Honey is one of the oldest and most nutritious foods known to man. And it provided all the vitamins before man even suspected such things existed. It is a healer and restorer second to none, and the benefits of honey, it seems, are almost unlimited.
Before sugar became the universal sweetener, honey was widely used for this purpose, but only the wealthy could afford it regularly.
Because sugar has become popular, honey is widely ignored; although its nutritional values are of the greatest worth, in fact, it contains many health healing properties that no other food posses.
The Benefits of Honey
Honey contains an astounding variety of vitamins and minerals. It is easily digested and is being used by the various organs within 20 minutes of being taken into the system.
A gentle laxative, it has a tranquilizing effect on the lining of the alimentary tract. It also provides a great amount of energy without subjecting the system to any undue shock.
Packed With Essential Vitamins
A storehouse of large amounts of vitamin C, it is also a useful source of vitamins A, B, and also of the B complex group.
Honey retains its vitamin potency much longer than fruits or vegetables, which explains why a preserved stock is of greater value to athletes than is new honey.
The Greeks held it in high esteem, knowing it to be an excellent tonic and energy builder. They also believed that it prolonged life.
Effective Remedy For Coughs and Sore Throats
Honey has remarkable soothing properties and is an effective remedy for coughs and sore throats. Mixed with lemon juice, as many people can testify, it makes a first-class cough mixture.
Infants fed on honey are not likely to fall victim to colic, constipation, or diarrhea.
The two important sugar constituents of honey are dextrose and levulose. They are readily utilized by the body because the bee has already converted them into simple sugars. This is of most value when our digestive functions are weak or irregular. It is the natural sugars in the honey that generates sustained energy for muscular effort.
When mixed with milk, honey is an excellent remedy for Ricketts. As a food, it is of immense value to the old as well as the young. It helps relieve pressure on the kidneys and eliminates the destruction of the renal tissues.
Promotes Activity of The Bowls
Honey, in fact, seems to have powers that are nothing less than magical. It is probably the best sweet food, as, instead of promoting fluctuance, it prevents it and promotes the activity of the bowls. As it can absorb moisture from anything it contacts, it is impossible for bacteria to live in it.
Treatment of Inflammatory Swellings
Honey used on its own is excellent for the treatment of boils, carbuncles, piles, and other inflammatory swellings.
During the 19th century, a mixture of honey and flour in equal parts was the household remedy for these complaints. It is most effective and fast healing agent. Honey with warm milk and Anise tea promotes sound sleep in children.
When blended with pure blackcurrant juice, honey provides vitality and nourishment. This is a wonderful tonic for the preservation of energy. It should be taken in small quantities and is good for the elderly when taken in warm water. Before swallowing, however, it should be thoroughly mixed with saliva in the mouth.
Contains Proteins and Minerals
Honey contains proteins and other various minerals. The most vital minerals are Phosphorous, potassium, calcium, sulfur, iron, copper, silica, and chlorine. Honey also contains traces of magnesia and manganese. A deficiency of these substances in the body gives rise to a lack of energy and listlessness.
Free of Toxins
These minerals are essential in the growth of tissues. Happily, too, honey is easily digested. It is wholly free of toxic properties and is not irritating. Because of this, it produces no harmful effects on the tissues.
Good For Heart Conditions
The number of ailments and diseases which respond to honey is truly amazing. It is, for example, of great benefit in all heart conditions. Honey obtained from dandelion flowers is particularly good for the bronchial tubes.
It is also valuable to those who suffer from insomnia. If you suffer from insomnia, try mixing a teaspoonful of honey in a cup of hot milk and drink it before going to bed.
The ancient Greek philosophers believed that the lifespan of the human being could be doubled if the right foods were eaten. They decided to prove themselves right, and to this end, they included in their diets quantities of honey. Even in those days, honey was regarded as the best food available to human beings.
Extend Your Years
The outcome was remarkable. One Greek mixed honey with milk and drank this once daily, and he lived until he was 90, which was very old indeed in those days.
Ambrosia, which was also known as the food of the gods and as bee food, was a mixture of honey, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. This was eaten daily by some of the Greek philosophers, and it is on record that some of them lived well into their 100s.
In Italy, too, it was strongly believed that the way to live to a great age was to feed on honey. The beekeepers strongly supported this claim. It could be said they had a financial interest in ensuring honey was in demand, but they seemed to prove the point by eating honey themselves and recorded cases just like the greek philosophers lived well into their 100s.
Benefits of Honeycomb
Like honey itself, honeycomb is also an excellent remedy for certain diseases of the bronchial tract. The best part of the honeycomb for such cases is the waxy section from which the honey has been extracted.
Hayfever, stuffy noses, and nasal sinusitis are only a few of the complaints which yield to the healing power of the honeycomb. It is also of immense value in ensuring the normal development and maintenance of the living of the entire breathing system.
The best way to treat a stuffy nose with honeycomb is to chew it. The comb should be chewed at intervals of from four to six hours, and the air passages will clear. Each piece should be chewed for 15 minutes before it is discarded, and the symptoms will disappear within a day.
For hay fever, chew honeycomb once a day for a month. If this is not available, take two teaspoons of honey at mealtimes.
Honey helps to relieve heartburn and acid stomach, and it is most helpful in controlling cramps and also bedwetting in children. It acts as a sedative to the nervous system, holding fluid during the hours of sleep.
Honey is invigorating, rejuvenating and revitalizing. Because its sugars are in simple form, they are easily and quickly transferred by the bloodstream directly to the liver and muscles, and there they are stored as glycogen when needed.
Honey For Strength Training and Athletes
Athletes have found honey to be ideal for giving energy before going into action and for restoring it after taking part in an event. It is of great value in building strength and in sustaining physical powers when the body is undergoing a test of endurance.
During training for outdoor games, when considerable energy is used, liquid honey helps to restore vigor and endurance. For athletes, two tablespoons of liquid is regarded as normal. It is served half an hour before an event and sustains every at a high level throughout a long period when the body is under strain.
Although many people know the benefits of honey when taken internally, it is less well known that it has healing properties when applied externally.
A gentle application of honey to burnt surfaces prevents the formation of blisters, and it is beneficial in treating catarrhal conditions. Applied to the affected area, it relieves pain and produces rapid healing.
Final Thoughts
Today in the UK, an average of 20,000 tons of this particular gift of nature is eaten every year. About 17,000 tons of that is imported, so health food shops and supermarkets are giving us a choice of exotic honeys like never before.
Including honey in your daily diet must surely help to sustain and promote better health.
References and excerpts are taken from J. Stewart Sport & Fitness Magazine
