Did you know that most of the “honey” you buy at the grocery store isn’t actually honey?
The FDA rules allow that for a product to be considered authentic honey, it has to contain bee pollen.
But a study done by Food Safety News found that 76% store-bought “honey” product they tested from the major chain grocery stores contained no pollen at all… breaking the FDA standards.
Most processed honey products go through a technique called “ultra filtering”—the honey is heated, then filtered at high pressure to remove the pollen.
When you buy these store-bought “honey” alternatives, you miss out on all the amazing health benefits of raw honey!
While we don’t produce our own honey at Stoney Creek Farm, we’re big supporters of local honey producers. If you’re in the middle-Tennessee area, you can even purchase local honey from bee master Jim Garrison from our online farm store.
So what are some of the great benefits of local honey?
Local honey helps reduce allergies.
This might be local honey’s most well-known benefit: allergy. Local honey contains the compound quercetin—studies have found that it can help with lessening allergy symptoms by reducing the inflammatory response in your airways.
Not only that, but local honey helps give a boost to the immune system thanks to the bee pollen and bee propolis that it contains.
It seems like a paradox—consume pollen to reduce your allergies to pollen, but it works!
Local honey can be used as a cough suppressant.
“A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”—or maybe a spoonful of honey—not medicine!—is what you need.
Studies have found that honey has proven to be a better alternative at relieving coughing in children than actual cough medicine.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Honey cannot be given to children under a year old since it can cause botulism.
Local honey can be used as a healing salve.
Honey isn’t just tasty and healthy to consume—it can also be used topically as a healing salve for minor cuts and burns!
Honey is a natural antiseptic. According to the Farmers Almanac, “Applied topically, honey is a natural antiseptic, containing 3 powerful wound-healing components: sugar, hydrogen peroxide, and propolis. The nectar-based compound propolis kills bacteria, while hydrogen peroxide disinfects. The sugar absorbs moisture, creating an environment in which bacteria cannot survive.”
As it dries, the honey will form a natural “bandage” as well!
Local honey is high in disease-fighting antioxidants.
Antioxidants can help lower blood pressure, reduce risk of heart attack and stroke, and more. And guess what contains a number of these disease-fighting compounds? Local honey.
So why not make a stop at your local Farmer’s Market to grab a jar of delicious local honey?
You’ll be supporting your community while guaranteeing that you’re getting actual honey—and not just some grocery store chemical substitute masking as honey!
If you’re a Tennessee local, the Pick Tennessee Products website is a great resource for finding nearby Farmer’s Markets and local agriculture products, like honey, in your area.
If you’re within driving distance to Franklin, TN, you can pick up purchase local honey from our online store and pick it up right from the farm!
A final note:
While local honey does contain all these great health benefits, don’t go too crazy with it—it is still a form of sugar, and overconsumption of all that sweet goodness cancels out the benefits. Enjoy your local honey in moderation!
