Honey contains a treasure of nutrition and medicine values for centuries. Sweet golden liquid is popular kitchen staple as well as loaded with antibacterial and antifungal properties that makes it a home remedy for different diseases.
Honey’s scientific super powers contribute to its vastly touted health benefits for the whole body. The healthy natural sweetener offers many nutritional benefits depending on its variety. Raw honey is the unpasteurized version of commonly used honey and only differs in its filtration, which helps extend its shelf life. A tablespoon of raw honey contains 64 calories, is fat-free, cholesterol-free, and sodium-free, says the National Honey Board. Its composition is roughly 80 percent carbohydrates, 18 percent water, and two percent vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
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Natural Energy Drink
Honey is a sweet, viscous liquid produce through honeybees. To produce honey, bees need two different kinds of food. One is the sugary juice that comes from nectars. Nectar collects in the heart of the flower. Other part is pollen that comes from colored flowers. Nectar is delivered to one of the indoor bees and is then passed mouth to mouth until moisture content is reduced from 70% to 20%. This transforms nectar into honey.
Nutritionally, 1 table spoon of honey has 64 calories and 17 gram of sugar including fructose, sucrose, glucose and maltose. Honey contains no fiber, fat, cholesterol or protein. A minor amount of minerals like sodium, potassium are present there too.
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Honey Promotes Heart Health
Honey carries many important antioxidants including organic acids and phenolic compounds like flavonoids. They help body cells from damage caused by harmful substances known as free radicals. Abundance of free radicals can produce an oxidative stress which may lead to damaging of DNA or other important structures in cells.
Being nature of oxidative, Honey can reduce risk of heart attack, strokes and cancer. Honey may also protect eye molecules.
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Honey is best alternative to sugar for Diabetics
Honey is better than Sugar. It can minimize many risk factors for heart disease patients with type 2 diabetes because it lowers the “bad” LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and inflammation while promoting “good” HDL cholesterol. For diabetes patients, honey is much better than sugar. The best thing about honey is, it has no carbs. In fact, people with diabetes are advised to consume food with low carbs.
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Honey helps in lowering blood pressure
Honey carries antioxidants compounds and these compounds are directly linked in lowering blood pressure. For heart patients, one of the important factors is blood pressure. So after diabetic patients, honey is also recommended diet to heart patients and it has been prove scientifically.
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Honey Promotes Wound Healing
Honey has been used to heal wounds and burns since Egypt times and still in practice today. Honey healing power comes from its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory nature as well as its ability to nourish damage tissues. It is a helpful resource in treating skin from psoriasis and herpes lesions. There is a special type of honey called Manuka, which is especially effective for treating burn wounds.
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Use Honey to Suppress Cough in Children
Coughing is a common problem in children especially in cold weather. This infection can affect sleep and health conditions for children. Interestingly, Honey is a natural medicine for this case and it works. Honey reduces cough symptoms and improves sleep. But take care in using honey for children with age under one year because it can create botulism.
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Honey Alleviates Allergy
Honey can reduce seasonal allergy symptoms due to its anti-inflammatory nature. Honey have pollens, these pollen can trigger an immune response and can help in producing anti bodies to the pollen. These anti bodies can gather up to make a shield against allergenic germs, resulting in a lesser allergic response.
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Honey for Muscle Builders
Honey contains fructose and glucose; they can increase blood sugar in short duration. The rise in blood sugar behaves as short term energy which can be useful in long endurance exercises. For muscle building exercises, working out on a stomach in the morning is the way to go because during this reign, your body is in starvation mode. It will help in releasing insulin, which will help in building bulk. So using honey during exercise can help in maximizing working out hours.
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Use Honey to Increase Memory
Honey is loaded with antioxidants. These anti oxidative molecules may prevent cellular loss with in brain. Another argument is, honey helps in absorbing calcium. Calcium is an important element in thought process. According to research, poor intake of vitamins and minerals, likelihood of dementia increases. Dementia is an overall term that describes the symptoms associated with declining in memory or other thinking process.
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Sleep Aid
Honey is a recommended remedy for patients of sleep disorder. Honey can boost in insulin and release serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that boosts mood and happiness. Honey contains amino acids, including tryptophan that found in turkey. Tryptophan is converted into serotonin and then into melatonin, which helps in sleep. Eating more honey can reduce sleep disorder.
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Treats Dandruff
Honey brings relief to dandruff scalp. Applying honey with warm water to problem areas can led to itch relief. Antibacterial and antifungal properties of honey led it remove dandruff fungus.
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Immunity System Builder
Honey’s antioxidant and antibacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease. Start your every new day with a mix spoonful of honey and lemon juice by adding honey and lemon into a warm cup of water and drink it. Using raw honey can boosts your immune system too.
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Nourishes Your Skin and Face
Honey is very useful for skin because of its moisturizing and nourishing properties. It is best moisturizer, especially for day skin and in fact super easy to apply. Raw honey helps in unclogging pores and moisturizing parched skin. During winter, one can use honey curing cracked lips. Honey masks are widely used for face. Honey’s antioxidant and antiseptic properties help in treatment of bruises, cuts, burns and other infections on face and body skin as well. Honey is home remedy in caring and glowing body skin and face.
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Honey Helps in Weight Loss
Are you striving for weight loss? According to the famous author Mike Mclnnes, honey burns body fat. Honey is one of the best foods for losing weight. According to Mike, best time to use honey is, before going to bed. This could be a raw honey or little amount of honey mixed with warm water. Or you can use honey on empty stomach early in the morning. Having it first thing in the morning helps increasing the metabolism, which helps reduce weight faster.
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Eases Sinus Issues
Pollution and dust are creating sinus related issues among people these days. Sinus is the small cavity within the bones of face or skull connecting with the nasal cavities. These cavities produce mucus to guard the respiratory system from allergies and infections. When we suffer from nasal infections, the virus blocks the sinus and traps the mucus which causes distress. Here comes honey! Being antibacterial and antifungal in nature, honey helps in killing virus and nasal infections. Honey also soothes throat and reduces coughs by killing bacteria. Use honey to ease sinus issues, especially during winter.
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Helps With Gum Diseases
Teeth and gum diseases like gingivitis, bleeding, plaque, Sores, Sensitivity or Tooth erosion can be treated to a great extent with the regular use of honey. Honey releases antiseptic hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is known to acts as anti-microbial agent who reduces growth of bacteria. Mix raw honey into warm water and use as mouthwash. Rubbing honey directly on affected gums gives instant relief from pain and inflammation.
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Helps Control Eczema
Eczema is a skin disease which causes red, itchy, cracked and rough patches and blisters on to the skin. Eczema is popular among young children and teenagers. Make a mixture of raw honey and cold-pressed olive oil and apply gently on affected skin. This could be a home remedy against eczema. Honey is a natural cleanser of dirt and patches and makes skin soft, smooth. Regular use of honey makes skin anti eczema.
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Digestion Aid
Honey is popular home remedy for all kind of digestive disorders like constipation, ulcer, heart burn and diarrhea. According to researchers, one the big reasons for digestive disorders are Acid Reflux. Honey is a natural remedy against Acid Reflux. Having a nature of antioxidant and free radical scavenging, honey removes radicals that cause Reflux. Honey also reduces inflammation in esophagus. One can take one teaspoon raw honey or can mix it with a glass of warm water or tea.
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Cold Remedy
Honey is an effective remedy to cure cold, flu and cough in winter. Winter comes with a lot of challenges especially for toddler. Flu, cold fever and cough are common infection in winter. Drinking tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey is a remedy to soothe cold diseases. Another way to use honey is mixing with cinnamon. Honey kills bacteria and promotes immune system. Regular use of honey during winter keeps away these diseases from children. A spoonful of honey helps coughing child sleep.
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Honey during Pregnancy
Honey is a recommended diet during pregnancy. The fact that it kills oxidant bacteria, soothe cough, flu and fever, helps in digestion, promotes white blood cells, removes instantly sleeping disorders, control sugar levels and promotes heart health is makes it perfect choice for pregnant mothers.
Highlights
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- Honey is a natural energy drink.
- Manuka honey is effective for treating burn and wounds.
- Honey helps in treating cold flu and cough.
- Honey’s anti-inflammatory anti bodies repels allergenic germs.
- Honey produces short term energy which is helpful for muscle builders.
- Honey prevents cellular loss in brain, thus it increases memory and mind working capabilities.
- Honey reduces sleep disorders.
- Honey moisturizes skin and cures bruises, burns and cuts on skin.
- Honey burns body fat which helps in reducing weight.
- Major reason for digestive disorders is Acid Reflux. Honey is a natural remedy to reduce level of acid reflux in stomach.
