Honey - Benefits of honey for health
Bees collect nectar from flowers to produce honey, which is primarily used as a sweetener in food. However, honey also offers various health benefits.
Sweetness and low calories
Instead of adding sugar to your tea or herbal tea, do you choose to add a tablespoon of honey instead? Well done, because honey has qualities that sugar does not possess. Additionally, is there really much difference between a cube of sugar and a spoonful of honey?
White sugar, also referred to as sucrose, is a substance that is composed of 99.9% sucrose. This sucrose is found in all plants that possess chlorophyll and is manufactured from sugar cane and sugar beet in industrial settings. It is made up of two separate molecules, namely fructose and glucose.
Honey is widely known to contain a high amount of sugar, ranging from 78% to 80%. However, unlike sugar which primarily consists of sucrose, honey consists of various carbohydrates in varying proportions.
Most of the fructose and glucose.
Maltose, sucrose, and other polysaccharides make up a small portion.
Furthermore, the consistency of honey is determined by the ratio of these various sugars. When there is a higher concentration of glucose, the honey will crystallize. Conversely, if fructose is more abundant, the honey will remain in liquid form.
It is important to note that honey is sweeter than sugar. This means that if you use the same amount of honey and sugar in your tea, the tea will taste sweeter with honey. For instance, two teaspoons of honey have the same amount of carbohydrates as three sugar cubes. Moreover, honey has fewer calories. Therefore, there is no need to hesitate about using honey as a sweetener.
However, due to its rich glucose content, honey possesses a significant ability to raise blood sugar levels. As a result, individuals with diabetes should restrict their intake of honey and consult with a medical professional.
In conclusion, honey contains approximately 15% to 20% of water and also includes mineral salts, trace elements, a small amount of lipids, mainly vitamins B, and numerous other complex organic compounds including enzymes. These various beneficial components make a strong case for opting for brown liquid instead of white powder.
Medicinal properties
Honey has many therapeutic uses, with its antiseptic and antibiotic properties being particularly important. Honey possesses certain qualities that make it a powerful antibacterial agent. For instance, its thickness restricts the dissolving of oxygen, leading to improved oxygenation of tissues. Additionally, its low protein content hinders bacteria from thriving as they should.
Honey was frequently utilized in the medical field prior to the advent of antibiotics. It was commonly employed as an antiseptic for treating infections and providing gentle care for warts, infected pimples, and boils. Additionally, it was used during the First and Second World Wars to speed up the healing process for soldiers' wounds. However, it is important to acknowledge that, currently, no scientific research has investigated the antibacterial properties of honey.
Furthermore, it has commonly been utilized as a technique for improving the appearance of the skin for ancient Roman and Greek women, who would bathe with a mixture of milk and honey to achieve a more toned complexion. It is worth mentioning that propolis is also recognized for its antibiotic, antiseptic, and potent antifungal properties. Interestingly, even bees themselves have caught onto this, as they cover their hives to control the growth of fungi and bacteria. Those bees are truly remarkable!
Energy source
There exists a variety of types of honey, such as acacia, heather, chestnut, and eucalyptus, each possessing distinct characteristics, colors, flavors, and unique properties.
However, they clearly share similarities. As a result, the main carbohydrates found in honey are predominantly fructose and glucose. How does this differ from regular sugar? Additionally, these carbohydrates are easily absorbed by the body's cells, providing the necessary fuel for their functioning. It should be noted that not all carbohydrates are assimilated in the same manner. Certain carbohydrates consist of multiple glucose molecules, a fundamental building block. For instance, regular white sugar is made up of sucrose, which the cells cannot directly utilize. Instead, it must be broken down into a glucose molecule and a fructose molecule before it can be metabolized.
Even though this process may not be considered "slow," it still requires a certain amount of time. However, honey eliminates this issue as it predominantly consists of glucose and fructose, which cells can utilize directly. In the past, athletes would consume honey-infused water to swiftly restore their energy. Honey, apart from sugar, also possesses numerous trace elements that contribute to its beneficial qualities.
There is no concern about the energy aspect of the other beekeeping products.
Pollen is packed with energy, as consuming 100 grams is equivalent to eating 7 eggs!
Royal jelly enables the queen bee, who consumes it exclusively, to live significantly longer than other bees in the colony, sometimes up to forty times longer. While this effect may not apply to humans, it is undeniable that the jelly, abundant in protein and essential nutrients, serves as an excellent source of energy.