Honey has been treasured for centuries, not just for its taste, but for its many healing properties. The Greeks called honey ambrosia – the food of the gods!
Today’s blog is looking specifically at the benefits of LOCAL honey.
Local honey (from bees living within under a kilometre radius) appears to have great value in preventing hay fever.
If come springtime you are experiencing watery and itchy eyes and sneezing, but do not have any other symptoms of a cold, then you are most likely having hayfever which is a reaction to the pollen around you.
Honey made by local bees who feed on the very plants whose pollen is affecting you, will contain tiny amounts of pollen from that plant. This honey will have a protective effect and can provide relief from seasonal allergies.
Supermarkets rarely stock local honey (or at least I have never found one that does). If you check the label on supermarket honeys, it will usually say “a blend of EU and non-EU countries”, meaning a blend of honeys from all over the world. While this doesn’t mean it’s harmful, it doesn’t have the same benefits of local honey. Furthermore, commercial honey is usually heated and pasteurised which destroys many of the enzymes that makes raw honey so nutritious.
Do search for your nearest local beekeepers – there are many more than you might think in towns and cities, and they tend to be a friendly bunch!
Wishing you all health and happiness,
Dr Maria Amasanti