The Benefits of Drinking Honey

Honey has long been recognized as a natural remedy and has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. Health benefits of Honey - History of Honey, Mead, Royal Jelly

Perhaps your parents failed to mention it when they discussed the birds and the bees with you, but honey has long been known to have a multitude of healing powers with everything from relieving a sore throat, allergies, healing wounds, etc. It also goes great with peanut butter.

Research shows that a spoonful of honey is more effective than DM cough syrup in treating coughs - and is safe for children over 12 months old, according to Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, December 2007.

Other research from the University of California, Davis reveals that honey consumption raises antioxidant levels. Honey soothes on contact and has well-established antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which helps explain its contributions to wound healing.

In the study, 25 people were told to eat between four and 10 tablespoons of buckwheat honey, depending on their weight, each day for a month. They could eat the honey in almost any form, but it couldn't be baked or dissolved in tea. Many chose to eat straight from the spoon. Antioxidant levels rose in the participants. Antioxidants provide defense against free radicals, which cause cell damage.

Researchers discovered honey contained as many antioxidants - which combat the free radicals which can damage cells - as spinach, apples, oranges or strawberries. Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say honey appears to have a "mild protective effect".

It was already known that honey contained varying levels of antioxidants, with dark honey having more than light. This is the first study to examine honey's effect on human blood.

In the study, researchers checked the blood of 25 men aged 18 - 68 over five weeks. They found drinking four tablespoons of honey mixed into a 16-ounce glass of water improved the antioxidant levels in their blood.

The team is currently conducting a study on rabbits to see if honey could slow atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

The types of flowers the bees pollinate determine flavor and color of honey. Buckwheat honey comes from the buckwheat plant and is dark in color with a distinct flavor. The darker shades of honey are believed to have more antioxidants. The study showed no weight gain in participants for the month they were consuming honey. And, some claimed that eating honey for breakfast actually made them feel full and satisfied.

Eating honey along with supplemental calcium appeared to enhance calcium absorption in rats, according to a study from Purdue University.

In addition, the researchers suggested that the absorption of calcium increased as the amount of honey taken was upped.

Sugar is a crystalline carbohydrate extracted from sugar cane and sugar beets. It is a non-nutritive empty calorie that robs the body of vitamins and minerals. Sugar is addicting. The biggest culprit? Soft drinks, which account for one-third of our total sugar intake.

Approximately one half of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from crops pollinated by bees. Today honeybees are an essential part of a healthy agriculture economy. If you have allergies, honey can be beneficial. If you eat honey that is local to your area, it may prevent your seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in your honey.

Health-promoting compounds found in honey could make this ingredient a more attractive option for food makers currently using bulk sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup and looking to jump on board the growing health foods trend, say scientists in the US.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say that honey may be a healthier alternative to corn syrup due to its higher level of antioxidants, compounds which are believed to fight cancer, heart disease and other diseases. Honey, which contains a number of antioxidant components that act as preservatives, also shows promise as a replacement for some synthetic antioxidants widely used as preservatives in salad dressings and other foods.