Honey has nutritional and therapeutic properties that bring many health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants that protect the body and heart from ageing, helps reduce blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol, contains properties against bacteria, fungi and viruses, fights sore throats and coughs and can also be used as a natural sweetener.
However, even with all these benefits, honey should be consumed in moderation, as it is still high in calories and sugar.
Replacing pure sugar with honey in some foods helps keep blood sugar levels stable and can have many health benefits. Some of these advantages are:
Increase the body’s defences
The compounds present in honey confer antioxidant power, which helps to protect the body. Among the benefits, there is a reduction in the risk of heart attacks and strokes, promotion of eye health, and helping to treat some types of cancer, such as kidney cancer, preventing the multiplication of cancer cells.
Improve heart health
Honey has heart health benefits as it can increase blood flow and reduce clot formation. This process helps in lowering blood pressure, thus preventing heart disease.
Improve cholesterol and lower triglycerides
Honey can is a good ally in the fight against high cholesterol because it reduces the levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and increases the “good” cholesterol (HDL) in the body.
Also, honey can help lower triglyceride levels because it can be used as a sugar substitute. Generally, diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates cause increased triglyceride levels, increasing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Fight bacteria and fungi in wounds
Honey has properties that reduce healing time, as it can sterilize wounds, reducing pain, smell and size, thus promoting their healing, which is considered adequate and even better than some dressings.
It can also be a great option to treat diabetic foot ulcers as it fights germs and helps in tissue regeneration. Honey is also already being used to cure oral and genital herpes lesions, as it reduces itching and works just as well as the ointments found at the pharmacy.
It can also treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, ulcers and long-term wounds after surgery and burns.
Relieve sore throat, asthma and cough
Honey reduces inflammation and swelling of the throat and lungs, being effective even in flu and cold cases, improving sleep.
It is recommended to take two teaspoons of honey at bedtime, as the sweet causes more saliva to be produced. This improves the lining of the throat by protecting against irritation, reducing and relieving coughing, and is, in many cases, safer and more effective than some syrups.
Improve gastrointestinal health
Honey is a potent prebiotic that nourishes the good bacteria that live in the gut, so it’s beneficial for digestion and overall health. In addition, it can also be used to treat digestive problems such as diarrhoea and is effective in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which cause gastric ulcers.
Yet another tea that can be made to fight bad digestion is honey with cinnamon, as these two natural foods help improve the overall digestive process.
Help with memory and anxiety.
The use of honey instead of sugar has been associated with improved memory and anxiety levels. Furthermore, studies indicate that honey can also improve the memory of menopausal and postmenopausal women.
Treat haemorrhoids
Honey has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and healing properties reducing bleeding and relieving pain and itching caused by haemorrhoids. For this purpose, mix honey, olive oil and beeswax and then apply in the region.
Fight obesity
Due to its properties, honey improves sugar and fat control in the blood, reducing the inflammatory state and helping to maintain weight.
It is important to remember that honey is not recommended for small children up to 3 years of age due to the possibility that the intestine, which is still immature, does not prevent the entry of tiny microorganisms present in honey, which can cause infections.
Conclusion
Honey is a food produced from the nectar of flowers and processed by the digestive enzymes of bees. It has been used since ancient times as a sweetener in recipes and its medicinal properties. It is rich in sugars (glucose and fructose) and carbohydrates, so it is a good energy source. But it is also quite caloric: in a shallow (tablespoon) of about 15 g, there are 206 kcal and 12.1 g of carbohydrates. Queens Garden provide pure honey in Pakistan.
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