After traveling from Athens to Agrinio, our next stop to experience the Mediterranean diet firsthand was an island in the eastern Aegean Sea named Samos. After having many meals rich in plant-based foods, fresh fish, olives and olive oil with the touch of creamy cheeses and lamb, we stumbled upon a small honey store that made me dive into the use of honey in the Mediterranean culture. Honey was the first traditional sweetener used by Greeks with honey, olives and grapes forming the beginnings of Greek gastronomy.
This thick golden liquid is a byproduct produced by bees from the nectar of flowers which is saved inside the beehive for nourishment during times of scarcity. The honey is produced by an industrious bee that extracts nectar from flowers using its long, tube-shaped tongue and stored in its extra stomach, also known as a “crop”. In the crop, the nectar mixes with enzymes making a chemical compound suitable for long term storage. This liquid is then passed from bee to bee by regurgitation until the partially digested nectar is finally deposited into a honeycomb for storage. Once in the honeycomb, the bees must use their wings to fan the honeycomb in an effort to speed up the process of evaporation. When most of the water has evaporated, the bee seals the comb with a secretion of liquid from its abdomen, eventually hardening into beeswax. Although bees are producing honey as nourishment for themselves, other animals have come to love the sweet liquid as well. In addition to its delicious flavor, honey has over 200 substances that have not only been proven as beneficial individually, but together as well. The unique combination gives honey its super-food status. Although we will be discussing the nutritional benefit of honey, it is also important to note the bee’s contribution to the ecosystem. Bees transport pollen and are largely responsible for the fertilization and reproduction of every kind of flora all over the world, whether in forests, cultivated areas or in farming.
Humans have always had a sweet tooth, they began collecting honey in the wild very early and later attempted to domesticate bees, developing the art of beekeeping (apiculture), first by raising bees in the hollows of trees, then woven baskets, clay hives and finally by today’s wooden boxes with removable sides. Greece has a long history of apiculture and they have more beehives per acre than any other country in Europe with Greeks consuming the greatest amount of honey per person.
Honey’s significant role in Greece went beyond the draw of the sweet taste. Legend has it that the food of Zeus and the gods of Olympus was honey in the form of nectar and ambrosia (pleasant drink presumed to offer immortality). In the ancient city of Knossos, a sign reads: Pasi Theis Meli- Honey is Offered to All Gods. Honeybees were so admired that their image was etched on Greek coins and used as currency. Legend also asserts that the 2nd temple at Delphi was constructed entirely by bees.
The large interest in honey in Europe lasted until the mid-16th century when sugar was first introduced to Europe and become the prime sweetening agent due to its tremendous production potential at low cost, however, Greece continues to use honey as their main sweetener. Today there are about 15,000 beekeepers in Greece dispersed all over the country, working with about 1,200,000 hives. Greece produces about 14,000-16,000 tons of honey per year.
As I was writing this article, CBS published a news article about a small island in Greece named Ikaria, a “Blue Zone” area due to its high percentage of centenarians (people who have lived past the age of 100), and their honey production and consumption. Locals on the island regard their honey as being one of the reasons for their high life expectancy with studies showing that they are more than twice as likely as Americans to reach age 90 and often in better health. When interviewing a Greek beekeeper, CBS reported that their reasoning that Greek honey is so superior to others is that in Ikaria (and many other Greek islands producing honey), there is no industrial farming, so nature is pretty pure. As a result, the pollen and nectar are free of chemicals and pesticides normally found in commercial or private farming. In addition, unlike most honey sold in the United States, Ikarian honey is also unheated, unfiltered and unpasteurized which protects the natural vitamins and minerals from being destroyed. Greek honey is considered one of the best in the world as it is richer in aromatic substances compared to honey produced in other countries and has less humidity delivering a denser and richer product. Contributing factors to the ability to produce such a superior product are the unlimited Aegean summer sun and the biodiversity of the Greek countryside. Scientists and botanists consider Greece to have the richest flora in the Mediterranean basin with more than 7,500 different species of herbs, plants, wildflowers and trees that are found nowhere else in the world.
Health Properties of Honey
Honey has been used as a medicinal agent for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks observed that honey can be used to overcome a variety of physical ailments such as liver, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal problems. They even used honey as a curative substance for eye disorders, to cure coughs, as a topical antiseptic and as scar treatment. Hippocrates prescribed many different honey beverages for various ailments such as pain, thirst and fevers. He also utilized honey for baldness, contraception, wound healing and laxative action. Today, honey is regarded as a one of the most nutritional, natural foods with a nutrient composition filled with vitamins such as vitamin C and B vitamins, minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc and manganese, amino acids, enzymes, oligosaccharides such as fructose and glucose and antioxidants including phenolic compounds. Just as our ancestors utilized honey, today it is used not only as a sweetener in foods but also for many ailments as well.
Modern Medicinal Uses of Honey:
The Common Cold
Studies have found that honey can stimulate the immune system and help the body combat infections. Immune protecting factors found in honey include the high antioxidant activity and a sugar, nigerose that is also present. Mentioned above, in ancient times, honey was utilized to suppress coughs. Today, honey is still being used in the same way. When you are feeling under the weather, you have most likely heard that adding some honey to hot tea can help sooth the throat and suppress a cough. Well it seems that this ancient remedy just might be true. Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and Public Health England have developed guidelines based on evidence showing the honey could be effective at reducing the symptoms of acute coughs due to upper respiratory tract infections. This guideline is aimed at adults and children over 5 years of age as it is very important to not give children under 1 honey due to the risk of infant botulism. Want to try it out? There are many over the counter medicines that include honey but to make an at home remedy, you can either add 1-2 teaspoons of honey to hot tea or squeeze half a lemon into a mug of boiled water and add 1-2 teaspoons of honey and drink while warm.
Antibiotic and Anti-Viral Properties
Although a common cold can’t be cured with Antibiotics, if you do have an ailment that is related to bacteria, honey has been clinically found to have an inhibitory effect to around 60 species of bacteria even when diluted several times. Unlike conventional antibiotics, honey does not lead to antibiotic resistant bacteria and can be used continuously. The antibacterial effect of honey is attributed to many factors including the phytochemical actions including flavonoids and phenolic acid, the enzyme lysozyme, its acidic Ph, osmotic effect of sugars, and production of hydrogen peroxide. In addition to this anti-biotic effect, honey has been studied for potential anti-viral properties which is attributed to its various ingredients such as copper, ascorbic acid, flavonoids and hydrogen peroxide.
Aristotle used honey as a salve for wounds. Today, this use of honey still exists. Modern day application of honey includes utilizing it as a wound dressing that aids in the healing process by rapidly clearing infection, stimulating tissue regeneration and reducing inflammation. Honey infused pads have been formulated to act as a non-adhesive tissue dressing. Other topical uses for honey include utilizing it as a skin toner to help clear blocked pores and rejuvenate the appearance of skin, for sunburn spots, to alleviate varicose veins, eczema and psoriasis as well as for fungal infections such as ring worm and athlete’s foot.
Want to try it at home? Make a face mask by mixing one teaspoon of thyme honey, olive oil and an egg yolk. Apply this to face and wash it with warm water after fifteen minutes.
For athlete’s foot, apply a small amount of honey to the affected area before bed and cover with a sock or bandage. You can also try using bee propolis in this same way.
Just like any other super food, honey exhibits strong antioxidant activity that comes from various polyphenols. The big players here being flavonoids and phenolic acid. These polyphenols are thought to contribute to the prevention of several acute and chronic disorders such as inflammation, allergies, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer among many others.
Cancer Prevention Antioxidants are known to prevent cancer throughout the body by protecting cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals. Free radicals can come from normal metabolic processes in the body or from external sources such as pollution, cigarette smoking, x-rays etc. The antioxidants found in honey can reduce chronic inflammation, improve healing of chronic ulcers and wounds and improve immune status- all which are the opposite of risk factors for cancer formation. Honey’s anticancer activity has been studied against various types of cancer: breast, colorectal, renal, prostate, endometrial, cervical and oral. In addition to the polyphenols already discussed (phenolic acid and flavonoids), certain varieties of honey also contain a compound called manool that is found to inhibit the rapid cell multiplication observed in cancer. Depending what type of honey is consumed and where it was produced, there may be other antioxidants that can help prevent cancer as well. For example, blossom honey has the component hesperidin which serves as a strong antioxidant.
Heart Disease Prevention Honey has the potential to regulate some cardiovascular risk factors which include body weight, high blood glucose, high blood cholesterol, triglyceride levels and C-reactive protein. Some flavonoids in honey have been reported to lower cardiovascular risks by decreasing oxidative stress and increasing nitric oxide, which has cardio-protective effects including regulating blood pressure. Some polyphenols found in honey that exhibit heart protective antioxidant effects are catechin and quercetin. These antioxidants play a role in inhibiting the development of atherosclerosis (buildup of plaque in your arteries that can lead to heart attacks, blood clots and strokes) and reduction of inflammation in the arteries.
Prevention of Osteoporosis
Studies are currently being done to determine the role of honey in osteoporosis prevention. Honey has a promising beneficial effect in preventing osteoporosis through its high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties discussed. It can also aid in the absorption of calcium when paired appropriately. Research is ongoing to further determine these roles.
Honey can contain traces of flower pollen which, when produced in the area you live in, can help reduce seasonal allergy symptoms by creating a repeated exposure to small amounts of local allergens. The repeated exposure builds up a tolerance in your body (similar to how allergy shots work). One limitation here is that pollen in honey is mostly from the flowers where bees are found (with flowering plant pollen less likely to cause allergy symptoms) and allergenic pollen from trees, grasses and weeds not being pollinated by bees. The pollen from these allergy causing plants are airborne so they may appear in small amounts in your honey, however it is considered a contaminant as the bees did not intentionally pollinate them. Another factor that can help with your seasonal allergies is the anti-inflammatory properties of honey that can help to decrease inflammation in your respiratory and sinus cavities. Although there is no way to determine which type of pollen is found in your local honey and whether it is the type that is causing your seasonal allergies, giving it a try to see if it helps you may be worth it!
Although the scientific evidence here is lacking, honey as a home remedy for GI upset, such as gastritis, duodenitis, gastric ulceration, rotavirus, diarrhea and ulcers, has been used for centuries. Recent research has found that honey does contains probiotics which contribute to the proper functioning of the gastro-intestinal system. Honey has also been found to be effective as a home remedy for Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that is a common cause of stomach ulcers. In addition to adding honey to tea, Greeks utilize this at home remedy to aid in digestion by drizzling honey on some whole wheat toast.
Planning on starting a family? Honey has been found to improve female and male hormones and increases the percentage and motility of sperm.
Remember that although honey has so many healthy properties it is high in sugar and calories so if your goal is to reduce your weight, consuming a high amount of honey will be counterproductive. However, because of its calorie density, it can be a healthy way to incorporate extra calories for those who are trying to gain weight. A question that is often posed to me is what type of sugar is the healthiest. Honey definitely ranks at the top of my list due to its nutrient content. Whereas processed table sugar, depletes the body of essential nutrients, honey can provide the body with a healthy source of sugar and calories due to that abundance of vitamins/mineral and polyphenols.