sdyer@bbncc5.UUCP (Steve Dyer) (07/27/85)
> And how many people DON'T have a problem with obesity? After age 30, > it's the _uncommon_ person whose weight is right where it should be. > Conclusion: Sugar is not likely to be harmful for you unless you are > an ordinary American :-(. > Don't forget the other food groups! They tend to contribute their share of calories, too. I think peanut butter is harmful to me. > The "quack" book I read said that honey soothes inflamed mucous membranes. > If this is just an old wives tail[sic.], then why does my doctor recommend > honey and lemon juice in a glass of tea to soother sore throats? Why didn't > he just recommend sugar in the tea, instead of honey, assuming there is no > difference? After all, sugar is cheaper, and more convenient to handle. Actually, undiluted honey might have a soothing effect on a sore throat by coating the throat for a few minutes, or perhaps by drawing water out of inflamed tissues. I am sure that a tablespoon of sugar in tea is about as soothing as the same amount of honey. You know, sometimes a "old wives' tale" is just that. Honey and lemon sounds a lot more attractive than sugar and lemon. > I've read that Roman soldiers used honey as a balm for binding wounds. > If honey really has no such antiseptic effect, then why doesn't it spoil > when stored at room temperature? Honey is such a concentrated solution of glucose and fructose that nothing can grow in it--there is nothing inherently "antiseptic" about honey--its bacteriostatic properties are a direct result of its sugar concentration. And even this has no effect on the botulinus spores which are often found in raw honey (the spores being inert.) Try diluting it just a bit and see what happens. Did you ever hear of mead? Fermented honey. -- /Steve Dyer {decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer sdyer@bbnccv.ARPA
wscott@joevax.UUCP (W. Scott Meeks) (07/30/85)
Related to the Romans binding wounds with honey: I remember reading sometime in the past year or so showing that large amounts of sugar packed directly in wounds (but also with antibiotics in the mix) promotes healing, possibly by "feeding" the cells more directly (by sugar I probably mean glucose.) So it could be that the Roman soldiers were not using honey as an antiseptic but to promote healing.