co-operation which is unparalleled in the animal kingdom. A glimpse
into the nest makes it apparent why honey bees have fascinated us from
theearliest days of scientific observations. The infrastructure of the
nest, the perfectly uniform and functional comb, is composed of
beeswax and is constructed into a repeating series of almost perfect
hexagonal cells.
At the individual level, honey beeshave not one but three types of
colony members: queens, dronesand workers, each with their own
specialisations and place in honey bee society. The queen reigns over
the nest, surrounded by attendants and fed the rich food she requires
to perform herfew but crucial tasks in the colony. The queen produces
powerful pheromones, chemical signals to recipient workers which
control many of their behaviours and provide part of the 'social glue'
which holds honey bee life together. A highly organised social
structure exists within the colony and elaborate 'dances' are used to
communicate the location of food sources.
The products of the hive are important to the modern agricultural
system. Not only do honey bees provide us with honey, wax, propolis,
royal jelly and pollen but they also pollinate a good portion of our
crops, including such diverse agricultural plants as fruit trees,
oilseeds, small berries and foragecrops.
Honey is a remarkable viscous liquid, prepared by the bees fromthe
nectars of various plants. It has occupied a prominent place in
traditional medicines throughout world history. The ancient Egyptians,
Assyrians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans employed honey for wounds
anddiseases of the gut. When the Children of Israel were in Egypt or
journeying through the desert, their promised goal was a 'land flowing
with milk and honey' .
Both the holy Qur'an and Hadith refer to honey as a healer of disease.
'And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees
andin (men's) habitations..... there issues from within their bodies
adrink of varying colours, whereinis healing for mankind. Verily in
this is a Sign for those who give thought'.
(Translation of Quran 16:68-69)
In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) said:
'Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Qur'an is a remedy for
all illness of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies,
the Qur'an and honey.'
(Bukhari)
The reader may be surprised to learn that the above quotation from the
Qur'an is mentioned in a well known encyclopedia on honey (reference
3).
In recent years, scientific supportis beginning to emerge confirming
the beneficial effects of honey on certain medical and surgical
conditions. These effectsmay be summarised as follows:
Antibacterial and antifungal properties
These properties of honey are well established. Undiluted
honeyinhibits the growth of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus ,
certain gut pathogens and fungi such as Candida albicans . At a
concentration of 30-50%, honey has been shown to be superior to
certain conventional antibiotics in treating urinary tract infections.
The exact mechanism of the anti-microbial effect of honey remains
obscure. Low pH, osmotic disruption of pathogens and the
presence of bactericidal substances, collectively called inhibine may
all play a part.
Anti-diarrhoeal properties
At a concentration of 40%, honeyhas a bactericidal effect on various
gut bacteria known to cause diarrhoea and dysentery such as Salmonella
, Shigella , enteropathogenic E. coli and Vibrio cholera . In one
study, honey given with oral rehydration fluid was shown to reduce the
duration of bacterial diarrhoea in infants and children.
Wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties
Honey is of value in treating burns, infected surgical wounds and
decubitus ulcers. Honey is very viscous, enabling it to absorb water
from surrounding inflamed tissue. For example, a study in West Africa
showed that skin grafting, surgical debridement and even amputation
were avoided when local application of honey to wound promoted
healing, whereas conventional treatment failed.
In another study, wound healing was accelerated by application ofhoney
in women who had undergone radical vulvectomy forvulval cancer. Also,
it has been suggested that honey may be useful in the treatment of
chronic, foul smelling ulcers seen in leprosy.
Anti-tussive and expectorant properties
These anti-cough properties of honey are related to its capacity to
dilute bronchial secretions andimprove the function of the bronchial
epithelium.
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