Many may think of honey only as a sweetener. Honey does indeed do a wonderful job of sweetening almost anything, from muffins to tea, but it's job doesn't stop there. There are many therapeutic advantages wrapped up in honey. Some of these health benefits may be quite surprising.
Honey Promotes A Healthy Weight and Blood Sugar Levels
Honey has a unique make-up. Bees use nectar to produce honey into half concentrated fructose (fruit sugar) and half glucose. This one to one ratio causes something very interesting to happen in the body. Whereas glucose consumed alone will likely be stored in cells as fat, the presence of fructose along with the glucose causes it to be converted into glycogen. Once the glucose is converted, it is stored in the liver to use for energy rather than being stored as fat. This phenomenon is very significant for those with disorders such as diabetes and PCOS, since fat storage can trigger insulin resistance.
Even more good news has been reported regarding honey and blood sugar. Findings conducted on study participants who had either type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol found that using honey during only an eight day period caused a 6% drop in blood sugar levels!
Get A Good Night Sleep With Honey
Since eating honey stocks the liver with glycogen to fuel the body, eating honey before bedtime ensures adequate fuel for the entire night. This is very important because if the liver runs out of glycogen in the night, the body goes into distress and actually releases stress hormones to break down muscle tissue into glucose for energy.
Another way that honey helps with a good night sleep is that it promotes the release of tryptophan in the brain due to a slight spike in insulin levels (because of the glucose). The tryptophan is converted into seratonin, which is converted into melatonin in low light. Another healthy twist then takes place- melatonin then actually inhibits the release of insulin, which stabilizes blood sugar.
Honey Gives A Nutritional Boost
Honey is an extremely nutritious food. It contains at least 16 antioxidents, phyto-nutrients, bioflavonoids, vitamins, enzymes, minerals, organic acids. Since honey contains no fiber, when it is consumed all of this good nutrition is directly available to those who eat it.
In addition, honey has also been found to contain live friendly bacteria. This is believed to account for some of honey's health benefits. Friendly bacteria has long been known to enhance immunity and improve digestion.
Buckwheat Honey Is Effective For Cough
In a study conducted on children with upper respiratory tract infections, parents gave their children either benedryl, buckwheat honey, or a placebo for several nights before bedtime. At the end of the study, it was found that the honey was actually more effective than the benedryl in treating symptoms, including nightime cough.
If one prefers natural methods, buckwheat honey may be worth a try when dealing with respiratory infections and allergies. However, infants one year and younger should never be given honey, as a bacteria in honey may cause infant botulism, a very dangerous disease.
Honey Very Healing For Wounds
It turns out that honey is also very beneficial for treating wounds, inside and out. One study has found that athletes who eat honey maintain optimum blood sugar levels after workout, and their muscles heal faster from their workouts as well- which is probably due to the honey being a carbohydrate.
Honey is also highly effective in external would healing. A study in India showed that 91% of honey treated burn victims were infection free one week after injury; whereas only 7% receiving conventional burn treatment were infection free. Those being treated with honey experienced faster healing as well.
Why Raw Honey Is Best
The phyto-nutrients (plant nutrients) in honey are mostly eliminated by heat and processing. When raw honey is consumed, however, there are many health benefits as these phyto-nutrients have been shown to have ant-cancer and anti-tumor properties.
In addition, raw honey also has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. This can help one stay healthy and well. In contrast, sugar (particularly processed sugar), actually hinders the immune system. Honey is clearly the better choice.
Sources:
"Honey - More than a Sweetener, Naturally." World Class Emprise, LLC (worldclassemprise.com) Honey and Honey Related Products. Web. 26 Mar. 2010.
"WHFoods: Honey." The World's Healthiest Foods. Web. 26 Mar. 2010.
Angel Chavis - Angel Chavis lives in NC with her husband, daughter, and various pets. She is a Christian, wife, homeschool mom, writer, student, and ...
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