Let's identify real honey! Its value and surprising effects

There are many different types of honey. There are no special qualifications required to beekeeper, and anyone can start beekeeping as long as they have a place to do so and file a notice.

That is why honey was called "golden nectar," the nectar that produces gold, and a beekeeping boom began all over the world.

That's why I think it's important now more than ever to have the ability to distinguish the real thing, so I started reading books about honey recently. I discovered a lot about the world of honey that I had never known before.

The medical history of honey

Originally, honey was used as a medicine (apitherapy) rather than a luxury item.

Until penicillin was invented in England in 1928 from blue mold, honey's strong antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties were used for medical purposes.

However, it was written that the honey that has this effect is raw, unheated, and unfiltered, and not the kind of honey currently sold on the market that has been heat-sterilized or filtered using a centrifuge.

Differences between Western honeybees and Japanese honeybees

When you think of high-quality honey, the first things that come to mind are probably honeycomb, royal jelly, and Manuka honey.

In fact, these are collected by Western honeybees and are completely different from the honey collected by Japanese honeybees that we sell.

Surprisingly, Japanese honeybees do not produce propolis or royal jelly at all. Why?

But the mystery has not been completely solved.

Japanese honeybees do not produce royal jelly or propolis

For example, royal jelly, which is the food of the queen bee, is actually collected separately from regular honey in the hive just for the queen bee.

However, Japanese honeybees do not collect royal jelly because even the queen bee feeds on the same honey.

That means... we can say that it is very nutritious.

In addition, propolis, also known as "bee tar," is a highly antiseptic substance that is produced to protect the hive from enemies (mainly mites), but surprisingly, Japanese honeybees do not collect this propolis either.

This may be because they have a tendency to flee when an enemy approaches, instead of fighting, and will quickly abandon the hive and run away, but this is why it can be said that Japanese honeybees' honey is very safe.

Manuka honey is a single vitamin supplement, while Japanese honeybee honey is a multivitamin supplement

One of the most popular luxury honeys is Manuka honey from New Zealand.

This honey is produced by Western honeybees that collect nectar from the Manuka tree, which grows in New Zealand.

It has become very popular because it has stronger antibacterial properties than regular honey, and is available in a range of grades from recreational to medical, and has established itself as a brand. However, on closer inspection, the nectar used is limited to the nectar of a single tree called Manuka.

In contrast, the honey produced by Japanese honeybees is a multi-flower nectar that is collected from flowers of all seasons, traveling freely throughout the year from medicinal herb gardens that have been neglected for over 100 years.

I previously wrote a detailed article about the differences between Western honeybees and Japanese honeybees, so I recommend you read that as well.

Western honeybees and Japanese honeybees: their differences and rarity

Unlike honey from Western honeybees, which can be harvested four or five times a year, honey from Japanese honeybees can only be harvested once a year, which causes fermentation within the hive and results in honey containing more organic acids than honey from Western honeybees.

So, for example, if Manuka honey is a highly pure B vitamin supplement, then Japanese honeybee nectar could be said to be a well-balanced multivitamin supplement.

The amazing benefits of real honey

Well, the book was filled with amazing benefits that come with finding real honey.

Among the many effects, I would like to share two that surprised me.

Eliminating Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is well known for increasing the risk of stomach cancer. It is a bacterium that lives on the surface of the stomach mucosa and, if left untreated, can cause diseases of the stomach and duodenum.

However, even if you are infected with Helicobacter pylori, there are no characteristic symptoms that you will notice, and the symptoms are not clear, especially if you are infected as a child.

Honey is known to have high antioxidant properties, and recent research has shown that it has the effect of healing stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori and suppressing the bacteria.

In addition, the natural flavonoids and photochemicals that are abundant in honey are thought to help maintain a good gastrointestinal environment and boost intestinal immunity.

The book also mentioned countless examples of how licking it every day has eradicated Helicobacter pylori bacteria to the point where medicine is ineffective.

Periodontal disease prevention

What? It's sweet, but it's good for your teeth? It's no wonder you're surprised. Yes, it is. Apparently, eating honey before bed can help prevent periodontal disease, combat bad breath, and treat mouth ulcers.

In fact, I am currently practicing this myself. After brushing my teeth at night, I slowly put a teaspoon into my mouth and let it soak into my entire mouth, and I can feel the surface of my teeth becoming smoother.

This is because honey's strong antibacterial and antioxidant properties kill the bacteria that cause periodontal disease and tooth decay.

You might be wondering, "Will licking honey before going to bed cause tooth decay?", but if you use real honey, you don't need to worry about that.

This is because the sugars in honey are glucose and fructose, and do not contain sucrose, which is food for tooth decay bacteria. It is also said to be effective against influenza, colds, hay fever, and as a sleeping aid.

(Most of the honey on the market that is labeled as pure honey has been diluted with starch syrup or sugar water placed near the hive in order to harvest a lot of honey quickly, so you should only do this if it is guaranteed to be genuine!)

Since I started using it, I've been sleeping better and I haven't gotten sick. I've also had less allergy-related sniffles in the middle of the night. I'm really feeling the amazing effects.

Related article - Brushing your teeth as soon as you wake up in the morning affects your health! A thorough explanation of the deep relationship between oral bacteria and systemic diseases

If this honey is so effective, why is the real thing not sold?

But why is honey on the market subjected to heat sterilization and filtration using centrifuges, even though real honey has such beneficial effects?

In fact, many people mistakenly believe that honey is "transparent," so it cannot be sold if it remains cloudy. For this reason, it is heated to stop the activity of the enzymes and turn it into transparent honey.

Furthermore, heating the honey softens it, making it easier to bottle, which makes it easier to mass-produce, improving efficiency and reducing labor costs.

On the other hand, if the sake is unheated and unfiltered, it will be milky and solid, making it very difficult to bottle. Therefore, each bottle must be bottled by hand, which is very time-consuming and hard work.

Furthermore, unfiltered products require the impurities to be removed by hand one by one, which increases labor costs and is hard work, preventing mass production.

Now you can see why the price of real honey is so high. And why it is so valuable.

Our honey is unfiltered, unheated, and made from more than 100% flower honey collected by Japanese honeybees.

Our honey is collected from marginal villages at Momogusa Garden, which was established by the Satsuma Domain in the southernmost part of Japan, and is handled by local people from harvesting to bottling.

There are only a few left from last year's harvest. Since this is not a product suitable for mass production, if you are lucky enough to still have some in stock, please buy it as a gift for a loved one. It will be the best natural home remedy.

By the way, I plan to keep one bottle at home for about 10 years without opening it to make a vintage wine. I want to look at it every now and then and enjoy watching it grow until it ferments in the bottle and turns amber colored.

Rare Japanese Honeybee Raw Honey, 450g, Unheated, Kagoshima, Virgin Forest, Japan

This rare raw honey is harvested by wild Japanese honeybees in the virgin forests of Kagoshima Prefecture. Its natural nutrients and rich aroma are locked in using a no-heating process. The generous 450g bottle makes it ideal for daily health maintenance or as a gift. This is a Japanese-made masterpiece proudly delivered by Kogaiko Shoten.

We visited the site of the annual honey harvest in the winter of 2024. Please take a look at this rare footage.