Make a beeline for sweet honey

May 6 2008 By Diane Parkes

ENJOY National Honey Week for ten good reasons:

* Stomach settler - honey is a strong antibiotic particularly in the digestive tract. Cold-pressed honey can kill bacteria in the stomach so can help aid treatment for diarrhoea and gastroenteritis. New Zealand manuka honey is especially good for combatting gastric pains.

* Comfort blanket - honey can help protect the stomach lining from irritants such as medication.

* Fend off hay fever - Tests have shown that eating unfiltered cold-pressed honey in its honeycomb can alleviate the worst effects of hay fever.

* Sweetener - honey is a good sugar replacement and, because it is actually much sweeter than sugar, a smaller amount can be used.

* Soothes - a popular ingredient in cough sweets and syrups, make your own sore throat buster mixing honey, lemon and hot water.

* Energy-booster - go for honey rather than refined sugars as a quick boost of energy before heading for the gym.

* Healer - Honey's antiseptic qualities mean it can help heal minor cuts, grazes and burns.

* Variety - coming in various shapes and guises, try experimenting with honey comb, liquid or set.

* Tasty - the flavour and aroma of honey will be influenced by the flowers from which the nectar has derived. Choices include heather, orange blossom, thyme and clover.

* And don't forget that honey's therapeutic properties can benefit the outside as well as inside hence its inclusion in countless moisturisers, cleansers and spot treatments.

Did you know?

* Bees can fly for up to six miles

* Honey bees must gather nectar from two million flowers to make one pound of honey

* A honey bee visits 50-100 flowers during a collection trip

* The average honey bee will make one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime

* Worker bees are all female.