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."