Honeycomb, why bother?
Honeycomb. Yes, sometimes you might get a bit of wax stuck in your teeth. But, raw honey in its most natural and purest form, straight from the hive, perfect hexagonal beeswax cells, filled with sweet golden nectar – could it be any better? Well, yes actually. Aside from being absolutely delicious, it has a host of extra health benefits that you may not know.
It is common knowledge that raw honey if good for you, when it is pure it has antioxidants which reduce inflammation, enzymes that fight bacteria as well as vitamins and minerals - and has a lower Glycaemic Index than sugar. When capped in the cells in a piece of honeycomb, it is completely sealed in, by the bees at its peak. So you know you are getting your honey just as nature intended.
In honeycomb, some cells also contain pollens. This is consumed by some to help with hay fever. It is best if the honey is fresh, so you have pollens in season, and from your local area.
But what about the wax? Should you chew it? Can you eat it? Yes, absolutely! Beeswax contains a heap of health benefits of its own. It is made up of long chain fatty acids and alcohols (no, not that kind of alcohol), beeswax alcohols, which have been found to lower bad LDL cholesterol and raise good HDL cholesterol. Beeswax alcohols have also been found to have positive effects on liver function, reducing symptoms in people with liver disease. More information on all this can be found in the links below. So, don’t be afraid to give your honeycomb a good chew, and eat the beeswax too!
