Honey! Honey!

Honey was associated with the mankind for over 5000 years. People have been well aware of its medicinal properties in their day to day lives. The Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and Indians have counted honey as a part of their traditional medicine. Though a lot is said and heard about honey, here are a few benefits which were well accepted and proved to be accurate.
 
Cough:

Honey was found to be a remedy like a cough syrup. Honey in warm water or honey along with lemon seems to have a soothing relief for the patients. It was found to be effective in relieving even from the ailments associated with the respiratory track such as bronchitis. Honey was found to form a protective layer in the throat to counter act the cough.

Wounds:

 In a 2005 study published in the British Journal of Surgery, a case was mentioned in which the patients when applied with honey on their wounds had remarkable recovery. Being a natural antibiotic and antifungal, it would keep the wound clean and safe from the invading organisms. As we are not sure of the purity of the honey in our kitchen, it is not advisable to apply it on open wounds without a professional advice. However honey can be applied to the scalp as an effective solution to fight the dandruff.

Memory:

 Having a good and consistent memory is a dream of every one. Honey contains a good amount of antioxidants which are good for our immune system along with our neurons. Honey helps the body to absorb the calcium much effectively. In some cases it was even advised to take honey along with calcium supplements. Calcium as we know is good for our bones and brains.

Digestion:

Honey is known for its pro biotic bacteria which is often called the friendly bacteria. The natural contamination of honey can prove dangerous to infants. But for the grownups, honey acts as a healer of ulcers that were present in their intestines. It also acts a mild laxative and regulates the bowel movements.

Instant Energy:

 If you are not diabetic and looking for instant energy, a spoon of honey might be handy. Honey contains two kinds of sugars- glucose and fructose. Glucose in honey gets absorbed immediately by the body giving us instant energy while the fructose gets absorbed slowly resulting in sustained levels of energy. Athletes who get fatigue often prefer honey.

Honey is related to a long list of properties that’s hard to accommodate in a few pages. From insomnia to cancer honey was always suggested as a remedy. But certainly a spoon of honey a day might be good for our health along with our taste buds!

--Nirjara