HONEY BENEFITS

Honey contains a treasure chest of hidden nutritional and medicinal value for centuries. The sweet golden liquid from the
beehive is a popular kitchen staple loaded with antibacterial and antifungal properties that has been used since the early days of
Egyptian tombs. 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. Typically, honey is sweet but can be
cruel to infants. Spores of Clostridium botulinum bacteria — found in dirt and dust, which can contaminate honey — may lead
to infant botulism and produce a toxin inside the body that can cause muscle weakness and breathing problems. TheMayo
Clinic recommends waiting until after 12 months of age to give infants honey; consumption is safe for older adults and kids,
since they have a mature digestive system that can handle the spores. Consume honey responsibly and reap the numerous health
benefits of this liquid gold.

1. Alleviates Allergies
Honey’s anti-inflammatory effects and ability to soothe coughs has led to the belief it can also reduce seasonal allergy
symptoms. Although there are no clinical studies proving its efficacy, Dr. Matthew Brennecke, a board certified naturopathic
doctor practicing at the Rocky Mountain Wellness Center in Fort Collins, Colo., told Medical Daily in an email, "A common
theory is that honey acts like a natural vaccine." It contains small amounts of pollen, which if the body is exposed to small
amounts of it, it can trigger an immune response that produces antibodies to the pollen. "After repeated exposure, you should
build up these antibodies and the body should become accustomed to their presence so that less histamine is released, resulting
in a lesser allergic response."
2. All-Natural Energy Drink
Honey is an excellent source of all-natural energy at just 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon. This natural unprocessed
sugar — fructose and glucose — directly enter the bloodstream and can deliver a quick boost of energy. The rise in blood sugar
acts as a short-term energy source for your workout, especially in longer endurance exercises. Brennecke said there is a con to
adding honey to your workout. “If your goal in exercising is to increase muscle mass, working out on an empty stomach first
thing in the morning is the way to go. When your body is in starvation mode (upon waking in morning), and you start
exercising, you release insulin-like growthfactor-1 (IGF-1), which will help you build bulk,” he said. Brennecke does warn this
only works when blood sugars are low.

3. Boosts Memory: The sweet nectar is loaded in antioxidants that may help prevent cellular damage and loss
within the brain. A 2011 study published in Menopause found a daily spoonful of Malaysian honey may boost postmenopausal
women’s memory, which can provide an alternative therapy for the hormone-related intellectual decline. After four months of
taking 20 grams of honey a day, the women were more likely to have better short-term memory than their counterparts who
took hormone pills.
Honey’s ability to help the body absorb calcium, according to Brennecke, helps aid brain health. The brain needs calcium in
order to process thought and make decisions. “As our populations continue to get older and older, the likelihood of dementia
setting in because of poor intake of vitamins and minerals continues to get higher and higher,” he said.

4. Cough Suppressant
Honey can be the all-natural cure when it comes to pesky colds. A persistent cough that won’t go away can easily be remedied
with two teaspoons of honey, according to a 2012 studypublished in the journal Pediatrics. Children between the ages of 1 and 5
with nighttime cough due to colds coughed less frequently when they received two teaspoons of honey 30 minutes before bed.
The golden liquid’s thick consistency helps coat the throat while the sweet taste is believed to trigger nerve endings that protect
the throat from incessant coughing. Honey is believed to be as effective as the common cough suppressant ingredient
dextromethorphan. It can be used in treating upper respiratory tract infections.

Healing wounds and burns: There have been some cases in which people have reported positive
effects of using honey in treating wounds. Hurlburt, a borderline diabetic, with recurring cellulitis and
staph infections tried taking antibiotics for months. However, they failed to alleviate the symptoms.
Hulburt's physician, Jennifer Eddy of UW Health's Eau Claire Family Medicine Clinic, suggested that she
should try topically applying honey. Soon after applying the honey, she began to feel better. Hulburt
said that she remembered thinking "holy mackerel-what a difference. It's a lot better than having to put
oral antibiotics into your system." A review published in The Cochrane Library indicated thathoney may
be able to help heal burns, the lead author of the study said that "topical honey is cheaper than other
interventions, notably oral antibiotics, which are often used and may have other deleterious side effects."

The history of honey

 Over four thousand years ago, honey was used as a traditional ayurvedic medicine, where it was
thought to be effective at treating material imbalances in the body.
 In pre-Ancient Egyptian times, honey was used topically to treat wounds. . 1

 Egyptian medicinal compounds more than five millennia ago used honey.
 The ancient Greeks believed that consuming honey could help you live longer.
 Even the Prophet Mohammed glorified the healing powers of honey.
 The Quran also praises honey's healing ability:
"And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations; Then to
eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues
from within their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a
Sign for those who give thought."
The beneficial properties of honey have been explored in modern times, and there is evidence to suggest
that these historical claims may hold some truth.