Honey, according to Wikipedia, is a product that is well known to everyone. It has excellent taste and extraordinary aroma. It being loved by the representatives of different age categories. Besides the fact that it is tasty, honey has many beneficial properties for humans. It is used both in cooking and for medicinal purposes.
Honey has a very rich history. It was highly valued and used in ancient times. In particular, one of the most talented doctors who worked in ancient times - Avicenna, promoted honey as a product that can bring huge benefits for the body and preserve youth. Honey is a product of vital activity of bees. It is being taken from digested nectar. However, in addition to honey, other products of vital activity of bees are being used, especially wax, pollen, royal jelly and propolis. All the products that are produced by bees, are fraught with a lot of useful properties for our body.
Honey and its useful properties
Honey is quite high in calories, it is sweeter than sugar and 100 grams of honey contain about 300 calories. Due to the presence of potassium, honey has properties to kill the bacteria. It creates an environment in which bacteria can not live. Bacteria exist in a humid environment, and actively develops there, while potassium deprives them of this moisture, which leads to their rapid elimination.
The fact that honey is able to kill bacteria was neglected for a long time. However, the doctor-bacteriologist who lived in Colorado and worked at the local agricultural college - researched these useful properties of honey. He spent a lot of tests, in which bacteria were placed in the honey. Results of the study were positive. Honey really kills germs. Weaker microbes such as typhoid germs, could not withstand even one day. Stronger - causative agents of typhoid, survived for two days. Those microbes that were in the water and in the intestines died in five hours, and those who cause chronic bronchopneumonia, disappeared on the fourth day.
Honey contains the following nutrients: magnesium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, potassium, chlorine, calcium. These all are natural elements, because they come from the soil, and then get into the plants from which the bees extract the nectar. Accordingly, the more the soil is rich in minerals, the more of them is contained in the composition of the honey.
The dark honey contains more copper, iron and manganese than the light one. Therefore, the use of dark honey is preferred. It is the iron content makes the honey more useful, since iron is inextricably linked to hemoglobin and its content in the blood. Iron supports and stimulates hemoglobin ability to hold oxygen.
In addition to this, honey contains a lot of manganese, which is also necessary to include in your daily diet. Manganese also helps to restore the level of hemoglobin in the blood, thus being an auxiliary component for iron.
Vitamin B2, included in the composition of honey, is required to regulate the reproductive functions and growth, it has beneficial properties for the thyroid, skin and nails. The honey contains useful nicotinic acid, which takes a significant role in the processes of the body, promotes the removal of cholesterol, dilates blood vessels.
Honey, useful properties of which are extensive and multi-faceted, has the following advantages over other sugars:
- The body assimilates the honey very quickly and easily;
- It is a mild laxative;
- It has no irritable effect on digestive tract;
- It is a sedative drug. It soothes and relaxes the body;
- Unlike sugars, it easier passes the kidneys;
- It has therapeutic properties;
Many people, especially nowadays, experiencing a lot of stress and suffer from nervous disorders. As a result, pharmacies purchase plenty of sedatives, most of which, in addition to direct calming effect, have many side effects, since they contain harmful substances to human health. Is it possible to compare these drugs to honey? It is a natural and incredibly useful product that is also capable of calming and relaxing. Honey helps when you cough and is strongly recommended for people suffering from arthritis, as it relieves pain perfectly well.
Useful products of beekeeping
For example, propolis. Dark resinous substance that is obtained as a result of vital activity of bees and used by them for the isolation of the hive.
Useful properties of propolis lie in the fact that it kills bacteria, thus being a good prevention of many diseases, such as angina, influenza and even skin diseases. Besides, propolis has positive effect on the gums and the oral cavity, so it is a part of the plurality of toothpastes. A special oil is being made from propolis, which is used to remove calluses, besides it has a soothing effect and relieves irritation, making it a great tool to help from the cough.
Another product of life of bees is royal jelly. Most often, it is being combined with other drugs and formulations. Royal jelly has a salty - sour taste and yellow-white color. Its beneficial properties include the normalization of metabolism and it is considered as a means of having an antibiotic effect. It is actively used in cosmetics, as it reduces inflammation, dilates blood vessels, tones and has anti-aging properties.
Honey - its contraindications and harm
Considering the entire set of useful properties, honey has some contraindications. In particular, this applies to people who are allergic to honey and its components. Sometimes it happens that allergy is being caused only by a particular variety of honey. If you fall into this category of allergic people, then you do not have to completely abandon the honey, but you can choose the variety, which does not cause allergy.
It is important to remember that the honey heated over 40 degrees loses all its useful properties, and being heated over 60 degrees also emits toxic substances, which are able to cause serious harm to the body.
It is worth mentioning that since the honey is an extraordinarily sweet product, people with diabetes need to consume it in strictly limited quantities and it is advisable to consult a doctor. If a child is sick with exudative diathesis, or scrofula, then it is recommended to consult a doctor before he consumes the honey. Do not forget about the high caloric content of honey.
How to choose honey?
If you buy honey in the store, be sure to look at the expiration date. Remember that the beneficial properties of honey remains fully only during the year. The tank should be made of ceramic or glass. Turn the jar of honey. The composition should be uniform and should be left on the walls of a thick layer of honey. In addition, another very important point, if you buy honey in November and December, it is better to opt for a sugar honey, as it is likely that it is of high quality. If the surface is covered with the foam and the smell became sour, it means that honey began to wander.
On condition that natural honey contains no impurities, it is being stored very well. Storage of such honey must be accompanied with all the natural process for it: crystallization, thickening, increased density and opacity. All of these are indicators of the quality. The most favorable conditions for storage of honey are the following: a dark, cool and dry place, which is normally ventilated and does not contain strong foreign odors that honey can adopt. It is not necessary to put it into the fridge.