The FDA has not evaluated these statements, so they should not be taken as medical advise.
Healthy eating and living has never been more in focus than it is right now. And if you're not concerned about ingesting what's good for you, well you should be! This is especially so with a growing food industry dedicated to making foods and drinks that increase your quality of life while being totally yummy.
Is honey good for you? We have been told for many years that eating local raw honey has benefits to our immune system. Also, presumably when the bees make their honey from the same pollen sources that we tend to be allergic too, that honey once ingested produces anti-histamines that can help mediate seasonal allergies. Honey is also known to be an anti-inflammatory. As I understand, the chemical composition of various varietel honeys is very complex, and we are still a long way from understanding the big picture regarding the health benefits of honey.
But is fermented honey (ie, Mead) good for you? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know of any credible scientific studies on this subject. I do have a science background, and my thoughts are thus: Any anti-histamine benefits from our local honey may be limited in our wine-strength Meads due to our production process. In a word, it is possible we filter out the very molecules that would provide such allergenic help when we prepare the batch for bottling. However, our on-tap (Session Level) Meads are not filtered. If indeed a fermented honey drink can pass along the anti-histemic benefits of local honey, one of our on-tap drinks such as Pictavian Ale or Bobby Bochet would be the more likely vectors.
Another angle to consider, especially with Juniper Tree Meadery, regards the adjunct ingredients we use in some of our labels. Our Angry Earl contains Sage, which has documented cognitive benefits. (Regular ingestors of Sage have been found to have a lower likelihood of developing Alzheimer's or Dementia.) Our Elderberry has a veritable cocktail of "good for you" ingredients. The Elderberries themselves (yes we use the real fruit) are known as a super food for immunity health. The drink also includes Mullein, a lesser known herb, but which is known to have remarkable benefits to respiratory health. Our Hippie Mead uses Rose Hips and Hibiscus. Hibiscus is known to be an anti-inflammatory and also promote lower blood pressure. Rose Hips also are known to be rich in anti-oxidants, and thus promote healthy skin among other benefits.
We could go on, but you probably get the picture. It would be foolish of us to claim any of our Mead labels is a medical cure for anything. But we do try to use ingredients that are common in the holistic healing arts. One thing is for sure---you can always feel a little better after having a glass of Juniper Tree Mead!
