Honeygar, also Honegar, is a mix of

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

and

apple cider vinegar Apple cider vinegar, or cider vinegar, is a vinegar made from cider, and used in salad dressings, marinades, vinaigrettes, food preservatives, and chutneys. It is made by crushing apples, then squeezing out the juice. The apple juice is th ...

, similar to

switchel Switchel, switzel, swizzle, switchy, ginger-water, or haymaker's punch (of uncertain etymology, but possibly related to ""), is a drink made from water mixed with vinegar and often seasoned with ginger. It is typically sweetened with molasses, alt ...

. Honey and vinegar mixtures such as

oxymel Oxymel (, ) is a mixture of honey and vinegar, used as a medicine. According to Scientific American, recently the mixture has been used successfully in a biofilm for topical uses on wounds where bacteria has become resistant to antibiotics, both ...

have been used for purported health benefits since ancient times.

Origins

The name "Honegar" was used by

D. C. Jarvis DeForest Clinton Jarvis (March 15, 1881 – August 15, 1966) was an American physician from Vermont. He is best known for drinking vinegar folk medicine. He recommended a mixture of raw apple cider vinegar and honey that has variously been called ...

in his book ''Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor's Guide to Good Health'' (1958). Following the success of Jarvis's book in the US, honegar also enjoyed some popularity in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Many in natural health circles claim that honeygar has wide ranging benefits on health. One particularly repeated claim is its benefits for the symptoms of

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

, although there is no clinical evidence to support this.

Criticism

In 1960, copies of Jarvis' book ''Folk Medicine'' were seized by the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

(FDA) in connection with sales of honegar. Physician

Louis Lasagna Louis Cesare Lasagna (February 22, 1923 – August 6, 2003) was an American physician and professor of medicine, known for his revision of the Hippocratic Oath. Early life and education Lasagna was an internationally recognized and respected e ...

noted that: Lasagna, Louis. (1962). ''The Doctors' Dilemmas''. Harper. p. 306

In Albany, New York, FDA agents seized $60,000 worth of "Honegar," a mixture of honey and apple cider vinegar, because its labeling failed to bear adequate directions for treating nearly fifty diseases and conditions for which "Honegar" was intended to be used. Seized with the mixture were reprints and quotations from Jarvis' book. (Jarvis was apparently uninvolved in the commercial manufacture of the product.)

References

{{reflist

External links

Pure Natural Honey
Honey Alternative medicine Vinegar