> From: Christine Gray
>
> I have referred to the booklet published by International Bee Reasearch
> Association (tel: +44 (0)29 2037 2409, web:www.ibra,org,uk,  e-mail:
> [log in to unmask]) , Honey and Healing, 2001  - ISBN: 0-85092-240-8.  This
> contains five lectures by scientists on their recent work on the healing
> capacity of honey. The studies included comparison with sugar honey which
> was found not as effective.

The reports I have seen on this indicated the control used in the study was
a sugar syrup (not "honey" produced by bees using sugar syrup).  The point
being to test whether just the sugar concentration alone was creating the
effect.

Of course, I find more interesting that our local "health food" store
carries several imported honeys, including Manuka (at a considerable price).
No warning is made to the consumer that it tastes quite vile (at least the
sample brought to a taste testing last year did) or that it is for use in
the medicine chest, not in your tea.  The only local honey they carry is
being practically given away (at less than even the average retail for this
area), as many people on that side of town still equate local with "cheap"
and imported with "better" or "more expensive". Two generations ago, many
had bees in the city and gave away their excess -- some of that generation
still seem to apologize for charging for their harvest (and haven't adjusted
their prices in 10 or more years).


> It remains something of a puzzle why a group on this list is so insistent
on
> crushing any idea that natural honey could possibly be more than flavoured
> sugar

I doubt they will argue that.  And the commercial ones get the privilege of
paying for the studies that we can then use to show the benefits of honey
versus sugar.


> and , by extension, that sugar is as good a feed for bees as natural
> honey.

But the above is for people. Bee nutrition is not the same.  Whether they
are "healthier" or not probably depends more on climate and the type of
honey (since all these bees are out of their natural range, where the insect
and nature grew in harmony to find the "best" mutual solution.  What is
known (as fact) is that over wintered bees in some northern areas are
healthier on stored sugar syrup, rather than stored natural nectars, due to
the nature of the nectars in those areas.

> You claim knowledge of nutrition and medical practice - I would have
> thought that , as a professional, u would read up the scientific papers (
> over 200 references in Honey and Healing)

I doubt the wound healing properties of honey (esp. their use on burns and
stubborn infections) has much to do with their nutritional value.  The two
have no relationship, unless you can show that the same values that kill
bacteria when honey is at one moisture solution have a similar affect on
bees after being watered down and consumed.

>
>  Lastly, I do not mind if u refer to me by my name, Robin Dartington, with
> which I sign all posts.  Christine Gray is the owner of the computer.
> Presumanbly when u get a business  letter u reply to whoever signed the
> letter rather than just to Barcklay's Bank?

Actually, if I get a letter under tone person's letterhead, but signed by
another, I either assume it is forged, stolen letterhead or an
administrative assistant that signed it, depending on the content.  Not
knowing Christine, it is difficult to make any assessment.  The main point
was, that we receive a messages labeled "from Christine", hit reply and
"Christine" is entered for us automatically.  Only those who go to the
trouble of going to the bottom and pasting your name back at the top
indicate we are talking to Robin, not Christine.  And in the archive, all
your emails are sorted by the name "Christine".  Email accounts are free
(and isn't she tired of getting your bee posts in her email, anyway?), email
clients easy to set up to handle more than one.

Karen  -- show doesn't share her email with others in the house.

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