The healing properties of honey have been known to mankind for a long time.for centuries. But does everyone know why honey has such beneficial properties, and in what cases it is worth paying special attention to it? After all, honey can help a person get rid of not only a cold, but also a huge number of other, very different, diseases. And besides, honey can become a great ally of a woman in the eternal struggle for beauty. Honey has long received well-deserved recognition among both doctors and cosmetologists. It is used by pharmacists to make various medicines, prescribed by doctors to treat certain diseases, cosmetologists - for cosmetic procedures, nutritionists - in dietary nutrition. It is the beneficial properties of honey that will be discussed in this article.
Nutritional properties of honey
Regular consumption of honey is the mosthas a positive effect on the body, gives health and longevity. And this is not surprising - after all, honey contains more than 180 useful nutrients, vitamins and macro and microelements, proteins, organic acids. The composition of honey can vary significantly, depending on what plants the little workers collected pollen from. As a rule, honey contains about 80% fructose and glucose. These sugars are very well absorbed and used by the body as needed. Also, natural honey can be considered a kind of biologically active supplement that replenishes most of the body's needs for vitamins and other elements. By the way, it is impossible not to mention that all the useful substances are preserved in honey for a very long time - 5 - 6 years. So what substances are contained in honey? Let's look into this issue in more detail. So: iron, aluminum, zinc, silver, molybdenum, chromium, tin, titanium, copper, silicon, phosphorus, osmium, iodine salts, sulfur, chlorine, lithium, cobalt. Thanks to all these elements, the body functions fully, all metabolic processes are normalized, the process of hematopoiesis improves. Well, and thanks to the content of proteins and amino acids in honey, the work of all internal organs improves, including the strengthening of the immune system. In addition, honey has a very beneficial effect on the state of the central nervous system, increases the elasticity of the blood vessels, cleanses them. And another amazing feature of honey is its powerful antimicrobial property. People noticed this property many centuries ago and successfully used honey to treat various wounds. Today, no other product in the world has such qualities.
And a little fly in the ointment in this barrel of honey
As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.But there is always a silver lining. This is also true for honey. Despite all the beneficial properties of honey, doctors categorically do not recommend abusing it. And this is justified by several reasons:
- High caloric value
Honey is extremely high in calories – 100 grams containsmore than 400 calories. In terms of nutritional value, honey can be compared with lamb or condensed milk. Honey is about 30% sweeter than sugar. You understand that such caloric content in large quantities will not lead to anything good.
- Allergic reactions
In addition, honey is a very strong allergen.It can provoke a variety of allergic reactions – from common urticaria to Quincke's edema. Therefore, before using honey, be sure to check if you are allergic to it. This is done very simply – eat one teaspoon of honey and carefully observe your body's reaction. If you have any skin rashes or difficulty breathing, take a tablet of any antihistamine and seek medical help as soon as possible.
How to choose the right honey?
Before we get into the story of howyou can use honey to get the maximum benefit for your body, let's try to figure out what types of honey there are, how to choose it and how not to run into counterfeit. Unfortunately, this happens very often. As mentioned above, honey can be different, depending on what plants the pollen was collected from. It differs in smell, color and taste. Color variations can be striking - from white to dark brown. By the way, this is exactly what unscrupulous sellers take advantage of, trying to sell counterfeit honey under the guise of natural honey. But counterfeit honey can also be different:
- Sugar syrup, diluted with natural honey or herbal decoction, to give the appropriate "herbal" smell.
- Honey bees, which are exclusively sugared sugar syrup.
- Early removed honey from the hive, diluted either with flour or with starch.
It is quite obvious that from such a fakethere is no benefit. Well, maybe you can add it to tea to add sweetness. Therefore, when buying honey, you need to be vigilant. In order to reduce the likelihood of buying a fake, when going to buy honey, stock up on the necessary information:
- Consistency of honey
Real natural honey in its consistencyis very similar to liquid resin. Dip honey into a spoon and slowly rotate it along its axis - if you have real honey in front of you, it will wind around the spoon in thick layers, somewhat reminiscent of folds. The honey will flow off the spoon as a tight, thick and very viscous mass. If you have a fake, the honey will flow off the spoon very quickly, in thin streams.
- Presence of starch
When you go for honey, take it with youa small container and honey. Dissolve a teaspoon of honey in water and add a couple of drops of iodine. If starch is added to the honey, the water will quickly acquire a blue tint. Of course, this method of testing is only suitable if you are going to the market. Because in the store, of course, it will not be possible to carry out such a procedure.
- Maturity of honey
In case you buy honey,located in the honeycombs, be sure to make sure that the honey is ripe. To do this, check that the cells are tightly sealed. Of course, there is nothing wrong with some cells being scratched. But if there are no cells at all, the honey is definitely unripe. And you should not buy it, because unripe honey does not contain any nutrients except glucose. So, you bought honey. But you are unlikely to eat it in a week, which means that the honey will have to be stored. And it is very important to do this correctly. In order for honey not to lose either its taste or its beneficial properties, it is recommended to store it in a tightly closed glass container, in a cool and dark place. If all the rules are followed, honey can retain its properties for a very, very long time. However, remember that any natural honey crystallizes over time. This is a completely natural process, because honey contains very little water. By the way, such crystallization indicates a very high quality of honey.
Honey for health
It's time to talk about what you can use it foruse honey for medical purposes. But before that, I would like to repeat once again that you need to make sure that you do not have an allergic reaction to honey.
- Stomatology
If you have a toothache, you cantry to relieve the pain with honey. This is done in the following way - dissolve one tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm, strong tea. Rinse your mouth with this mixture, then put a cotton ball on the tooth, on which you must first apply a small amount of honey. As a rule, the pain goes away after 20 minutes. And honey in the honeycomb is very effective in protecting you from the possible development of caries. It is enough to simply chew several honeycombs thoroughly once a day. This measure not only cleans the teeth, but also disinfects the entire oral cavity. But do not forget to rinse your teeth thoroughly after this - you should not forget about the sugars contained in honey either.
- central nervous system
Honey is an excellent calming agent.Do you always have valerian or motherwort in your medicine cabinet? Try replacing them with a glass of warm water with two tablespoons of honey dissolved in it. As a rule, the effect is stronger than that of pharmacological sedatives. Honey is no less useful for those who suffer from insomnia. Are you used to taking a sleeping pill at night? Have you ever thought about the fact that this entails very negative consequences for the entire body? Try replacing the pills with a glass of milk with two tablespoons of honey.
- The cardiovascular system
Honey is very effective in normalizing levelsarterial pressure, regardless of whether it is low or high. To do this, prepare the following remedy. Melt 100 grams of natural honey in a water bath. While the honey is heating, chop a sprig of aloe. Mix aloe, honey and one hundred grams of plain butter thoroughly, place in a glass container. Take this mixture one teaspoon before each meal, but at least three times a day. The course of treatment should last at least 14 days. After this, you need to take a five-day break. If necessary, the course can be repeated. As a rule, the pressure normalizes after the first course of treatment. However, please note - if you are taking any pharmacological drugs prescribed to you by your doctor, you should not stop taking them under any circumstances. This can lead to a significant deterioration in the well-being of the sick person. Therefore, be sure to consult your doctor. And if the doctor told you that the problem of high cholesterol has affected you, the following mixture will help you cope with it. Squeeze five tablespoons of beetroot juice and mix thoroughly with two tablespoons of natural honey. The resulting mixture should be drunk on an empty stomach, immediately after waking up. The course of treatment should last 50 days, after which you need to take a month's break.
- Colds
In case you have a coldillness or flu, you can normalize a high body temperature with honey. Simply add a few teaspoons of honey to hot tea. Honey has a very strong diaphoretic effect, so prepare dry linen. If, in addition to a high temperature, you have a full set of symptoms in the form of a cough, sore throat, chills, muscle pain, the following remedy, tested over the years, will help you. Boil a glass of milk, dissolve two tablespoons of honey, one tablespoon of butter and a third of a teaspoon of baking soda in it. Drink the resulting remedy in small sips and immediately crawl under the blanket.
- Gynecological diseases
It has already been said above that honey isan excellent disinfectant. In addition, honey is an excellent anti-inflammatory agent. That is why honey is so widely used in the treatment of various gynecological diseases. If a woman is bothered by any inflammatory diseases, douching with a honey solution is recommended. It is very easy to prepare - dissolve two tablespoons of honey in a glass of warm water. Douching should be done twice a day - in the morning and before bed. The course of treatment should last until complete recovery. By the way, this recipe is also excellent for treating thrush, which bothers a huge number of women. And if a woman has cervical erosion, honey with royal jelly will help her, the healing properties of which will help get rid of the problem very quickly. To do this, prepare a mixture of royal jelly and honey, mixing them in equal proportions. Soak a tampon in this mixture and place it deep into the vagina. The tampon should be left for 24 hours. The course of treatment is 10 days. As a rule, erosion disappears without a trace after the first course of treatment. But if necessary, the course of treatment can be repeated. However, remember that honey, the healing properties of which are undeniable, can only serve as a supplement to the main treatment, but in no case can it replace a visit to the doctor and the treatment that will be prescribed to the person. We recommend reading:
