Honey
    Posted by: "cm thite" cmthite@gmail.com cmthite
    Date: Tue Oct 2, 2007 5:49 am ((PDT)

How honey can weaken or stimulate agni?  This can be explained by Guna theory. Honey is described as 'deepan' and not 'pachan' (Ref: Sushrut-samhita sutrashtana 45/132).  (deepan is property that stimulates appetite/agni; and pachan is the property that actually helps to digest the food).  Laghu means light (easy to digest), and the description of dry applies better to rukhsa, and 'scraping' better applies to lekhan.  Honey is ruksha and lekhan.  (old honey is especially Lekhan - ref. Sushrut sutrashtana 45/141).  Though honey itself is heavy to digest it may stimulate the appetite because of ruksha and deepan properties.  But as you have observed, too much of honey leads to heaviness and may weaken the digestive fire.  'Amount, time, and method of consumption of honey should be appropriate. There is one exception when honey can be used with hot medicines though, that is during vaman treatment (ref:  Sushrut sutrashtana 45/146)  this is because here the honey does not stay in the body, it comes out with the vomiting.

Dr.Thite
www.ayurvedicrx.com