Honey and Healing

Q. I've heard that honey is antibacterial and can help heal open wounds. Is this true?

A. The answer is yes. Dr. John Heinerman, in his book Nature's Super 7, discusses a study done at the Nes Ziona Biological Institute, in Tel Aviv, where they "prove[d] conclusively that treatment of open wounds with honey help[ed] prevent infection and speed healing." Dr. Avshalom Mizrahi, the microbiologist who led the research team, noted that "honey contains, aside from sugars, ingredients with properties similar to those of antibiotics." Dr. Heinerman, an internationally renowned medical anthropologist, goes on to say that "honey is one of the strongest antibacterial agents found in nature." He also tells of the case study of a person with athlete's foot who spread honey between his toes two to three times a day and was amazed to find that the athlete's foot cleared up.

As more research studies are conducted, we will likely see more amazing uses of honey. So far researchers are examining the benefits of honey for yeast infections, wounds, sore throats, peptic ulcers, and diarrhea. Besides its healing properties, honey tastes good and, unlike white sugar, contains vitamins and nutrients.

According to the National Honey Board, there are more than 300 types of honey available. So experiment until you find the one your family likes best.

And here are some honey facts from Dr. Heinerman that you probably didn't know:

One tablespoon of honey contains 61 calories, 0.1 grams of protein, 16.5 grams of carbohydrates, slightly over 1 milligram each of calcium, phosphorous, and sodium, 10 milligrams of potassium, and 0.6 milligrams of magnesium. It also has trace amounts of iron, zinc, copper, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin B-3, Vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, and folic acid.

Candle Wax Removal Made Easy

1. Remove wax from candlesticks by placing them in the freezer for about an hour and then peeling off the frozen wax and washing the candlesticks as usual.

2. Did you drip candle wax on wood? Scrape off as much as you can with a plastic spatula, then rub the remaining wax into the wood with a soft cloth.

3. Do you have wax on your tablecloth? Rub the wax with an ice cube to harden, then scrape with a spatula. Next, cover any remaining wax with paper towels under and on top of the tablecloth, and press with a warm iron. As the wax is absorbed, change the paper towels. Sponge off the residue with dry-cleaning solvent, then rub gently with heavy-duty liquid detergent and launder the tablecloth as soon as possible.

Apple Fun
(A cute way to get kids excited about dipping an apple in the honey!)

Items Needed:

1. Apple (select an apple that can stand solidly on a table)
2. 2 drinking straws (cut in 2½-inch pieces)
3. Animal cookies
4. Thick honey

Cut the apple in half, horizontally (when apple is cut in half, you will see a star in the center of the apple). Take three pieces of plastic straws (cut to two-and-a-half inches long) and press gently but firmly into the bottom half of the apple. Space straws out evenly. Press the top half of the apple gently onto the straws (make sure the top of the apple is well-balanced). Dab a glob of honey onto the middle part of each straw and press an animal cracker against the honey.

Place in your refrigerator until ready to display, then eat. (You may want to put a little lemon juice onto the apple so that it won't brown.) Now you have an apple-and-honey animal carousel!

Federal Information Center

Have you ever tried to find an answer to a simple question about the Federal Government and ended up on a merry-go-round of referrals? Or have you ever had a question about the Federal Government that was so difficult you didn't know where to begin?

The Federal Information Center can help you. It has specially selected and trained its staff to answer your questions or to direct you to the person in the Federal Government who has the answer.

In California, call 800-726-4995.
In New York, call 800-347-1997.
In Illinois, call 800-366-2998.
For the number in your area, call 301-722-9000.

Can Vitamin C Reduce Your Risk of Cataracts?

A recent study published in the Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter states that women taking Vitamin C supplements for ten years or more appear to have fewer cataracts than women who don't.

Vitamin C, one of the antioxidant vitamins, is thought to delay the formation of cataracts by preventing damage to proteins in the lens of the eye. Lens tissue contains Vitamin C in a much higher concentration than do other tissues in the body. And animal research has shown that the lens can be protected from injury with extra Vitamin C.

What's still uncertain is how much Vitamin C is needed to achieve the apparent protective effect. Many of the supplement takers reported consuming 400 milligrams or more per day, but study leader Paul Jacques notes that previous research showed that lens tissues become saturated with Vitamin C at just 150 to 250 milligrams per day. This amount is available in a diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables, particularly strawberries, peppers, citrus fruits, and kiwi.