Honey is nature’s healthiest candy. But what makes honey so valuable? Apart from dextrose and fructose, which go straight into the blood stream without putting a strain on the digestive organs, we must take into consideration valuable traces of enzymes, vitamins and minerals that are contained in honey. Natural remedies alleviate coughs and colds faster when taken along with honey. Grated horseradish mixed with honey is a wonderful natural antibiotic with no hidden dangers and is good, especially for strained vocal cords and hoarseness.

The production of honey is in itself a miracle. In spite of its tireless work a whole summer long, the little bee can contribute only half a teaspoonful, but the united work of the entire bee colony makes success possible. All bees produce only good honey. If we happen to get some that is of poor quality, the problem lies in its treatment. Careless, unprofessional or unclean treatment is bad for honey and impairs its basically good quality. For example, honey should never be heated over 40 degrees Celsius. Nor should wild honeycombs be pressed out, because dead larvae might still be in them.

Various kinds of honey can differ very much one from the other. It depends on the flowers the bees feed on. That is why there are so many varieties of honey on the market, including orange blossom honey, linden blossom, eucalyptus, thyme, lavender, rosemary, acacia, and chestnut blossom honey. We differentiate especially between light-colored blossom honey and dark pine tree honey. Wherever mono-culture is practiced (offering the bees large fields of one kind of plant), a certain type of honey will be produced.

Honey is the best carbohydrate and the body is able to assimilate it very easily. Experience points to honey as increasing the effect of all natural remedies that are intended to soothe the respiratory organs. If you want to take advantage of this, just take the indicated number of drops of a natural remedy with a teaspoon of honey or in warm water sweetened with honey. There is a twofold benefit in sipping honey water together with the remedy. Medicines taken with honey definitely work faster and are stronger in relieving colds and catarrh, the bronchials or the lungs.

Tea made with lemon balm, orange blossom, hops, valerian, avena sativa, passiflora, is better if sweetened with honey. When added to herbal tea, honey can give good results by promoting and maintaining undisturbed sleep. For old, slowly healing wounds, mix a tenth of horseradish with honey, using either finely grated horseradish or the fresh juice or tincture. Apply this tried and proven natural remedy to the wound. The effect is astounding.

Honey also brings relief for painful arthritis and gout. Pour one teaspoon of comfrey tincture on four tablespoons of honey. After thoroughly mixing, put the ointment in a cup heated in a bain-marie. Soak a cloth folded three or four times in this hot honey preparation and apply it where the pain is worst, the hands, elbows, knees or feet. It is best done in the evening, leaving the pack overnight. For the heat to retain longer, a bag with heated cherry stones can be put on top. Also effective is using a bag filled with hot and moist hayflower or chamomile, wrapped around with a warm cloth. This method has been a tremendous help to a number of people who were able to walk again or to move their hands without pain.