Raw Honey

Eating before bed prevents middle-of-night cortisol waking

Miller discusses the common problem of waking between midnight and 4 AM, which is often caused by a cortisol spike from low blood sugar. Eating before bed, especially foods that sustain glycogen, can remedy this.

"He talks about if you're waking up at night between midnight and 4 a.m. what you can do to remedy that. His thoughts about coffee, what to do if someone doesn't have an appetite."

Birch pollen honey RCT shows 60% symptom reduction

Leyla cites a 2011 randomized controlled pilot study showing that pre-seasonal birch pollen honey resulted in 60% lower total symptom scores, twice as many asymptomatic days, and 70% fewer days with severe symptoms.

"A 2011 randomized controlled pilot study found that pre-seasonal use of birch pollen honey resulted in a 60% lower total symptom score. Twice as many asymptomatic days"

How honey desensitization therapy works

Leyla explains the mechanism behind honey immunotherapy: gradual exposure to local pollen in raw honey helps the immune system build tolerance, modulating mast cell activity and histamine release.

"Raw, unprocessed honey contains small amounts of pollen from nearby plants. Regular consumption of this honey may help the immune system build a tolerance"

Long-term antihistamine use linked to dementia risk

Leyla presents alarming research on conventional allergy treatments: a 2019 JAMA study linking anticholinergic drugs to dementia, and a 2020 meta-analysis showing a 46% increased dementia risk with 3+ months of use — strengthening the case for natural alternatives like honey therapy.

"between anticholinergic drug exposure and increased risk of dementia. That's why I'm telling everybody stop taking these antihistamines all the time. It may increase your risk of dementia down the road"

Practical guidance on starting honey therapy

Leyla provides dosing advice for honey therapy, recommending starting with no more than a teaspoon daily and cautioning people with metabolic syndrome, prediabetes, or sugar addiction to be careful.

"I wouldn't start with more than a teaspoon a day. Apparently, according to one of these, a gram of honey per kilogram of body weight, that could wind up being a lot, depending on weight."

Why raw honey retains more nutrients than processed

Monica Haas explains that pasteurization heats honey to 160F, destroying natural enzymes, vitamins, and minerals. Raw honey cannot be heated above 95F, preserving its full nutritional profile.

"Processed honey is pasteurized by heating it to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and then cooling it quickly. So when you're heating it that high, it's going to be destroying a lot of the nutrients in the honey"

Allergy relief through local raw honey immunotherapy

The dietitian explains how bee pollen in local raw honey may desensitize the immune system to seasonal allergens over time, similar to the concept behind allergy shots.

"And the idea is if you eat local raw honey on a regular basis, with time, you may become less sensitive to the pollen and experience fewer seasonal allergy symptoms."

Raw honey as effective as OTC cough syrups

Research shows raw honey is as effective as over-the-counter cough medications. A half teaspoon to two teaspoons at bedtime is the studied dose.

"Raw honey has been shown to be as effective in treating coughs as over-the-counter commercial cough syrups. In one study, it was just as effective as two of the most common ingredients in over-the-counter cough medications."

Propolis research shows wide-ranging health effects

A 2022 review on propolis found anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral, anti-diabetic, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective effects, making raw honey with propolis a multi-benefit food.

"It showed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-allergy, antiviral, and anti-diabetic effects. Propolis also shows neuroprotective and cardioprotective effects."

Mayo Clinic endorses raw honey's health properties

Dr. Cabral explains that the Mayo Clinic lists raw honey as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial, with benefits for cardiovascular disease, coughs, respiratory infections, and wound care.

"What you have to understand is this is literally published on the Mayo Clinic's website. Okay, so they talk about raw honey. Again, they don't really understand raw honey from an actual natural health"

Raw honey as a Trojan horse for nutrient absorption

Cabral reveals a clinical technique from Ayurvedic practice where raw honey's glucose content is used as a carrier to enhance absorption of herbal medicines, a concept also being explored in cancer therapies.

"What we did was we used that essentially as a Trojan horse. Now, what that line means, and again, they're using this in cancer-based therapies as well"

The allergy desensitization protocol with local honey

Cabral shares the step-by-step honey desensitization protocol, starting with one-quarter teaspoon daily mixed into a drink, gradually building up as the immune system adapts to the local pollen.

"I started with one fourth of a teaspoon per day and not directly on my tongue. Now that's the best way to do it, but I would mix it in something else. I could mix it in with some water."