Have you ever been told about all the health benefits of honey? If not, then you’re in luck. This article will tell you everything you need to know about the wonders of this natural sweetener that we all love, particularly exploring the advantages that you can benefit from when it’s combined with other food items.
Honey has been used for centuries in traditional medicine around the world. The more science advances, the more things we come to learn and understand about it, with findings that leave us more and more impressed with its health potential. From improving cholesterol levels to wound healing, and from benefitting the heart to suppressing cough, it’s hard to deny that one spoonful of honey a day will keep the doctor and health insurance consultants away.
1. Heart disease. According to Ayurvedic medicine, eating bread with a honey and cinnamon paste regularly for breakfast could eventually prevent heart conditions, including hypercholesterolemia and strokes.
2. Arthritis. The combination of honey and cinnamon help improve bone health. Drinking the paste mixed in with water or tea can provide relief from joint pain.
3. Immunity. Antioxidants found in both ingredients are able to fight free radicals in the body, boosting the immune system. They can reduce the symptoms of chronic fatigue, influenza and colds.
4. Digestion. This spiced sweet concoction has the ability to aid the digestive system in a number of ways. It can reduce gas and flatulence, treat stomachaches and indigestion, and even reduce stomach acidity. Just drink some tea with honey and cinnamon before food and you will feel the benefits immediately.
5. Weight. Combined with a well-balanced diet and regular exercise, drinking hot water with the mixture every morning 30 minutes before breakfast, will eventually help reduce your weight down to a healthy standard.
1. Detox. Pollutants find their way inside our bodies every day, be it through our pores or nose. They then accumulate in our tissues and give our liver a hard time trying to get rid of them. Drinking warm water with honey and lemon every money can improve neutralise all the toxins thanks to all the antioxidants and good nutrients that can help flush everything out of our system.
2. Cough and chest congestion. Honey-lemon water has been recommended for coughs and colds by grandmothers for decades, and we’ve always listened. Its benefits are undeniable. It can help reduce mucus production and get rid of excessive phlegm in the body, letting the respiratory tract restore itself to its natural and healthy status, reducing congestion and improving breathing. You can read more about it in our article: Home remedies for cough and cold.
3. Constipation. Drinking warm honey-lemon water every morning can improve digestion and promote regularity. It helps things move along faster, starting from the stomach down to the intestines, leading to a healthy digestive system.
4. Diuretic. Water retention is the body’s response to inflammation and it can put a load on the heart, causing increased blood pressure, aside from discomfort and pain. Drinking the mixture every day helps increase the production of urine, reducing the amount of excessive water in the body.
5. Acne. Over time, drinking warm honey-lemon water can lead to a skin free from acne and pimples. That’s because lemons has oil controlling qualities able to reduce excess oil from the skin. Thanks to its diuretic properties, all toxins are flushed out and the skin is left pristine.
1. Stamina. Warm milk with honey, when drunk every morning, can help boost stamina. Milk has proteins and honey has carbohydrates, and together they are able to stimulate the metabolism generating usable energy that both children and adults need on a daily basis.
2. Insomnia. For years, warm milk and honey have been known to help reduce insomnia. Honey is able to increase insulin secretion in a controlled way, while also promotin tryptophan. This chemical is then converted in serotonin, which induces relaxation and is then commonly converted to melatonin, known for its sleeping aid properties. Drinking it before bed is the answer to your sleepless nights.
3. Anti-bacteria. Research has shown that when taken together, these two food items can help fight Staphylococcus bacteria, the source of multiple health problems in the the body.
4. Anti-aging. The combination of milk and honey has been known as “the elixit of life” among ancient civilisations. Together, they posses antioxidant properties that can help the body stay health and youthful, promoting a longer and happier life.
5. Bones. Milk is rich in calcium and honey has the ability to improve the body’s uptake of calcium. Therefore, consuming both, over a period of time, can benefit your bones by keeping them well nourished and strong, preventing osteoporosis and joints inflammation.
1. Teeth. Honey and ginger based herbal treatments have powerful anti-microbial properties useful to fight infections throughout the body, including in our mouths. Honey produces hydrogen peroxide which, together with the antimicrobial properties of ginger, is able to treat dental problems.
2. Menstruation. Studies have shown that some of the compounds found in ginger are able to reduce the pain experienced during menstruation. The regular consumption of the combination of honey and ginger can help prevent the reduce and sometimes even prevent the pain completely.
3. Strokes. Honey reduces cholesterol and ginger has anti blood-clotting abilities. Together, they are able to help prevent heart problems by keeping the arteries and vein clean, healthy and strong.
4. Asthma. The anti-inflammatory mix, along with a bit of black pepper, is believed to be capable of attenuating asthma. They represent a great expectorant and therefore can promote relaxation and the flow of oxygen throughout the respiratory system, providing instant relief from cough and cold.
5. Migraine. There is no need to pump your body with over the counter medicinals to treat your migraine, when all you need is ginger with a hint of honey in your life. Consuming ginger and honey tea regularly, can help prevent strong migraines, keeping your brain healthy and your stress levels down.
According to medical research, babies under the age of 1 should not be given honey. Honey contains dormant endospores that can be transformed into toxic bacteria within the lower digestive system, causing infant botulism. The condition is serious and it’s linked to a high mortality rate. Once the infant reaches the age of 18 months, honey can be consumed without any issues.
Honey has plenty of nutrients that can help with physical development of children. It can keep the body healthy and strong, if used within limits, as it is still a source of sugar.
Recent studies have shown the ability of honey to heal wounds, as individuals who put honey on their cuts ended up healing faster compared to those who treated themselves differently. As children are always active, it’s good to keep some honey around in case of a mini emergency.
Furthermore, honey has been proven to be able to protect the liver from paracetamol-induced damage. In case a child has to go through a run of paracetamol to treat any pain or inflammation, regular honey intake will be able to help reduce the damage that the painkiller may have cause to the liver.
As with most food products, it’s always best to opt for organic brands and possibly even local, as it can help get the full effect and benefits of honey. Manuka honey is your best option, as it’s known for its powerful healing properties – much stronger than regular store-bought honey.