Honey is a sweet liquid made by bees using nectar from flowers. Bees first convert the nectar into honey by a process of regurgitation and evaporation, then store it as a primary food source in wax honeycombs inside the beehive. Honey can then be harvested from the hives for human consumption.
Honey is graded by color, with the clear, golden amber honey often at a higher retail price than darker varieties. Honey flavor will vary based on the types of flower from which the nectar was harvested.
Both raw and pasteurized forms of honey are available. Raw honey is removed from the hive and bottled directly, and as such will contain trace amounts of yeast, wax and pollen. Consuming local raw honey is believed to help with seasonal allergies due to repeated exposure to the pollen in the area. Pasteurized honey has been heated and processed to remove impurities.
Honey has high levels of monosaccharides, fructose and glucose, containing about 70 to 80 percent sugar, which gives it its sweet taste - minerals and water make up the rest of its composition.
Honey also possesses antiseptic and antibacterial properties. In modern science, we have managed to find useful applications of honey in chronic wound management.
Honey has been consumed for thousands of years for its supposed health benefits. Modern science is finding that many of the historical claims that honey can be used in medicine may indeed be true. In the Bible (Prov 24:13), King Solomon said, "My son, eat thou honey, for it is good", and there are a number of reasons why it is good.
- ACID REFLUX: Honey is 125.9 more viscous than distilled water at 37 degree celsius (body temperature), thus may be helpful in preventing GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux).
- INFANTILE GASTROENTERISTIS:
Honey shortens the duration of bacterial diarrhea in infants and young children, and "may safely be used as a substitute for glucose in oral rehydration solution containing electrolytes."
4: TREATMENT OF ALLERGIES:
There are some research to suggest that honey may be useful in minimizing seasonal allergies. The Guardian reported that honey even 'beats cough medicine' at alleviating and reducing the frequency of cough. - FIGHTING INFECTIONS:
In 2010, scientists from the Academic Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam reported in FASEB Journal that honey's ability to kill bacteria lies in a protein called defensin-1. A study published in the journal Microbiology revealed that honey is effective at treating chronic wound infections and may even prevent them from developing in the first place. Honey may be a preferable treatment for cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood URI. Natural honey kills bacteria three times more effectively" than an artificial honey - COLD RELIEF:
The World Health Organization (WHO) and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend honey as a natural cough remedy. Honey reduces night time coughing and improves sleep quality in children with upper respiratory infection better than the cough medicine dextromethorphan or no treatment. - PREVENTION OF CANCER AND HEART DISEASE:
Honey contains flavonoids and antioxidants which help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease. - REDUCES ULCER AND OTHER GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS:
Recent research shows that honey treatment may help alleviate disorders such as ulcers and bacterial gastroenteritis. - ANTI-BACTERIAL and ANTI-FUNGAL ACTIVITY:
“All honey is antibacterial, because the bees add an enzyme that makes hydrogen peroxide which posses high anti-bacterial quality”. Honey is also known to have antioxidant, antimicrobial and soothing effects. - INCREASE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE:
Ancient Olympic athletes would eat honey and dried figs to enhance their performance. This has now been verified with modern studies, showing that it is superior in maintaining glycogen levels and improving recovery time than other sweeteners.
More benefits and consumption guide will be in part 2. Stay on