To Bee or Not to Bee
May 21st 2009 16:05
I’m big on honey at the moment. Active Manuka honey from New Zealand is incredibly high in anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties and is a wonderful treatment for internal and external ailments. It has been shown to be very effective at clearing up fungal conditions on the skin and, internally, can be taken to help get rid of a nasty cough. Manuka honey has even been used in hospitals to held pressure sores, ulcers and MRSA.
If you’re buying Manuka honey, it’s imporant to buy one that has a UMF – Unique Manuka Factor – as not all honey has the amazing antibacterial properties. UMF is measured in 5 to 25 – I’m using 15 at the moment and took a huge dessertspoon before I went to bed last night. Usually, I’m laid up for several days with this particular strain of horrendous cold/chest infection but it’s like I’ve skipped a day and feel a lot better already.
When it comes to coughs, in my opinion you don’t have to stretch to Manuka as a good dollop of local honey can help much better than a sugary cough mixture from the shops. Local honey is also great for hayfever sufferers, if taken before the hayfever kicks in, as it gives allows the sufferer’s immune system to get used to the local pollen.
Unfortunately, in the UK and across other countries including the US, we could be facing a shortage of local honey. There is a parasite affecting bees and killing them off and almost one in six hives nationally has been lost. Bees not only produce honey for us but they also play a big part in pollinating many of our food crops. In fact bees are responsible for pollinating almost 90% of our apple crops. It’s not known exactly how this parasite infects the bees but thankfully the Government has pledged £10 million towards research to find out what exactly is going on. This is very welcome news as the vast majority of bee keepers are amateur beekeepers who operate for pleasure rather than profit and cannot afford the loss of their colonies. The £10m is funding research into agricultural factors, social factors and enviromental factors. Aside from the parasites, there are some scientists who believe that mobile phone waves be also play a signficant part by interfering with the bees’ own navigation systems.
If you’re buying Manuka honey, it’s imporant to buy one that has a UMF – Unique Manuka Factor – as not all honey has the amazing antibacterial properties. UMF is measured in 5 to 25 – I’m using 15 at the moment and took a huge dessertspoon before I went to bed last night. Usually, I’m laid up for several days with this particular strain of horrendous cold/chest infection but it’s like I’ve skipped a day and feel a lot better already.
When it comes to coughs, in my opinion you don’t have to stretch to Manuka as a good dollop of local honey can help much better than a sugary cough mixture from the shops. Local honey is also great for hayfever sufferers, if taken before the hayfever kicks in, as it gives allows the sufferer’s immune system to get used to the local pollen.
Unfortunately, in the UK and across other countries including the US, we could be facing a shortage of local honey. There is a parasite affecting bees and killing them off and almost one in six hives nationally has been lost. Bees not only produce honey for us but they also play a big part in pollinating many of our food crops. In fact bees are responsible for pollinating almost 90% of our apple crops. It’s not known exactly how this parasite infects the bees but thankfully the Government has pledged £10 million towards research to find out what exactly is going on. This is very welcome news as the vast majority of bee keepers are amateur beekeepers who operate for pleasure rather than profit and cannot afford the loss of their colonies. The £10m is funding research into agricultural factors, social factors and enviromental factors. Aside from the parasites, there are some scientists who believe that mobile phone waves be also play a signficant part by interfering with the bees’ own navigation systems.
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