Published- FRLHT’s Amruth, Nov-Dec 2003, vol-7, issue-6 by Flavia Shankar

Sweet as the name is, honey is replete with nutritive and medicinal properties. Widely used as a medicine and a food item since ancient times, there is a complete chapter on honey called “Madhu Sukhtam”, in the Yajurveda.

Today the market exploits the immense regard that Indians have about honey by adulterating it with sugar and jaggery. Pure honey is a rare find in the market place. This article is therefore written with the sole purpose of informing and educating the consumer on the various forms of honey so that he can decide on choosing the best form for his consumption.

Ayurveda mentions honey under Ikshu varga & Madhura skandha wherein honey has been advised as a suitable rejuvenator for adults. Not many of us aware of the fact that honey proves to be good source of medicine in various health conditions like eye diseases, Hicupps, Piles and also obesity. It is also the drug of choice for healing ulcers. As a food, honey is valued for its high calorie content and ease of digestibility, which makes it particularly suitable for young and old people, and for those who have b3en sick. The holy Koran mentions honey as a cure-all and is particularly noted as a good protection for wounds and for burns treatments.

Sweet as the uses of honey are, not many of us today are aware of the exact therapeutic potential of honey. Also, the market is flooded with a large variety of honey available under different brand names, each claiming to be the purest and best form of honey. You may hardly find any Indian kitchen where honey is not available, but the sources of honey in different households, communities and regions may be diverse as the vast expanse of our country. How to decide which is the best one, is quiet an ordeal for the consumer. The confusion increases with the variation in colour also, as some of the varieties of honey are golden brown in colour whereas some are available in a darker shade of brown.

Madhu / Honey which is a produce of the Honeybee, is a mixture of nectare & pollen of flowers. It is a slightly transparent clear liquid with a sweet taste, reddish-brown colour & offers a wide range of therapeutics applications. There are eight varieties and names of honey mentioned in Dhanwantari Nighantu, wherein honey is differentiated as per the type of honeybee, which is its source, and the colour of Honey.

Sources of Honey

Among all the above given varieties of honey, Mashika honey, produced by Pingala varna (reddish yellow), big honeybees (Apies dorsata), is the best form of honey available and it resembles sesame oil in its appearance. It finds a wide range of therapeutic application in eye diseases, jaundice, hemorrhoids, respiratory disorders, cough, and chest injuries and also for consumption. The Bhraamara honey produced by six-legged, small honeybees (Apies cerana indica) is used for bleeding and urinary disorders. Kshaudra honey produced by brown coloured honeybees (Apies florae) is used in diabetes, whereas Pauthika honey produced by black coloured honeybees (Trigona irridipennis) is used in the conditions like diabetes, urinary disorders (dysuria) and granthi (cystic swellings). The Chaatraka honey-producing honeybees (Apies mellifera) are found in the Himalayan forest regions, are brownish yellow in colour and build umbrella shaped hives. The Chaatraka honey is golden brown in colour and is also considered to be of superior variety and finds its therapeutic application in helminthic infestations, Leucoderma, bleeding and delirium and poisoning cases.

There are two views regarding the source of the Aarghya variety of honey, some quote it to be produced by six-legged, yellow coloured honeybees (Aargha bees) with a sharp sting whereas others opine it to be the resin of Madhooka tree (Madhuca latifolia). The honeybees of the Audhalaka variety of honey resembles very small insects (Uddalaka), are brown in colour and resides in the anthills. This variety of honey is usually taken for swarya (voice) improvement. The Daala variety of honey is obtained from Nectar that trickles down the flowers onto the leaves and is widely used in the diabetes condition.

Based on its time of collection, there are two varieties of honey: fresh and the aged honey. Where the fresh honey helps in increasing body weight and body tissues, aged honey on the other hand reduces body weight. Also, the aged honey is Grahi, i.e., having the capacity to bind stools and reduces body tissues (Kaphanashaka, & Lekhana).

Some Don’ts related to the consumption of Honey:

• All types of honey should not be taken with hot food items.
• A person who is suffering from heat disorders should not consume honey.
• Honey is best avoided in hot seasons.
• Honey should never be heated; heated honey acts like a poison if taken internally.
• Honey should never be taken internally in equal quantity with ghee, any other fat, oil and Antariksha Jala (rain water).
• It is advisable not to drink cold water immediately after consuming honey and ghee in unequal proportion.
• Honey should not be eaten with Pushkara seeds.
• Honey is avoided in preparation of Khajurasava (wine prepared from Dates).
• Honey should not be consumed (eaten) with mustard oil or any other pungent oil preparation.

Maturity of Honey

Honey, which is prepared by the bees, gets ready for consumption, after nartural fermentation. This is called Sandana I.e. maturation of Honey. If Sandana (Fermentation) is not complete due to insufficient heat or bad weather, the honey is Apakwa and is not ready to consume. Honey, which is Pakwa i.e., which is mature, is advisable for consumption. The Apakwa Honey forms toxins in the body, leads to systemic imbalances, increases Pitta, Vaata and causes burning sensation. It also vitiates Rakta dosha and debilitates the body. It is also worth noting that honey, which is prepared by butterflies, worms, and other insects, is sour and black in colour. This honey gives rise to physical and psychological disorders and is not advisable for consumption.

Traditional processing methods

Traditionally the honey that is collected from the honeycombs is first processed, as it also contains a sufficient quantity of beewax, pollen and beebread, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom and adult and larval honeybees. Continous stirring with a wooden spatula is recommended to purify the crude honey, so that the beewax settles at the strained with a clean muslin cloth. It is advisable not to directly heat the honey as it develops toxicity. Consumption of unprocessed honey may lead to various disease in the body.

In the Malnad area of Karnataka honey is traditionally processed by adding paddy (rice grain along with the husk), grown in the month of Janiuary (Suggi month). All the wax gets collected on the surface and the liquid honey is strained through a clean cloth and stored I airtight containers. In another method, leaves of a species of Ochlandra are stirred with the crude mixture of honey and left overnight. The liquid honey is strained through a clean cloth, and honey thus collected, if stored in clean container has a longer shelf life.

In order to check the purity of honey just carry out this simple, self test and find out for yourself what you have:

Mix one spoon of honey with a pinch of lime – juice on the palm. An unbearable heat is produced in the case of pure honey whereas less intense heat is produced in case of impure honey. Alternatively, you can give your dog to lick the honey you have.dogs usually hate the smell of honey and do not lick pure honey.

Composition of Honey as per modern standard :

Madhusharkara (Honey-Sugar)

Honey-sugar has eight sysnonyms Madhavi, Madhu sharkara, Makshika shrakare, Kshudra sharkar etc. The Madhusarkara of a particular Honey also has similar qualities to the specific Honey of its origin. Also, honey acts as a better alternative to sugar in diabetics patients. As honey is twice as sweet as sugar, it can be used half as much in a given recipe. As a result, Diabetics are far less likely to shock themselves with honey as a sweetening agent than sugar. By the use of honey there is less strain on pancreas to produce large amounts of insulin/ sugar curve, and there is less likelihood of Hypoglycemia.

The list of medicinal properties of honey is quite long…, as long as the list of various brands names under which honey is sold. But once the consumer has the fair idea as to what type of honey exactly is worth purchasing, then he has got himself rid of some of his mental, physical and financial woes.