Sugar was unknown in the ancient world, and the Romans and Greeks had no word for it; honey was universally used as the sweetener of choice. Physicians in ancient Rome used honey to help their patients fall asleep, while Hippocrates, the famous fifth century B.C. Greek physician hailed as the "Father of Medicine," praised honey's healing powers and formulated many honey-based cures for ailments such as skin disorders, ulcers and sores. Meanwhile, the ancient Egyptians used honey to treat cataracts, open wounds, cuts and burns.
In World War I, German doctors used honey mixed with cod liver oil to surgically dress soldiers' wounds sustained in battle, and for years, singers have used honey to boost their energy and soothe their throats before performances.
Raw honey contains glucose and fructose -- which are easily assimilated monosaccharides (simple sugars), vitamin A, beta-carotene, all the B-complex vitamins and vitamins C, D, E and K. There's also an abundance of trace minerals -- magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, calcium, chlorine, potassium and iodine. Refined sugar, on the other hand, is man-made, offers empty calories (disaccharides that have to be broken down in the small intestine before entering the bloodstream) and has no nutritional value -- containing no vitamins, minerals or trace elements whatsoever. Which would you choose?
Raw honey also contains a rich supply of live enzymes, which are required for the proper functioning of all body systems. Like royal jelly, bee pollen and propolis, some active substances in honey have not yet been identified; hence, they cannot be chemically reproduced.
A recent issue of Nursing Times reported on the significant case of a British teenager, the first instance in which honey was used on multiple meningococcal skin lesions. The antibacterial action was evident, as the mixed infection of Pseudomonas and Enterococcus cleared from the lesions in a few weeks, and the number of colonizing staphylococci diminished to a harmless level. Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Molan's important research in New Zealand has been described above.
Raw honey is a tonic (a beneficial, supportive stimulant) to all systems. It's antibiotic, antiviral and has been scientifically proven to be hygroscopic, i.e., it absorbs water. It also contains the enzyme glucose oxidase, which converts to hydrogen peroxide when exposed to water. Add this to the fact that no bacteria can live in raw honey, and it becomes a clear and natural choice for health-conscious individuals, whether it's in your cookies or in your first-aid kit.