Medicinal And Health Benefits of Honey

Honey is a sweet, sticky yellowish-brown fluid made by bees and other insects from nectar collected from flowers. According to a definition by Oxford Dictionary.

The process by which bees make honey is a bit complex. Its starts when bees perch on flowers to extract a sugary juice called nectar from the blossom by sucking it out. They store the nectar in their secondary or honey stomach, which is different from their food stomach. When they have gulped enough nectar to fill, they fly back to their hive. When inside the beehive, they consume the nectar, passing it round with other worker-bees until it eventually turns into honey.

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The amount of honey made by bees depends on the type of worker-bees, the nectar flow in the flowers nearby, weather, environmental factor and the age of the beehive. The smell, color, and taste oh any honey depend on the types of flowers the bees collected nectar from.

There are two main types of honey: the raw honey and the processed honey. The raw honey is one taken out directly out of cells of honeycombs, containing bee pollen and propolis with enhanced nutrients, while the processed honey is one that is chemically refined using high-tech, ultra filtering technique which eliminates natural nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, including pollen and propolis which are beneficial.

Nutritionally, 1 tablespoon of honey (21 grams) contains 64 calories and 17 grams of sugar, including fructose, glucose, maltose, and sucrose. It contains virtually no fiber, fat or protein. It also contains some amounts of vitamins and minerals, but you would have to eat many pounds to fulfill your daily requirements. Honey is particularly healthy when used instead of refined sugar, sugar has no calories.

The combination of the compounds above makes honey a powerful antioxidant with many preventive and curative properties.

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HEALTH and Medicinal BENEFITS

TREATMENT OF ULCER: Research shows that treatment of disorders such as ulcers and bacterial gastroenteritis can can be aided with honey.

REDUCE RISK OF HEART ATTACKS: Honey contains antioxidants that have been linked to reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes. They may also promote eye health.

PREVENTS CANCER; Honey Prevent cancer and heart disease. It contains flavonoids, antioxidants, and carcinogen-preventing properties and can help fight the growth of existing tumors, cancers and heart disease.

TREATS COUGH: It reduces a cough and throat irritation. The honey keeps the throat calm by soothing the nerve endings that protect the throat. Some doctors believe that two tablespoons of honey are just as effective as cough medicine.

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TREATING HANGOVER: Honey helps your liver speed up the oxidation of the alcohol, which helps get the toxins out of your body faster. That headache you feel is caused by the liver’s inability to process all of the toxins from the drinks you quickly consumed. It takes time, but honey can help speed up that process.

REDUCE ALLERGY: Because of honey’s anti-inflammatory properties, it is able to help reduce allergy symptoms. It acts as a natural vaccine because it contains little amounts of pollen.

TREATMENT FOR WOUNDS AND BURN: Because of its natural antibiotic nature, honey can help soothe and treat wounds and burns.

 

– This article was written with some information originally appearing on Healthline

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