Honey has high energy and nutritional value.
Honey consists of 70-80% of sugars, mainly glucose and fructose and has great nutritional value, since it is absorbed directly by the human body (1 tablespoon of honey provides the body with 64Kcal).
Over 180 different substances have been identified in honey that make it a valuable food.
It contains 16% water, organic acids (eighteen in number), proteins and amino acids, minerals in small amounts (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, etc.), enzymes, protein complexes, vitamins (B2, B6, C , D, E, pantothenic acid, folic acid, etc.), natural flavoring substances, etc.
The mineral elements of honey participate in various enzyme systems and play an important role in metabolism. What is particularly interesting is not the individual nutrients of honey but the coexistence of all of them and the way they act on the human body.
Honey contains the enzyme glucose oxidase, which promotes the production of hydrogen peroxide, a substance with mild antiseptic properties. It also contains the antioxidant pinocembrin, which is found almost exclusively in honey and appears to have significant antibacterial properties.
What are the healing properties of honey?
In the wounded soldiers of the second world war it was used in the form of a poultice to heal the wounds of the soldiers.
Over time its use as an antiseptic and germicide declined mainly due to the widespread use of antibiotics. However, it has recently started to be used again for therapeutic purposes mainly due to the simultaneous development of resistant microbes that make antibiotics insufficient.
There are several recent reports which speak of positive results with the use of honey in the treatment of wounds and the fight against infections and consequently in its antioxidant effect. The positive effect of honey seems to be more pronounced in patients with chronic wounds and ulcers. This is because it contains simple sugars, which absorb fluids from the wound, thus inhibiting the growth of microbes.
Recently, studies are being done on the action of antioxidants and flavonoids contained in honey to fight cancer.
Flavonoids have the ability to bind iron, thus preventing the formation of free radicals, creating a protective shield for our genetic material.
In what cases does it help?
Eyes: 100 years ago Professor Hauser considered honey an excellent remedy for eye burns. Today, following the advice of a specialist doctor, it can be used to treat eye diseases.
Liver: the glucose contained in honey increases glycogen reserves in the liver. The liver is the factory of our body where useful substances for the body are synthesized and others that are dangerous such as toxins are degraded. The presence of glycogen enhances this work and increases the body's resistance to infections.
Gastrointestinal diseases: Honey has long been known, among other things, for its beneficial properties for our stomach. Honey is basically an alkaline food because of the mineral salts it contains, a property that reduces the acidity of the stomach and proves to be a valuable means of protection against ulcers.
Also, the prebiotic ingredients it contains (mainly fructooligosaccharides and insulin) contribute to the good functioning of our gastrointestinal system. That is, if we are in a stressful phase of our lives or smoke a lot or have gone through a phase with constant diarrhea, honey is an appropriate solution for restoring the balance of the gastrointestinal system as well as fighting constipation.
Kidneys: honey contains very little protein and almost no salt, substances that are not allowed for people with kidney diseases. In addition, honey, like a hypertonic glucose solution, strengthens and strengthens the body and is diuretic and, thanks to its antiseptic properties, reduces bladder bacteria.
It also significantly helps in the faster metabolism of alcohol, as a result of which one gets rid of the state of drunkenness faster, especially if combined with lemon juice.
Respiratory tracts and colds: honey inhalations were known in ancient times. Its vitamin C content helps fight colds. Insomnia: one full teaspoon in warm water and... good night! The miraculous glucose again, and not only that, soothes and calms the whole organism.
Respiratory tracts and colds: honey inhalations were known in ancient times. Its vitamin C content helps fight colds.
Insomnia: one full teaspoon in warm water and... good night! The miraculous glucose again, and not only that, soothes and calms the whole organism.
Heart- Circulatory: the prolonged consumption of honey by people suffering from heart disorders has the effect of improving their condition. The heart, working continuously, needs energy in the form of glucose. Honey contains glucose and therefore helps and enlivens the heart. Also, with the help of its sugars and acetylcholine, it dilates the vessels and reduces hypertension.
Skin: hurt? Add honey. Its presence on the wound leads to an increase in glutamine, which plays an important role in the body's reparative processes, while it stimulates cell growth and division, resulting in wound healing.
Honey and sports: In ancient times, before entering the track, athletes took honey, because they considered it rejuvenating for the body. But even today it is a basic element of the diet of sportsmen and women.
Honey and children: Its consumption should be avoided by children under one year old because of a microorganism it contains. Later, however, at older ages, honey (after mother's milk) is the one that has a beneficial effect on the child's development. It protects his teeth, disinfects the oral cavity, increases blood cells and the percentage of hemoglobin resulting in the treatment of anemia, helps to better absorb calcium, the good functioning of the stomach and intestines, makes children strong.
Honey and longevity: Scholars and doctors, both ancient and modern, agree that honey is a factor in longevity. The ancient philosophers, such as Pythagoras, Democritus and others, lived to a very old age and it is no coincidence that honey was an essential part of their diet.
With what was mentioned above, the nutritional importance of honey is demonstrated.
So should we include honey in our daily diet? The answer is yes.
And how much honey should one eat? Two tablespoons, even in combination with pollen, one in the morning and one in the afternoon dissolved in warm water, is filling, refreshing, strengthens our immune system and keeps us healthy.
