Honey Facts

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Mm… sweet yummy honey. When I think of honey, I think of Winnie the pooh. “Well,” said Pooh, “what I like best,”… So, what is honey made of that makes Pooh loves it so much? It is actually made of sugar and water, and 95% to 99% is sugar. Its sugar contains fructose, glucose, and some probiotic sugars. The probiotic sugars can help you maintain the healthy bacteria in your gut. Although honey mostly made of sugar, some research evidences suggest that honey contains a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc and antioxidants.

To my surprised, natural made honey is actually from bee vomit. Eww… it sounds gross! Bees collect all the flower nectar and keep it in their second stomach. Then they throw it up and pass it on to another bee. Finally, it was put in the honeycomb in the beehive. Bees flap their wings to cool it, also to help it thicken. Believe or not, bees may need to visit 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey. And the kind of flower determines the color and the flavor of the honey.

Many people believe that honey helps your body fight pollen allergies. As matter of fact, that is not quite right because honey only contains small amounts of pollen. The most flower pollen in honey doesn’t typically trigger allergies. Other trigger of allergies could be from trees, grass, and weeds.

Honey offers some healthful properties, includes antibacterial action, wound healing effects, dietary antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects. Some evidences show that the antioxidants in honey might reduce the risk of heart diseases. Furthermore, it helps to relieve gastrointestinal disease. Other studies suggest that honey might help with antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits, as well as to prevent memory disorders.

As mentioned before, honey is full of antioxidants, which clear the free radicals, and it is anti-inflammatory. It helps to prevent wound infection. Just put it directly on wounds. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Chinese used honey as a salve for wounds and a remedy for fevers and stomach sickness. The Russians and Germans did to during World War I. Nowadays, many people use honey as a home remedy for soothing coughs, sore throats, and treating burns, cuts and sores. Besides all the above benefits, honey might also help with pink eye, diarrhea, athlete’s foot, chest pain, fatigue, and vertigo. However, more scientific studies need to be done.

Parents are warned not to give honey to children younger than one year old, because wild honey can have a kind of bacteria, botulism. A baby cannot as an adult or older children digest honey quickly. The bacteria, “sleeping” bacteria, can wake up and becomes a dangerous toxin in baby’s intestine. Constipation would be the first sign of it. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, giving over-the-counter cough syrup or cold medicines to children under 6 years old is not recommended. On the other hand, honey might be a good remedy for children older than one year old. It helps to sleep better through the night.

The American Heart Association recommends that women add honey into their diet no more than 6 teaspoons daily of added sugars (100 calories), and men consume no more than 9 teaspoons daily of added sugars (150 calories).

Besides the health benefits of honey, it can also be used in cooking, such as use in marinades foods.

In conclusion, honey does have a lot of beneficial. And eating a mix of healthy powerful foods, such as grapes, blueberries, broccoli and other cruciferous veggies, dark green veggies, tea, whole gains, can only help your body fighting with disease. We could not totally rely on it.

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