Medicinal uses of melipona bee honey in mayan communities of Yucatán

In the Yucatan Peninsula, stingless bee culture dates from pre-Hispanic times. At the height of the Mayan civilization, cultivation of stingless bees reached a level of sophistication comparable to the cultivation of Apis mellifera in Europe at the same time. Honey extracted from hives was used in religious ceremonies, as food and medicine. Many of the healing properties attributed to honey are the basis for some treatments of traditional medicine around the world, reaching used in the treatment of open wounds, in the treatment of ulcers and sores on the skin also the ancient Maya used Melipona beecheii honey to accelerate the healing of wounds and burns. Other traditional uses given to M. beecheii honey are reducing and curing cataracts, pterygium eye, and conjunctivitis. Today Mayan communities use M. beecheii honey for the treatment of diseases like as laryngitis, sinusitis, typhoid, bronchitis, cough and bacterial infections. Even there are reports where the use of honey has been successful against some type of cancers. This chapter compilates some actual medicinal uses of honey from Melipona beecheii in Mayan communities of Yucatan. Contrasting traditional uses with strong scientific evidence about the therapeutic uses and effects of honey.