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HEALTH BENEFITS OF HONEY
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"Honey is cheap, making it potentially useful for treating wounds in earthquake-stricken and war-torn areas where running water is scarce and aften contanimated. It is being used in Iraq to treat burn wounds in children." Honey is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate. It contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of which change according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Besides the above, copper, iodine, and zinc exist in it in small quantities. Several kinds of hormones are also present in it. Approximately one half of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from crops pollinated by bees. Today honeybees are an essential part of a healthy agriculture economy. If you have allergies, honey can be beneficial. If you eat honey that is local to your area, it may help prevent your seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in your honey. Honey may also be good for your skin. It has the ability to attract water. It is also safe for sensitive skin. You can use it as a moisturizing mask for your skin as well as your hair. To use it as a conditioner, mix the honey with olive oil. Be sure to wash your hair thoroughly before you go outside. |
If you have a sore throat, take some honey.[ Honey has powerful antimicrobial properties, which can soothe your raw tissues. Pour a teaspoon of honey into a large serving spoon and then top off the spoon with lemon juice. Swallow the concoction (without water) every few hours until symptoms clear up. Some people add a pinch of black or red pepper to increase blood circulation to the throat.] Due to its natural anti-inflammatory effect, it will help to heal the wounds more quickly.It also has different phytochemicals--chemicals found in plants and different foods--that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungus making it a good substitute for wound dressings. The taste may also take your mind off the pain. There is evidence that honey diluted in water will help with your stomach aches and dehydration. Do you have a cut? Honey is a natural antiseptic. Medical journals cite more than 600 cases in which honey was employed to treat wounds.By applying honey to your wounds, you prevent infections. Honey contains antimicrobial agents, which prevents infections by killing the bacteria in and around your wounds. When using honey it may help to heat it up before putting it on your wound (caution test the heat before you place it on the wound).Many types of bacteria can’t survive in honey, so wounds heal, swelling eases, and tissue can grow back. Honey may also be effective in the treatment of your ulcers.In Europe, honey has been used internally to help cure ulcers, particularly stomach ulcers. Burns, too, heal better with honey, studies show. The advantage of honey is that it not only prevents infections from occurring, it actually accelerates skin healing.. Since the sugar in honey absorbs water it helps to trap some of the moisture so that the bacteria and other microbes can’t grow as easily as in other food. |
The Folk Remedy Encyclopedia : Olive Oil, Vinegar, Honey and 1,001 Other Home Remedies (Paperback) Grandmother's remedies may have been the best, and this encyclopedia identifies which old fashioned cures have been proven effective by modern medical research, and which ones may be bogus. |
Too much sugar can be bad for our health. Not only can it make us overweight and sluggish, but it can also contribute to many diseases including diabetes, atherosclerosis, and vascular disease. But what can we do? Sugar is everywhere - and the simple truth is that food manufacturers are concerned more about profit than consumer health. As with most things, nature appears to have provided the solution: honey. The medicinal properties of honey have been recognized for literally hundreds of years, but until recently, they have been nothing more than folklore. However, this is beginning to change. Over the last 20-30 years, scientists have discovered that there is real truth to the belief that honey is good for your health. Honey has been revealed to have a high antioxidant content and contain a unique blend of sugars, vitamins, and other ingredients. We know now that consuming honey can offer not only sweetness, but the chance for a healthier life.
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Good source of antioxidants: It plays a big role in the prevention of cancer as well as heart disease. Has a low calorie level: Another quality of honey is that, when it is compared with the same amount of sugar, it gives 40% less calories to the body. Although it gives great energy to the body, it does not add weight. Rapidly diffuses through the blood: When accompanied by mild water, honey diffuses into the bloodstream in 7 minutes. Its free sugar molecules make the brain function better since the brain is the largest consumer of sugar, thus, reduces fatigue. Supports blood formation: Honey provides an important part of the energy needed by the body for blood formation. In addition, it helps in cleansing the blood. It has some positive effects in regulating and facilitating blood circulation. It also functions as a protection against capillary problems and arteriosclerosis. Does not accommodate bacteria: This bactericide (bacteria-killing) property of honey is named "the inhibition effect". Experiments conducted on honey show that its bactericide properties increase twofold when diluted with water. It is very interesting to note that newly born bees in the colony are nourished with diluted honey by the bees responsible for their supervision - as if they know this feature of the honey. The nutrients or enzymes that raw honey does contain are destroyed by manufacturers who heat it in order to give it a clear appearance to enhance sales. It is healthier for you to buy 'local honey' and not the manufacturer processed honey you find on Supermarket shelves. Much of the honey on Supermarket shelves comes from overseas and you will not really know that fact. Keep in mind that store-bought honey is pastuerized and all of the beneficial bacteria has been "cooked" out of it. Royal Jelly: Royal jelly is a substance produced by worker bees inside the beehive. Inside this nutritious substance are sugar, proteins, fats and many vitamins. It is used in problems caused by tissue deficiency or body frailty.
Honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, and is a wonderful beauty aid that nourishes the skin and the hair. Honey acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent and helps disinfect and speed the healing process in wounds, scrapes and burns.
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Some specific healthy benefits using honey. * Did you know that honey can relieve you from the hangover? If you have drunk a lot and it is becoming difficult to get rid of the hangover by mixing two spoons of honey with half a cup of orange juice and half a cup yogurt. Blend them together properly and gulp it down. * Honey mixed with ground almonds makes an excellent facial cleansing scrub. * A tablespoon of honey whisked together with an egg white, 1 teaspoon of glycerin and about 1/4 cup of flour makes an excellent firming mask. Just smooth on the face, leave on 15 minutes, and rinse off with warm water. You will be pleased with the results. * Honey also makes a great moisturizing pack. Just mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 2 teaspoons of whole milk, smooth over the face and throat, and let it do its job for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, and finish splashing with cold water. * Honey also makes a great lotion for dry patches of skin on hands, elbows, or other parts. Just mix 1 teaspoon of honey with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Apply to hands, elbows, heels of your foot, etc., and wash off after 15 minutes. Fast relief! * Start your day drinking a mix of a spoonful of honey with the juice of half a lemon in a cup of hot water. This cleansing tonic will help improve your digestive system to enable you to stay healthy and fight disease * Honey works well on chapped lips and for acne because it has antibacterial properties. * To give your hair lustrous shine, mix 1 teaspoon of honey into 4 cups of warm water. Use as a hair rinse. And if you're a blond, add the juice of 1 lemon, too. * Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with a cup of warm water. Use it as a mouthwash. Honey cleans teeth and dentures, and kills germs in the mouth. *Suggested medical usage: For stomach ulcers,gastritis, dyspepsia and sore throats, 1-2 teaspoons on an empty stomach (½ hour before meals), 1-4 times a day to assist in healing and provide pain relief. For wounds - apply on a dressing (preferably waterproof) with enough honey to cover the wound surface. Use 20 ml (25-30 gram) of honey per 10x10 cm dressing. Change up to 3 times daily. *For dog allergies: You can also use local honey to help cure dog allergies. Why does it have it to be local honey? Apparently local honey contains very tiny amounts of pollen. These tiny amounts of pollen are not enough to trigger the allergic reaction in your dog when they ingest the local honey. What does happen though is each time the dog eats the local honey, the dog’s body begins to build up a tolerance to the pollen. Eventually, the dog is able to tolerate the amount of pollen usually present in the dog’s enviornment. It works the same way for humans, in case you are interested. You can give your dog anywhere from a teaspoon to a tablespoon of local honey once or twice a day. You can also mix it into to their food. Make sure it is raw local honey. You can find raw local honey at farmer’s markets, natural food stores and sometimes in the health food section of your grocery store.
© 1995-2009 Albert W. Needham |
