Honey is a food known to humans since ancient times.. There are cave paintings that make reference to honey collectors, as well as different references from different peoples such as the Babylonians.
Egyptians and Greeks saw it as a sacred product, and the fact is that honey is both a food and a medicine. honey is food and medicine at the same time. In this article we will review 8 properties and benefits of honey for our body, a food provided by bees and which humans are fortunate to enjoy.
10 properties and benefits of honey
Honey is a very sweet food that everyone likes. It is excellent that it is a rich and healthy food at the same time, since this means that we can enjoy eating it while it works for our benefit. However, it has a high caloric intake and we cannot abuse it by taking too much.
Taking honey in moderation is a great help for our body for different reasons. for different reasons. The following are the 8 most outstanding properties and benefits of honey for our body.
1. Sweetening power
Nowadays we have refined sugar and many other alternatives to sweeten our desserts, breakfasts, snacks, etc., but if we go back in our evolutionary history we will see that this was not the case.
The only natural sweetener that existed in the past was honey, and today it is still a great option, if not the best. It is an excellent substitute for natural sugar because its composition makes it much healthier for our body as we will see below.
2. Nutritional composition
Its main contribution is energetic, since it provides many monosaccharides or simple sugars, such as fructose and glucose (which are actually the ones that provide the sweetness in honey). It is for this reason that we must moderate its consumption, since it has a considerable caloric contribution.
But in addition toBesides sugars, honey contains other interesting micronutrients such as folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin B, niacin, iron and zinc.. These guarantee the correct activity of the immune system and our metabolism.
3. Antioxidants
Antioxidants are natural substances that help to fight free radicals, substances that cause problems to our body.substances that cause problems to the cells. Basically, free radicals hinder the normal activity of the cell and also age it.
That means that all foods containing antioxidants are very interesting to take. They help us to prevent diseases of all kinds and make our cells age more slowly.. Their presence in our body helps the immune system to do its job and inhibits inflammation.
4. Helps digestion
Honey helps us to digest because it contains enzymesIt contains enzymes, proteins that help to facilitate and accelerate the chemical reactions related to digestion. Examples of these are amylase, catalase, peroxide oxidase or acid phosphorylase.
If we notice that we need to digest a meal is an excellent idea to take an infusion of an herb that helps digest (chamomile, mint, boldo, anise, lemon balm, fennel, …) with a spoonful of honey. In addition, you can add other foods that also go well as cinnamon or lemon juice.
5. Antibacterial action
Some compounds that we find in honey have antibacterial power, such as phenolic acid, phenolic acid, phenolic acid, phenolic acid, phenolic acid and phenolic acid.such as phenolic acid, hydrogen peroxide, glucose oxidase or some flavonoids.
In addition, the high concentration of sugars makes it very difficult for microorganisms to reproduce. When there is a food with a high concentration of sugar accompanied by very little water, microorganisms cannot thrive.
This bacterial inhibition is such that samples of honey perfectly preserved in pots have been found in Egyptian excavations. Its dating is around 2000 years, but this honey was perfectly consumable only by heating it.
6. Relieves sore throats and coughs.
The antibacterial properties of honey also make this product help to fight diseases such as colds, sore throats and coughs. such as colds, pharyngitis and other sore throats.
In addition to soothing pain, it also helps soothe coughs thanks to its balsamic action. That is why it is again advisable to take a hot drink with honey to which we can add lemon juice, also a natural disinfectant.
7. It helps us to regulate our energy
Among the benefits and properties of honey we must also point out its revitalizing capacity when we need that extra point of energy.
What is particularly good is that, at the same time that this food is able to give us more energy, largely thanks to the contribution of sugar, it also favors our sleep and improves the symptoms of stress. Therefore, they are good for combating weakness and tiredness and at the same time promote rest and relaxation of our body..
8. Regenerates the skin
As we mentioned in the introduction, honey is also a medicine. We have talked about the antibacterial properties to fight colds and sore throats, and the truth is that honey also has antiseptic power. honey also has antiseptic properties.
Ancient civilizations already used honey to treat skin wounds such as grazes, burns, ulcers or infections. An ointment was made with honey and some herbs to heal thanks to its emollient and antibiotic power.
Bibliographical references
- Bardy, J., Slevin, N.J., Mais, K.L. and Molassiotis, A. (2008). A systematic review of honey uses and its potential value within oncology care, J Clin Nurs, 17 (19), 2604-2623.
- Majtan, J. (2014). Honey: an immunomodulator in wound healing. Wound Repair Regen, 22, 187-192.
- Molan, P.C (1999). The role of honey in the management of wounds. Journal of Wound Care, 8 (8), 415-418.
- Rao, P.V., Krishnan, V.T, Salleh, N and Gan, H. (2016). Biological and therapeutic effects of honey produced by honey bees and stingless bees: a comparative review. Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia, 26 (5), 657–664.