Health Benefits Of Honey

"And your Lord revealed to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains andin the trees and in what they build: Then eat of all the fruits and walk inthe ways of your Lord submissively. There comes forth from within it abeverage of many colours, in which there is healing for men; most surelythere is a sign in this for a people who reflect. (Surat an-Nahl, 68-69)


Honey is a sweet treat. In fact, it is man's oldest sweetener. It can be agood substitute for sugar in our drinks and food. But it is also good formany other things and treating many other conditions. Reliance oncommercialized medicines which contains too much chemicals can becomehazardous to our health. Alhamdullilah, Allah has given us the knowledgethat Mother Nature can at least help to ease the pain we are sufferingfrom.

Honey is composed of sugars like glucose and fructose and minerals likemagnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron andphosphate. It contains vitamins B1, B2, C, B6, B5 and B3 all of whichchange according to the qualities of the nectar and pollen. Besides theabove, copper, iodine, and zinc exist in it in small quantities. Severalkinds of hormones are also present in it.

Approximately one half of the human diet is derived directly or indirectlyfrom crops pollinated by bees. Today honeybees are an essential part of ahealthy agriculture economy. If you have allergies, honey can bebeneficial. If you eat honey that is local to your area, it may preventyour seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants andeventually it ends up in your honey.

Honey may also be good for your skin. It has the ability to attract water.You can use honey instead of alpha hydroxy masks because of its highcontent of the acid. It is also safe for sensitive skin.

You can also use it as a moisturizing mask for your skin as well as yourhair. To use it as a conditioner, mix the honey with olive oil. Be sure towash your hair thoroughly before you go outside.

If you have a sore throat, take some honey.Due to its naturalanti-inflammatory effect, it will help to heal the wounds more quickly.Italso has different phytochemicals--chemicals found in plants and differentfoods--that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungus making it a good substitutefor wound dressings. The taste may also take your mind off the pain.

There is evidence that honey diluted in water will help with yourstomachaches and dehydration.

Germ-Fighting Properties

Do you have a cut? Honey is a natural antiseptic. Medical journals citemore than 600 cases in which honey was employed to treat wounds.By applyinghoney to your wounds, you prevent infections. Honey contains antimicrobialagents, which prevents infections by killing the bacteria in and aroundyour wounds. When using honey it may help to heat it up before putting iton your wound (caution test the heat before you place it on the wound).Manytypes of bacteria can’t survive in honey, so wounds heal, swelling eases,and tissue can grow back.

Honey may also be effective in the treatment of your ulcers.In Europe,honey has been used internally to help cure ulcers, particularly stomachulcers.

Burns, too, heal better with honey, studies show. The advantage of honey isthat it not only prevents infections from occurring, it actuallyaccelerates skin healing.. Since the sugar in honey absorbs water it helpsto trap some of the moisture so that the bacteria and other microbes can’tgrow as easily as in other food.

How Does It Help In Healing Wounds?

When honey comes into contact with body moisture, the glucose oxidaseenzyme introduced to the honey by the bee slowly releases the antiseptichydrogen peroxide at a sufficient level to be effective against bacteriabut not tissue damaging. Not only is honey anti-bacterial, it also drawsbody fluids and nutrients to the area and so assists cell growth andprevents a scar forming by drying out of the wound.The osmotic action of the honey draws out and provides a film of liquidbetween the tissues and the dressing, allowing the dressing to be removedpainlessly, without tearing of the re-growing cells. There are reports inmedical journals of large bed sores, otherwise needing skin grafts, thathave healed without scarring after honey treatment.In treating diarrhea, honey promotes the rehydration of the body and morequickly clears up the diarrhea and any vomiting and stomach upsets. Theanti-bacterial properties of honey, both the peroxide and non-peroxide, areeffective in the laboratory against MRSA strains of bacteria which arenotoriously resistant to antibiotics and are sometimes responsible for theclosing of hospital wards.

Other Benefits of Honey

Easily digested: Because sugar molecules in honey can convert into othersugars (e.g. fructose to glucose), honey is easily digested by the mostsensitive stomachs, despite its high acid content. It helps kidneys andintestines to function better.

Good source of antioxidants: It plays a big role in the prevention ofcancer as well as heart disease.

Has a low calorie level: Another quality of honey is that, when it iscompared with the same amount of sugar, it gives 40% less calories to thebody. Although it gives great energy to the body, it does not add weight.

Rapidly diffuses through the blood: When accompanied by mild water, honeydiffuses into the bloodstream in 7 minutes. Its free sugar molecules makethe brain function better since the brain is the largest consumer of sugar,thus, reduces fatigue.

Supports blood formation: Honey provides an important part of the energyneeded by the body for blood formation. In addition, it helps in cleansingthe blood. It has some positive effects in regulating and facilitatingblood circulation. It also functions as a protection against capillaryproblems and arteriosclerosis.

Does not accommodate bacteria: This bactericide (bacteria-killing) propertyof honey is named "the inhibition effect". Experiments conducted on honeyshow that its bactericide properties increase twofold when diluted withwater. It is very interesting to note that newly born bees in the colonyare nourished with diluted honey by the bees responsible for theirsupervision - as if they know this feature of the honey.

Royal Jelly: Royal jelly is a substance produced by worker bees inside thebeehive. Inside this nutritious substance are sugar, proteins, fats andmany vitamins. It is used in problems caused by tissue deficiency or bodyfrailty.

It is obvious that honey, which is produced in much higher amounts than therequirements of the bees, is made for the benefit of man. And it is alsoobvious that bees cannot perform such an unbelievable task "on their own."

The 10 Most Beneficial Foods You Must Always Have

It is clichéd, but true: you are what you eat!How we look, how we feel, how healthy we are, how we perform our daily tasks -- it all narrows down to what we eat.How easy it would be if we knew which foods could be beneficial to us -- to help us feel energetic, to help us improve our health, to help us in our battle against body fat.Doctors gives you a guide -- in two parts -- as to what we consider the ten most beneficial foods.
These foods are rated on the basis of the health benefits they provide, the fibre content, their vitamin and mineral content as well as low fat and caloric content.Note: These foods work best when combined with an all round healthy diet and regular exercise regimen.

Note: These foods work best when combined with an all round healthy diet and regular exercise regimen

1. Oatmeal

Touted as the breakfast of athletes all around the world, this mushy, gushy delicious grain can be the first addition you could make to your new and healthy di et and lifestyle change.Unlike other breakfast cereals that are loaded with sugar and stripped of all fibre, wh ich give you a sugar-loaded burst of energy and then drop drastically, allowing it to drop.Oats are slow to digest and thus provide you a steady sustained flow of energy to take you through the first few hours of the day. Oatmeal is also loaded with fibre, especially the soluble kind, and has thus been proven to be invaluable in the battle against high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Mix it with milk, fruit, yoghurt or nuts; have it hot or cold; use it in cooking -- just make sure to make this heart healthy food a part of your daily diet.

2. Tomatoes

Our tiny little red friends are a lot more powerful and beneficial to us than we could ever imagine. Tomatoes contain a carotenoid (a class of highly unsaturated yellow to red pigments occurring in plants), called lycopene.Not only has this powerful carotenoid been proven to improve immunity as well as reduce the risk of developing heart attacks, it has also been proven, believe it or not, to reduce the risk of cancers of the prostate, breast, lung, stomach, pancreas, colon, esophagus, mouth and cervix!While we realise that there are just so many raw tomatoes that we can stomach, here is where it gets more interesting.Research shows that lycopene in tomatoes can be absorbed more efficiently by the body if processed into sauce, paste and ketchup, thus making the tomato one of the few vegetables that is actually more beneficial in its processed or cooked form than when its raw.

3. Almonds

Nuts have always managed to get a bad rap due to their high caloric content. Thus, they are often overlooked for their fibre and protein content as well as being an important source of healthy unsaturated fats and numerous beneficial minerals and vitamins.
While all nuts do have their benefits, if I had to name just one as the most beneficial, it would have to be almonds.These tasty, crunchy treats are sprinkled into cereals, salads, ice cream as well as being a calming cooling airline snack we rely on to curb our hunger during those long flights.Little do we realise that not only do almonds provide taste and texture to foods, they also provide more complete nutrition in one handful than you can imagine.Just 28 grams (around 23 almonds) provide us with 9 grams of mono-unsaturated fatty acid, 6 grams of muscle building protein, 3 grams of fiber, 200 mg of potassium, 65 mg of bone strengthening calcium as well as a hearty dose of vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorous, copper, zinc and riboflavin.As with most other foods, moderation is important. Nuts do have a high caloric content and it is so very easy to inhale an entire box of these tasty crunchy cha racters without a thought!

4. Fish

Who would have thought that our smelly friends from the sea could prove to be one of the most beneficial foods in the world?
When we were younger, fish was inexplicably considered 'brain food'.Studies in later yearsconcluded that the omega 3 fatty acids were what actually made fish brain food, as well as making it one of the most beneficial foods as far as heart health, lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels and treating psychiatric illnesses, like depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, were considered.Recent studies have also shown benefits of omega 3 fatty acids for people suffering from arthritis and other joint conditions.Let us not forget the protein punch that fish provides us with, as well as delicious taste whether we decide to order it soaked in butter and garlic or whether we decide to go healthy and have it steamed or grilled.As every fish has its own unique taste and beneficial characteristics, mackerel and salmon lead as far as omega 3 fatty acid content goes.

5. Milk

Something our mothers always told us to drink before we left our home, when we were kids. Think she had any idea that milk is one of the highest quality sources of whole food protein, with a biological value second only to eggs?And let's not forget the calcium content that milk provides us with, preventing our bones from becoming weak and hollow and developing osteoporosis later in life.Recent studies have also proved that calcium could be beneficial in our battle against body fat.Just make sure to have low fat or fat free milk, which provides us with the same importa nt nutrients minus the fat and the cholesterol.
So let's thank our mommies for nagging us all those years and drink away to a lean muscular physique!
PS: Please check that you are not lactose intolerant before you drink milk.

6. Apple

Every fruit has its benefits to the human body. Bananas are rich in heart-healthy potassium, strawberries rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, watermelon is rich in heart-healthy and cancer-preventing lycopene, etc.
But we have decided to name the apple as the fruit of our choice due its high antioxidant and fibre content, its taste, its ability to fill a person as well as its extremely low caloric content.Apples are often overlooked due to the lack of vitamin C when compared to fruits like oranges.But recent research has indicated that apples have more antioxidant activity than would be expected from their vitamin C content.This antioxidant activity is thought to come from other natural substances in apples, collectively called phytochemicals.The nutritious content of the apple is very favourable: a medium sized apple contains a mere 80 calories, with no fat or cholesterol content as well as a whopping 5 grams of fibre.Apples are especially rich in pectin fibre, associated with helping keep blood cholesterol levels in balance as well as helping to control appetite levels, thus aiding us in our battle against overeating.

7. Tea

Everyone has their choice of beverage they rely on to perk them up when their energy levels run low, to relax them when the stress just gets too much, or that they can simply enjoy because of its fine taste.Unfortunately, most people go for sugary soft drinks or creamy café lattes.It's time to switch. To tea!
It is tasty, contains some caffeine to perk you, but not too much that it leaves you jittery. It also provides a cupful of antioxidants called flavonoids, that may help prevent cholesterol-damaging arteries.Recent research also suggests that this popular beverage can help reduce the risk of cancer, heart attack and Parkinson's disease.While most teas are good for you, green tea contains the highest amount of flavonoids, making it an extremely potent antioxidant.Epigallocatechin Gallate (ECGC), the green tea extract, is also known for its fat-burning benefits.
Another very interesting bit of information is that green tea is also known to suppress foul breath caused by certain foods.

8. Garlic

It was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, chewed on by Greek Olympian athletes. It aids in keeping the heart healthy, wards off coughs and colds, reduces cholesterol and triglycerides, controls high blood pressure, and chases away vampires and witches (as well as a couple of friends and family members)!
Yep, this aptly nicknamed 'stinking rose' has a number of benefits, and not just to make Italian dishes taste so good.

9. Kidney Beans

We highly recommend you add beans to you meal plan.Beans are high in fibre, both insoluble as well as the all-important, cholesterol-lowering soluble kind.
Their high fibre content also slows down the digestion, thus providing a steady flow of energy as well as keeps you feeling more satiated at the end of the meal. They are also a good source of a host of vitamins and minerals.Why kidney beans? Because of their delicious taste and the fact that they are an excellent source of iron, folate as well as magnesium.Red kidney beans lead the way as far as antioxidant content in beans go.Add them to soups or salads, use them in your curries, use them in your sabzis whatever you do, don't miss out on this nutritional powerhouse.
But make sure you add them gradually to your meal plan.

10. Water

Maybe it isn't the best choice to include in a list of 'foods', but it is so very, very important to include water at all times of the day!
Water is a fundamental part of our lives. It is easy to forget how completely we depend on it. Water has been ranked by experts as second only to oxygen as essential for life.The average adult body has 55 to 75 percent water. Two-thirds of our body weight is water. A human embryo is more than 80 percent water. A newborn baby is 74 percent water.The water you drink literally becomes you!
The function s of water go far beyond just hydration. They include aiding digestion, weight loss, battling water retention, regulating body temperature, aiding the kidney in excretion, lubricating our joints, the list goes on and on and on.