How to take honey to enjoy its medicinal and healing properties
The honey, as you surely know, is characterized by being a product of natural origin with a viscous texture and a very sweet taste, which is produced by bees from the nectar of flore and secretions of live parts of plants, or from excretions of plant sucking insects.
It is a natural and popular product of bees, who collect it, transform it and combine it inside with the invertase enzyme, which contains the saliva of the bees and store it in the combs, where it matures. Inside the bees the nectar is condensed by means of the action of mixing the product and a certain series of ferments.
Depending on the flower or plant from which the bees breed, we can find different types of honey, all of origin and completely natural origin: the most popular ones stand out, such as rosemary honey, orange blossom, eucalyptus, thousand flowers, of palm and heather.
However, there are also less known ones, such as: lavender honey, dandelion, acacia, pine, oak, chestnut and lime. Therefore, it is common that both their organoleptic characteristics (in terms of texture, aroma and taste) vary, as well as their different properties and benefits.
What are the most important benefits of honey
- Very rich in essential nutrients: it highlights its richness in vitamins such as vitamin A, C, D, B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6; and in minerals and oligoelements such as copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, sodium and manganese. In addition, it also provides organic acids such as acetic acid and citric acid.
- Helps strengthen the immune system: Honey is a natural food very rich in essential nutrients, with an antioxidant action thanks to its content in flavonoids and phenolics.
- Excellent against colds and flu: honey acts as an antiviral and antimicrobial antioxidant, so it becomes a traditional remedy very popular in case of colds and flu.
- Ideal against sore throats, cough and respiratory diseases: given that honey acts as an antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory antioxidant, it is ideal when it comes to soothing a sore throat. In addition, depending on the type of honey (as for example is the case of rosemary honey and eucalyptus), it helps to relieve mucus and nasal congestion. Consumed with lemon it calms the discomfort in the throat caused by inflammation and irritation.
- Help to rest better: the sugar present in honey helps tryptophan enter the brain more easily, which allows the secretion of melatonin, essential for the daily regulation of sleep-wakefulness. Therefore it is ideal to have a glass of warm milk with honey before going to bed.
- Regulates blood sugar: Thanks to its balance between fructose and glucose when we consume honey, the fructose portion allows glucose to be taken up by the liver, which helps to eliminate glucose from the blood circulation and reduces blood sugar. However, we must bear in mind that it is a contraindicated food in people with diabetes.
- Acts against constipation: since honey is very rich in fructooligosaccharides, it acts with a mild and natural laxative effect, being useful in case of constipation.
Nutritional benefits of honey
Within ones own benefits and properties of honey, we find that it stands out for being a food rich in both vitamins and minerals.
For example, it is rich in vitamins such as A, C, D, B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6; and in minerals and oligoelements such as copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, manganese, sodium and iodine, among many others.
How to consume honey to enjoy its properties
When it comes to enjoying the different benefits and properties of honey, we must bear in mind that there are different ways of consuming and taking it, depending on the disease or health disorder that we want to alleviate or treat naturally.
If for example you want to enjoy its preventive and protective qualities, it is best to consume 2 tablespoons of honey every day, in the morning and in the afternoon.
Yes you want to calm the sore throat and enjoy its protective qualities against flu and colds, the most recommended is to squeeze a lemon to get its juice, heat it a little and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of honey. It is ideal to take it sips. It is the popular remedy of honey and lemon.
For soothe and relieve coughIt is useful to take a tablespoon of rosemary or eucalyptus honey every time you have a cough attack. It will also help you relieve the discomfort caused by continuous coughing.
For sleep and rest better at night A traditional remedy is to take a glass or cup of warm milk with 1 or 2 tablespoons of honey, consumed one or two hours before going to bed.
You can also make a honey and lemon syrup to enjoy its qualities against sore throat, cough, pharyngitis, flu and cold. Or a delicious lemonade, ideal to enjoy every morning. On the other hand, in recent years take warm water with lemon, a natural digestive remedy, depurative, stimulating the immune system and as a preventive of diseases and infections.
Properties of honey, in short
To finish, next we want to summarize what are the main benefits and properties of honey. In fact, as we said, we find that it stands out as a food rich in both vitamins and minerals.
For example, it is rich in vitamins such as A, C, D, B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6; and in minerals and oligoelements such as copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, calcium, manganese, sodium and iodine, mainly.
Between his properties most important, we observe that the honey It is anti-inflammatory, being ideal to soothe pain and swelling. It has a special ability to heal wounds and burns, while its viscosity represents a protective barrier that helps prevent infections.
Improves digestion by being a food easily assimilated, promoting the absorption of calcium in the body and magnesium in children of growing age. Not to mention that it also has laxative properties, helping to regularize intestinal transit.
As you surely know, you can act within the known ones as home remedies for fluand the home remedies the cold, being also recommended by specialists in cases of laryngitis and pharyngitis.
Being a great revitalizer, it is recommended in case of chronic physical and mental fatigue, and asthenia.
If you are interested in discovering more about the qualities of the different varieties of honey, we encourage you to read the following notes:
- Orange blossom honey
- Rosemary honey
- Eucalyptus honey
