Honey, Basic Microbiome Building

“If you have a yeast overgrowth, your body needs it for something. Yeast serves the body in many ways, protecting it from toxic metals and many other toxins. It is not ideal to have a yeast overgrowth, but if the body allows it to live in your body, the body needs it. Eating honey, or avoiding it, will not make any difference on the yeast overgrowth. When the body doesn’t need this yeast anymore, it will bring it down. So there is no need to avoid honey. It is healing for the GI tract and makes the diet more versatile and pleasant,” says Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride (2- Zoom Recording 1:06:23)

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Pharmacognocy Research says, “The ingredients of honey have been reported to exert antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, anticancer, and antimetastatic effects. Many evidences suggest the use of honey in the control and treatment of wounds, diabetes mellitus, cancer, asthma, and also cardiovascular, neurological, and gastrointestinal diseases. Honey has a potential therapeutic role in the treatment of disease by phytochemical, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Flavonoids and polyphenols, which act as antioxidants, are two main bioactive molecules present in honey.”

Integrative Medicine Insights says, “Since ancient times, honey has been used to control infections. Nowadays, this practice has seen a renewed interest in virtue of the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens, which increase the risk of simple medical interventions. The antibacterial features of honey have been linked to different factors, including the amount of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), low pH, high osmolarity, phenolic and aromatic acid content, honey glycoproteins, as well as products of the Maillard reaction (this non-enzymatic browning reaction involves the interaction between reducing carbohydrates and amino acids or proteins),”

They also found raw honey to be a phenominal biofilm disruptor saying, “The anti-biofilm activity of honey has been associated with different substances, either alone or in combination, namely, with sugars, phenols, hydrogen peroxide, dicarbonyl methylglyoxal, and even its low pH and high osmolarity.”

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity says, “Honey pretreatment was found to restore the decreased levels of enzymes.” Additionally, they said, “Catechin and quercetin as major honey flavonoids have inhibitory effects on the development of aortic atherosclerotic lesions and atherogenic modification of LDL.”

The APJTB, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine says, “Manuka honey has been reported to exhibit antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) making this honey a promising functional food for the treatment of wounds or stomach ulcers.”

The Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences says, “Historically, Egyptians presented honey for fertility. Moreover, many cultures traditionally consumed honey for enhancement of vitality among males. It has been described that there are several causes of infertility and potential remedies. In view of rich content of vitamins, iron, calcium, other minerals amino acids and immune-enhancing properties, numerous observations have shown that honey bee pollen are thought to improve egg quality and general fertility and fecundity.”

The Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences says, “Honey has been reported to have an inhibitory effect to around 60 species of bacteria including aerobes and anaerobes, gram-positives and gram-negatives. Pathogens that are found to be sensitive to anti-infective properties of honey are manifold. Various results are in favor of its activity against Bacillus anthracis, Corynebacterium diptheriae, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeriamonocytogenes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Pasteurella multicoda, Yersinia enterocolitica, Proteus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp, Salmonella diarrhoea, Sal. typhi, Serratia marcescens, Shigella dysentery, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus faecalis, Strep. mutans, Strep. pneumoniae, Strep. pyogenes and Vibrio cholerae.”

African Health Sciences found, “Undiluted honey has been found to stop the growth of Candida. Some species of Aspergillus did not produce aflatoxin in various dilutions of honey while honey has been found to stop the growth of Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum.”

Honey in its most natural form is the goal. Heating honey is not recommended. 

*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, CGP, D.PSc. who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. She is a Board Certified Naturopathic Doctor, through The American Naturopathic Medical Association and works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, Skype and phone. She has been published in Wise Traditions, spoken at two Weston A. Price Conferences, Certified GAPS Practitioner Trainings, has been on many radio shows, television shows and writes for Nourishing Plot. She serves on the GAPS Board of Directors and has recently been named “The GAPS Expert” by Dr. Natasha and will serve teaching other Certified GAPS Practitioners proper use of the GAPS protocol. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia, through food, she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. She is a Chapter Leader for The Weston A. Price Foundation. becky.nourishingplot@hotmail.com

“GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.