Honey, If You Love Me?

By Avanti Vadivelu

 
Mary Poppins made the advice, “A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down…” infamous. But perhaps she would have served her audiences better had she advised to take honey instead. Honey has long been recognized as a natural remedy and has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. In Medieval Times, honey was routinely the medicine of choice for all kinds of ailments including sore throats and allergies, or for healing wounds. And its powerful health agents are just as effective today.
 
So what is it with this naturally sweet ingredient that has seemed to have won over a large number of health conscience folks? Well, honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, which do a number of great things for your body and health. Here are just a few reasons why you may want to step up your honey intake!
 
·        According to Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, December 2007,  a spoonful of honey is more effective than DM cough syrup in treating coughs - and is safe for children over 12 months old
 
·        Honey soothes on contact and has well-established antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which helps explain its contributions to wound healing (Source: www.femhealth.com)
 
 
·        Researchers at Purdue University found that consumption of honey increased the absorption of calcium
 
·        Applying honey in various mixtures to your skin and hair can help nourish it
 
·        Honey is an antifungal agent, and can therefore help to disinfect wounds
 
·        According to www.bees-online.com, if you eat honey that is local to your area, it may help prevent your seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in your honey.
 
·        Eating honey can be the cure to ulcers
 
·        Applying honey directly to a burn will also help sooth and heal it
 
·        Honey promotes hydrating the body and can help get rid of diarrhea, vomiting or upset stomachs. (Source: www.bees-online.com)
 
·        Honey is easier on the digestive tract, so those with especially sensitive stomachs should really add honey to their diet
 
·        Honey’s antioxidants make it a good agent for cancer and heart disease prevention
 
·        Honey helps blood circulations, and also functions as a protection against capillary problems and arteriosclerosis (Source: www.bees-online.com)
 
·        To avoid bed wetting in children, a teaspoon of honey aids water retention, and calms fears in children (Source: www.home-remedies-for-you.com)
 
·        Inhaling honey fumes (about a teaspoon of honey mixed with hot water) can help to relieve nasal congestion
 
·        Honey as a replacement of sugar can help dieters reach their weight goals quicker
 
If this long list of health benefits of honey isn’t enough to sway you to pick up a bottle of honey from the store tonight, consider this: Regular users of honey are most long lived people. In fact, it’s been said that beekeepers are known to suffer less from cancer, arthritis than any other working group worldwide. Hmm, perhaps we should all change career paths as well?