Description
Honey
is a sweet and sticky fluid produced by
honey bees from the nectar of flowers and plants .
Its color , flavour , thickness and
aroma vary depending on the flower or plant from
which the bees gather the nectar. Bees ingest the
nectar they collect into their ' honey stomach ; the
nectar is regurgitated and dehydrated
repeatedly until it reaches the desired
quality at which stage it is placed by the honey bee
into a honeycomb cell where it gradually
converts into honey.
Constituents.
Honey
is composed of 95% sugars , fructose , glucose, sucrose
and maltose . It contains the minerals potassium ,
Sulphur, calcium, chlorine , magnesium, iron , phosphorus , sodium,
manganese and silicon . It also contains the vitamins ; Riboflavine {B2}, Pyridoxine {B6},
ascorbic acid {c} Thiamine {B1} ,niacin {B complex}, pantothenic
acid {B complex }
Honey
contains natural acidity , the main one being
gluconic acid and the others being acetic ,
malic, lactic ,maleic , citric, formic, butyric, pyroglutamic ,
succinic and oxalic acid . It contains small
amounts of proteins which depend upon the
amount of pollen that is present . Amazingly
honey also contains the carbohydrates dextrose
, pollen, glycine , Calvenlase ,, mucilage , levcine and tyrosine .
So out
of the five main nutritional elements that the
body needs honey contains , vitamins , minerals , proteins
and carbohydrates , { the fifth element which it does not
contain is fat } . so it is no surprise that honey is
considered a food .
Medical Uses.
Honey
has been used throughout centuries by many
nations .. The ancient Egyptians , Greeks , Chinese
, Assyrians and Romans used it in
healing and as food . It is a natural antiseptic
which prevents infection and is an anti-bacterial
and anti-fungal agent . its properties make it
far superior than most of the antibiotics
prescribed today . Ibn al Qayyim mentioned that honey is a food , a drink , a sweet , a remedy a
type of refreshment and an ointment and
that there is no substance that is more beneficial .
Since the medical uses of honey are
many for the purpose of brevity we will
only mention some of the maladies it is
most commonly used for .
* Colitis
Polyphenols contained in honey act as an antioxidant , these antioxidants cab help reduce the damage done to the colon in colitis .
* Burns , cuts and wounds.
The antiseptic and antibacterial properties in honey are good in treating burns , skin ulcers , and other wounds . It is prevents the growth of bacteria and is soothing to the skin . It speeds up the healing process and by regulation the collagen production it minimise scars.
*Enuresis {Bed-wetting }
Due to its water holding and sedative properties honey is able to absorb large amounts of water and retain it for long periods of time . Hence making it an excellent remedy for in voluntary bed wetting especially for children since it has no side effects .
* Skin care .
Honey is an essential ingredient in skincare products . It can be mixed with other ingredients
to treat acne ,abscesses , and other skin conditions . It can also be mixed with other ingredients to make facial masks , facial toners , facial creams and moisturizers . It is known to delay the appearance of wrinkles when
utilised daily in one of the above mentioned forms .
Studies suggest that honey may increase the population of probiotic bacteria in the gut which can help
strenghthen the immune system, lower cholesterol , prevent colon cancer and improve digestion.
*Gastroenteritis : A clinical study where patients were given a bland diet and ml of
honey three times a day proved to be an effective remedy for 66% of the patients , it relieved a further 17% and correction
anaemia in
50%. *Gastric Ulcers : Studies prove that
honey reduces the secretion of gastric acids . Furthermore
honey as a dietary supplement has treated gastric ulcers with an 80% recovery rate on tests carried out on 600 gastric ulcer patients in 1987.
Additionally ,radiological examination indicated that the ulcers had disappeared in 59% of the patients.
*Diabetes : Studies carried out in 1985 and 1988 suggest that honey can be used as a sweetener in type 2 diabetes since honey has no acute
hyperglycaemic effect.
*Oral health : Due to its antibacterial properties honey can aid in treating mouth ulcers , gum disease and other areas of oral health .
The honey Research Unit in the university of
waikato , Hamilton , New Zealand has written about the potential of
honey for therapeutic usage in dentistry .
The most effective way to take
honey is by oral consumption ;however it is applied topically depending on the malady that is used for. I will mention a few of the ways
honey can be applied .
in a jar].
Apply the mixture to the face and leave for 15 to 20 minutes before washing off.
* To rejuvenate hair.- Mix 1/2 cup of
honey and 1/4 of a cup of olive oil. massage into the scalp . this will get the nutrients into the roots of the hair, leave for 30 minutes to an hour and then wash off.
*Cough- 4 table spoons of
honey , one table spoon dry singer powder, and one table spoon lemon juice are uniformly mixed and use one table spoon of this mixture for 2-4 times a day . for small coughs use one tea spoon of equivalent mixture of honey and onion extracts 3-4 times a day .
*Constipation :- Consume a spoon of
honey with a cup cold milk at night . Medication can be continued if constipation persists Strengthening of heart : Boil 2 spoon honey and one spoon of pomegranate bark paste in half cup of water and consume 3 times a day after cooling it down . Care should be taken ton to consume anything which may weaken the heart nerves or cholesterol increasing oils and not to smoke .
*Urinary bladder Diseases .- Boil 2 table spoon of kalonji oil in one cup of water till it is reduced to half cup. Add this mixture to half glass boiled water and half cup
honey and consume it two times a day for two weeks . If problem persists , continue use.
* Premature Ejaculation :- Add one spoon of singer power in half cup of
honey and consume about quarter of cup of this mixture 2 hours before sleep . Effective when used continuously for 4 weeks or more .
* Nervous Disorder :- Add 3 teaspoons of apple
surkha [ made from apple juice } to one cup of
honey and consume 2 table spoon of the mixture before sleep .If the subject does not sleep in an hour consume the mixture at same quantity again . Natural sleep can be attained after some days of medication .
* Diabetes :- Consume one teaspoon of
honey empty stomach and at night before sleep daily . Care should be taken not to eat sweets and rice foods . Note the sugar level before taking
honey and after three days of medication , if the sugar level reduces , then only continue the medication till sugar level drops to normal.
* Fire burns :- Apply a paste of
honey mixed with white of a chicken egg . In case of higher degrees of burns dip the affected part in the paste or keep pouring continuously .
* Sleeplessness :- Consume tow spoons of
honey with cold milk an hour before sleep and bath in cold water in morning . Sleeplessness will cure in one or two weeks .
* Obesity :- Drink one glass of black tea after consuming one table spoon of honey in empty
stomach .
Sometimes
honey can be contaminated with the spores of bacteria that can cause infant Botulism { a very rare but fatal infection where the spores produce toxins in the intestines , after the age of one , children develop a
defence against the spores }. For this reason as a warning and to reduce the risk , it is advised that children under the age of 12 months should not be given
honey . Other than this, honey has no known side effects ......
Polyphenols contained in honey act as
an antioxidant , these antioxidants
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