Honey is produced by honey bees from the genus Apis. Nectar is nearly 80% water with some complex sugars, that is, monosaccharides, fructose and glucose. It’s earlier use has been documented by Greek, Roman, Vedic, and Islamic texts and philosophers and scientists all the way back to ancient times, such as Aristotle (384 – 322 BC) and Aristoxenus (320 BC).Honey has various use and given here are the health benefits of honey.
1) Soothing of coughs
A study conducted several years ago found that two teaspoons of honey 30 minutes before bed made children coughed less frequently, hence able to sleep better.
2. Memory Boost
Honey has been found to have a role in boosting memory and especially in women in their menopausal ages. A study was conducted between these women where some of them took 20gms of honey and hormone-replacement therapy while the control group didn’t. It was found that after a while, those who took honey and the hormone-replacement pills performed better in a memory test, compared to those who didn’t take either of them.
3. Wounds Treatment
A study in New Zealand honey that undergoes a special purification process was found to destroy all strains of bacteria in wounds. In yet another study, unprocessed honey was found to treat wounds and ulcers in legs of patients. Honey sterilized the wounds, hence enabling healing. It is applied directly or in a dressing and changed every 24 to 48 hours.
4. Nutritional Value
Honey contains vitamins and minerals such as niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. This makes it one of the richest foods in terms of nutritional concentration.
5. Helps Prevent white blood cell count
Honey has been found to help prevent low white blood cell count caused by chemotherapy. One study found that cancer patients at risk of low blood count improved after taking two spoonfuls of honey daily.
6. Relief from Allergies
Honey has been known to lessen symptoms of seasonal allergy due to its anti-inflammatory effects .Over and above this, it soothes coughs.
7. Destroys Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria
It has been shown through medical studies that honey destroys food-borne causing pathogens such as E.coli, Salmonella among others.
8. Metabolism of Alcohol
When taken orally, honey has been found to enhance the body’s ability to break down alcohol, hence limiting its intoxicating effect and more quickly lowering alcohol blood levels
9. Helps in Work-out
Honey is helpful to athletes as it contains all-natural energy. This energy is useful for muscle recovery after taking part in endurance events such as marathon.
10. Heals scalp problems and dandruff
Honey has been found to be quite effective in treating chronic seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. It relieves itching while scaling disappears within one week after its application on the scalp.
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