Since the dawn of human civilization, honey has been a part of human lives both as a medicine and food. Honey is created when plant and flower secretions are gathered by honey bees. Honey has some wonderful health benefits that you can’t ignore. That’s the very reason why you will find that honey bees never get ill!
We will go through the health benefits of honey in detail but before that let us find out a bit more about the interesting honey-making process.
How Do Bees Make Honey?
Bees suck the nectar out of flowers and process this nectar in the beehives and prepare a liquid as their food. The Bee doing all this work creates a viscous fluid form is a mixture of plant compounds that are stored in the honeycomb of a beehive. Most of the food making activity is to make the bees survive through the cold and support the Queen Bee in her egg-laying activities. The Queen bee is usually the mother of the colony who controls the colony and lays eggs. The bees in a hive make sure they have made enough honey fit for queen bee it’s that good. There are some hive related honey benefits too. Honey is a source of high concentrations of natural sugar and energy for the bees and as a result, they don’t have to venture out in search of food. Moreover, high concentrations of sugar in honey act as a preservative that inhibits the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms in the beehive.
Honey is not only a source of energy with bees, but it is also known for numerous health benefits with humans. Let’s look a little closer at the health benefits of honey:
Effective in Weight Management
Bees make honey is from the sugary nectar of flowers. This makes them rich in glucose, fructose, maltose, and sucrose. It has no fat, fiber or protein content. Honey has traces of many vitamins as well as minerals. Honey shines and stands out for its rich bioactive plant compounds and components and antioxidants. Darker it is; the higher the nutrient content.
This natural sugar content makes it an effective replacement as a low-calorie sugar component that makes it effective for weight management. As per studies, consumption of honey with warm water first thing in the morning boosts your metabolism. And if taken before bed a spoonful of honey can work as a fat burner even when you are asleep.
Good for the Immune System
Honey is rich in antioxidants that help fight many infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. As per doctors, buckwheat honey has the highest percentage of antioxidants and if consumed daily it is extremely helpful for boosting your immunity in the long run. Honey one of the best immunity boosting properties present in food. It also has long term health benefits in children. When consumed by children regularly, honey builds their immunity in the long run and makes them more immune to many common diseases and ailments such as common cold, sore throat, etc. Apart from that honey is a proven medicine for cleansing of toxins from the body and is a natural cleanser.
Good for Skin
Honey has nourishing and moisturizing properties. Honey is, in fact, the best naturally occurring moisturizer that is extremely beneficial for dry skin. It is easy to apply. Raw Honey helps in unclogging of pores and moisturizes parched and dry skin. Good for cracked lips and chapped skin during winters, many people use at as lotions. Honey masks are good for skin tone correction. Honey is a major constituent of many effective home remedies for glowing, blemish-free skin.
Good for Memory
We are obviously what we eat. Hence, consuming foods that enhance our mental health is required for us to help us through all phases of our life. Honey is known to boost your memory and improve your concentration levels. Consuming honey prevents any metabolic stress and helps in calming and soothing of the brains. This helps in the augmentation of memory. The antioxidants and the necessary therapeutic properties of honey help in the boosting of the cholinergic system of the brain that improves the removal of receding cells that cause memory loss.
Perfect Home Remedy for a Cough
Honey is one of the best remedies for dry and wet cough. As per studies, consuming one tablespoon helps in reducing the irritation of the throat. Due to its decongesting properties, honey forms a natural base for many cough syrups. It helps in relieving many types of coughs including nocturnal coughs. Honey is, therefore, a preferred natural remedy for kids and adults alike.
Natural Remedy for Hair Problems and Dandruff
Honey has nourishment capabilities when applied to hair. It is one of the best remedies for dandruff. It offers perfect nourishment for dry hair and makes your hair soft and silky smooth. A mixture of honey with lavender and green tea is known to prevent hair fall. You can use honey in a hair mask comprising with 2 tablespoons of Honey with vegetable oil in similar amounts. Apply it on your hair and keep this natural hair mask on for some time (around 15 mins) and rinse it with some shampoo for amazing and smooth hair.
Helps in Healing of Skin Burns, Wounds, Cuts, and Bruises
Honey is very useful in the treatment and healing of bruises, cuts, wounds, and burns since ancient times and its healing properties prevail even today. It is very effective in the treatment of foot ulcers of diabetic patients and can prevent serious complications that may lead to limb and arm amputations. As per researchers, honey gets its healing capabilities from it’s antibacterial, anti-fungal and antifungal properties. Apart from that honey can help cure skin conditions such as herpes lesions and psoriasis. Honey can nourish the surrounding tissues of any wounds that help the healing of wounds faster. Apply some honey on the affected area and leave it on. For best results use Manuka Honey on your wounds.
Helps Improve Sleep Quality
If you are one of those who have trouble sleeping, a tablespoon of honey in warm milk can help induce sleep better than many medicines that you might be taking. Honey is known to relieve your throat and other respiratory infections that might not let you sleep properly. Consumption of honey can keep you away from such infections and give you a good night’s sleep, thus improving the overall quality of your sleep.
Helps Fight Sinus Infections
The increase in pollution and dust has led to many people increasingly falling ill due to sinus infections. Sinuses are cavities in the brain that trigger mucus formation to guard your respiratory tract infections and allergies. Viral infections lead to the blockage of these sinuses and trap the air and the mucus causing congestion in our chests. Honey acts as a natural antibacterial and antiseptic medicine that reduces inflammation and clears out the infections. Honey, as we saw earlier, improves immunity thereby reducing the chances of sinus attacks.
Helps in Curing Gum Diseases
Honey is helpful in the treatment of gum and teeth diseases such as plaque, gingivitis, and bleeding of the gums. The use of Honey is said to release Hydrogen Peroxide which has antiseptic and antimicrobial properties. This is said to prevent the growth and build-up of bacteria. As per experts use of raw honey with water as a mouthwash after brushing can help relieve many gum and teeth issues. Rubbing honey directly on gums can help in pain relief, inflammation and other periodontal infections.
Helps in Controlling Eczema
Eczema causes red, flaky and itchy skin that is a cause of great discomfort. Moreover, it looks really ugly with patchy skin. Honey due to its proven antibacterial and antifungal properties can help in the treatment of eczema. A mixture of raw honey with olive oil can help you get rid of the problem sooner than you know. Honey is a natural exfoliating agent that when mixed with oats can help in the removal of dead cells. Regular use can prevent the recurrence of eczema.
Helps as an instant source of natural Energy
Due to a high concentration of natural sugars, honey is an excellent source of instant energy. Since honey has natural unprocessed and simple sugars such as glucose and fructose it enters into the bloodstream directly providing a quick boost in energy. This quick boost in energy works wonderfully when you have to work out, especially in exercises and workout regimes where endurance is a requirement.
Types Of Honey
There are many different types of honey. The different types of honey derive their health benefits from the various plants and trees found in the various countries around the world, here is a small selection of some of the most interesting ones.
Manuka Honey
Bees pollinating Manuka trees in New Zealand lead to this incredible honey, and one of its major benefits is to heal wounds. This honey has antibacterial properties that make it particularly good at healing.
Eucalyptus Honey
The Eucalyptus Tree is the tree that Koalas are often found in eating. The smell of a Eucalyptus tree is an incredible one, as you would probably have experienced if you have the essential oil (if you haven’t, go and get one – they’re nice in a vaporizer). The honey that comes from bees pollinating this tree has an almost menthol type quality to it. It sounds a bit weird but is a very pleasant taste, and is great if you have a cold.
Buckwheat Honey
Buckwheat Honey is very rich in antioxidants, and iron. This is very dark and has a look of molasses. This honey comes from Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota.
Acacia Honey
The Black Locust Tree is found in North America and Europe. The benefits of this honey are that it may help with intestinal problems, liver function. This honey also has anti-inflammatory properties as do many kinds of honey.
There are many other types of honey available with a large number of health benefits, flavors, and consistency. We recommend you finish reading this article, then next time you go shopping pick up a few different types to try.
It is also important to get natural honey, rather than supermarket honey as it is less likely to have been processed, and may exhibit stronger flavors, be more natural and have a stronger health benefit. There are often farmers’ markets where you can buy if your local mall does not have any.
The Conclusion
Though there is nothing better than a naturally occurring remedy for ailments and diseases, in extreme cases, never hesitate to consult a doctor.
Now that you have seen how beneficial honey can prove, it’s time to include honey as one of the staples in your daily diets. Make it a part of your life and lead a happier, healthier, and fitter life.