Honey has many benefits for human body. But for people suffering from allergies and diabetes it may be harmful. In other cases, bee honey is a perfect remedy for preventing diseases and for just cheering up - it gives a lot of energy, strengthens the immune system, and that’s why it is recommended for the treatment of various diseases.
The history of honey
The oldest reference about bee honey was found in the Aran Cave near the Spanish city of Valencia. The drawings in the cave depict people climbing up a rock to get honeycomb, and bees flying around them. The age of the drawing is like 15,000 years. According to written historical sources, the usefulness of bee honey was known as long as 5,000 years ago, in the era of ancient Egypt. According to Egyptian papyri, beekeeping was highly developed and respected activity at the time.
The special feature of Egyptian beekeeping was that in the area of upper Nile collecting of honey took place earlier than in the lower Nile area. So the beekeepers used to put bees on rafts and let them go down river stream; so bees collected nectar from plants along the banks of the river. Beekeeping as we know it nowadays and the structure of beehives formed in 7th and 8th century BC in Greece. Partitions were added to the construction of beehive, and efficiency of honey gathering increased. The first scientific research on bee honey also appeared in Greece about 2,500 years ago.
The Greek scientist Xenophon detailed the life of a bee swarm and the medicinal properties of honey in his work «Anabasis». Later, Aristotle, who was also interested in beekeeping, continued his work. In ancient Rome, beekeeping was also popular. It was even spelled out in the law that bees without a hive belong to nobody and so can be taken by any free Roman citizen.
Another work on beekeeping by the Roman scientist Varro dates back to the 1st century BC. It details how to build a beehive and tells about the beneficial properties of honey. The first mention of bee honey in Russia dates back to the year 945 BC, when regent queen Olga ordered to cook honey-based mead for her husband`s wake. We can draw a conclusion, that beekeeping was already well developed in the country at that time.
How did our ancestors use honey?
Up to the Middle Ages (the 16-17 century) bee honey was the main sweet in Russia and so it was used everywhere. Later, after the technology of producing sugar from beets and cane was discovered, sugar began replacing honey, since it was less expensive. Nowadays, bee honey as a kind of food is closer to delicacies than to everyday food products.
The chemical composition of honey
It is a surprising fact that the chemical composition of honey is very similar to human blood plasma, so it is 100% absorbed by our body. Not a gram of eaten honey is wasted. In general, honey contains: enzymes: catalase, amylase, diastase, phosphatase; vitamins C, E, B; microelements: aluminum, zinc, nickel, chlorine, lithium, tin and others; folic acid; pantothenic acid. Honey is so good for health that some may call it a medicine for all diseases! Of course, it is not a panacea, but still has a wide range of medicinal properties.
Beneficial properties
The list of useful properties of honey is quite long. A couple of spoons of honey every day will be good for both children and adults, men and women. Its medicinal properties affect nervous system, digestion, hormones, etc. But let’s start from the beginning.
Harm
Actually, there is no harm to human health from honey. Like any other food, it should not be eaten too much. It may harm the kidneys and pancreas due to the high content of simple carbohydrates. If you heat honey up to 42 degrees, it will not only lose many useful substances, but can even become poisonous. Be careful! Some dishonest suppliers heat honey before packaging in order to make it liquid, so to pour it into containers easily.
Contraindications
Despite the endless list of useful properties of honey, it has a few contraindications. Unfortunately, this amazing product is forbidden for people who suffer from diabetes and bee products allergy (but not all types of honey cause allergies). Honey inhalations are completely prohibited for those who suffer from asthma, heart and lung diseases, and in case of fever.
Types of honey
Another amazing feature of honey is that after collecting nectar from different plants, bees produce different types of honey. These are the most popular varieties:
Buckwheat honey. It is considered one of the most useful kinds. The content of amino acids and microelements in this type of honey is almost 2 times higher than in the others. It’s perfect for the treatment of colds, skin diseases, vitamin deficiency, anemia, hypertension and protein metabolism disorders.
Sainfoin honey. This type is quite rare and it is not easy to buy. It contains carotene, ascorbic acid, minerals, vitamins and other biologically active substances. The distinguishing features of this honey are pleasant scent and moderate sweetness.
Acacia honey. Some people believe that this honey is a good remedy for insomnia and neurological disorders. A distinctive feature of the variety is that the contents of glucose and fructose in it are equal. Heather honey. This variety does not thicken much and has high viscosity and slightly bitter taste. It contains a lot of minerals, so it is recommended in the treatment of vascular diseases, nervous system disorders and lack of appetite.
Chestnut honey. In taste and consistency, it’s quite similar to heather honey. It enhances immunity, helps the body fight microbes and treats diseases of gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. Linden honey. It has light color and strong sweet smell. But its main advantage is that it helps in the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and tonsillitis. It is also recommended in treatment of kidneys, intestines and stomach diseases.
Sunflower honey. One of the most common varieties. Has a high content of glucose and amino acids that are necessary for protein synthesis. Melilot honey. Another rare variety with a delicate vanilla aroma and amazing taste. It helps with vasodilation, normalization of metabolism and with gastrointestinal tract and vascular diseases.
Use in Cosmetology
The very first use of bee honey for cosmetic purposes probably took place in Egypt. The ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra was making masks of honey all over her body, and the contemporaries wrote that she was famous for her beauty. Some components of honey can be absorbed directly by the skin cells, which makes facial masks with honey very useful. The frequent use of them strengthens the skin and makes it look healthier. Honey masks may help with: problematic skin; it shrinks the large pores; accelerating cell division and thus rejuvenating the skin; moisturizing the skin if it is too dry; cleaning the skin of acne and blackheads.
The significant effect of the regular use of honey masks is especially noticeable on flabby skin that has lost its vital strength. In addition to masks with honey, the modern cosmetics manufacturers also offer scrubs, body wraps, creams and even honey shampoos! Sometimes pure bee honey is used in massage.
Is honey good for pregnant women?
If there are no other contraindications, then it is not just good to eat honey during pregnancy, but it’s really necessary! Honey has a beneficial effect on the formation and growth of the fetus; it enhances uterine blood circulation and relieves excessive tension from the smooth muscle of the blood vessels, uterus and bronchi. During pregnancy, while many medical drugs are completely contraindicated, honey is indispensable for the treatment of colds. In case of severe morning sickness, honey helps fight nausea and improves appetite. During childbirth, honey can also be helpful - it is given to the woman to prevent exhaustion and facilitate the birth of the baby. The woman still shouldn’t exceed the recommended daily amount of honey or consume it on an empty stomach!
Honey Benefits for children
Children often suffer from colds, which makes them stay home for weeks and skip school classes. Honey not only helps treat the colds much faster, but also strengthens the immune system. Honey helps with coughs, since it has antibacterial properties and regenerates damaged cells of the respiratory tract. You may use honey to treat chronic rhinitis; and radish juice mixed with honey is recommended for the treatment of bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma and tracheitis.
If a kid is very tired after lessons, the regular use of honey will also help: it contains simple carbs that are perfect nutrition for the brain. Honey also may be an antidepressant, since it relieves irritability, anxiety, and normalizes sleep. The presence of antioxidants in honey not only strengthens the body and improves the brain function, but also reduces the risk of cancer.
What age is good to start eating honey?
You shouldn't give honey to small babies. It may contain bacteria that are harmless to adults but dangerous for the health of a newborn. Also, honey can be a strong allergen, and eating it before the age of three creates a high risk of starting an allergic reaction, which will last for all the lifetime. The easiest way to detect an allergic reaction is to apply a drop of honey to baby's skin. Honey can be given, if no symptoms appear, but not exceeding the daily norm of course. Overeating honey in childhood can lead to allergies anyway.
Recommended daily norm
The daily norm of honey for an adult person should not exceed 150 grams, regardless of sex. It is better to eat this amount in small portions during the day. For children, the daily norm is about half of that – 50 to 75 grams. It is all right to eat honey on an empty stomach, but after that it is recommended to have a normal meal within half an hour.
Honey benefits for men
The main men’s health problems are heart attacks, nervous disorders, prostate diseases, decreased potency and baldness. All these diseases can in some way be treated by honey: Flower pollen normalizes the endocrine system work. Zinc stimulates hormone production. Vitamin C increases spermatozoa mobility. The antibacterial properties of honey help in the treatment of prostate diseases. Vitamin B stimulates the growth of hair; amino acids and sugar are involved in testosterone synthesis, the lack of which leads to baldness.
Honey benefits for women
In addition to the widespread use of honey in cosmetics, it also has many benefits, especially for women: Vitamin B9 significantly reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer. It also prevents the growth of tumors in the first stage. In the first trimester of pregnancy, the vitamin prevents defects in the growth of the fetal neural tube. Vitamin A increases the chance of conception and stimulates the production of breast milk. Vitamin E is known as «the main female vitamin». It takes part in the production of female hormones, increases fertility and normalizes the menstrual cycle.
Honey for people with diabetes
The consumption of any product containing carbohydrates increases the level of sugar in the blood, so such products should only be eaten after consulting a doctor. Honey is not an exception. For insulin-dependent diabetics it is easier to eat honey – they just need to inject insulin that is necessary to absorb the sugar. It’s much harder with type two diabetes. This type is characterized by insulin resistance, which means insensitivity of cells to insulin (total or partial). In this case, sugars are not properly absorbed in the body and so accumulate in the blood. And the pills lower the level of blood sugar very slowly.
Honey for losing weight
Although honey contains more calories than sugar, if the diet is right, than it does not cause any excess fat deposition. Honey drains toxins away from the body and stimulates the digestion. Even a single spoonful of honey will be good for liver, helping it to digest food faster and to remove fat from the body.
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