aroma.
Honey of all kinds, has always been known as a good antiseptic. Do you know why? We do now - it is because that a natural enzyme within the honey undergoes a chemical change when applied, which turns it to hydrogen peroxide, a heavy-duty antiseptic. For this change to come about ordinary honey needs much oxygen, so if we bandage the honeyed wound the reaction ceases. Also, in some parts of the body there is no oxygen, such as in the stomach for example. Manuka honey does not need oxygen for this reaction to take place, so it can still heal if you need to cover the wound, and all the acids of the stomach do not destroy its healing properties.
There has been recent research to confirm that Manuka honey helps tremendously with MRSA, being very effective with all streptococchal infections. Tummy ulcers and intestinal problems can be helped by ingestion - and who is averse to a nice tasting honey on his toast in the morning? There have been many personal anecdotes from users of the honey about helping with a wide variey of health problems.
Bee stings have also been known to help with arthritis - those of us who canremember Jack Warner of 'Dixon of Dock Green' were told that he voluntarily underwent a regular regime of bee-stings to help him, and he apparently swore that it helped him keep moving. I don't think many of us are that brave, and I was particularly pleased to hear that they now put the 'active ingredient' (venom) in the honey so we can eat it. This acts as a pain control, but tests are still going on to prove its efficacy. Along with the addition of the venom, they also have a honey available with added glucosamine, another plus for the arthritic amongst us.
We thanked Mr. Lammas for his exellent talk, enlightened by his enthusiasm many of us determined to experiment on ourselves with 'Manuka' both inside and out. After all, there are no advised contrary side effects from honey!