Honeygar, also Honegar, is a mix of

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several 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 plants (primar ...

and

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

, similar to

switchel Switchel, switzel, swizzle, switchy, ginger-water or haymaker's punch is a drink made of water mixed with vinegar, and often seasoned with ginger. It is usually sweetened with molasses, though honey, sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup are somet ...

. Honey and vinegar mixtures such as

oxymel Oxymel (, ) is a mixture of honey and vinegar, used as a medicine. Its name is often found in Renaissance (and later) pharmacopoeiae in Late Latin form as either a countable or uncountable noun. As a countable noun, it is spelled variously as (s ...

have been used for purported health benefits since ancient times. The name "Honegar" was used by D. C. Jarvis 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 ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

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

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

, 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 respon ...

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:

"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.)" Lasagna, Louis. (1962). ''The Doctors' Dilemmas''. Harper. p. 306

References

{{reflist Honey Vinegar Alternative medicine