You might have heard a lot of times how healthy honey is for humans and about its many curing effects,but have you ever wondered what is it really useful at and if maybe too much honey can affect you in a negative way?
Firstly, honey is a tasty and nutritious replacement for sugar. One tablespoon of honey contains vitamins, enzymes, amino-acids, magnesium,potassium, calcium and iron between many others. That's about 64 calories and no fat or cholesterol.
Due to the acidic bended PH level of honey it helps out to reduce bacteria and has antioxidant properties.
FUN FACT: From studies it has been proven that for the production of a pound of honey it takes 60,000 bees traveling to possibly 2 million flowers to extract the necessary nectar.
Ok, so here are the main health benefits of honey:
1) Cancer and heart disease prevention
Mainly due to its antioxidants and flavonoids that reduce the risk of some forms of cancer.
2) Reduces cold symptoms ( cought and throat irritation)
In a study made on children, administering honey before sleep it reduced their symptoms exponentially and allowed them to have a proper sleep.
3) Athletic performance enhancement
All the way since the Ancient Times olympians were using honey before their training and competitions to enhance their abilities. Modern studies showed us that honey is indeed a better solution for maintaining glycogen levels and for recovery.
4) Blood sugar regulation
The perfect balance of fructose and glucose in honey really helps the body regulate its blood sugar levels.
5) Healing Properties
The application of honey on wounds and burns has been shown to be very effective as it dries the affected area well and combined with its anti-bacterial properties it makes a great remedy.
These are just five of a multitude of benefits of honey. BE CAUTIOUS: Always verify the source of the honey you purchase. There are some merchants and manufacturers who put sugar in the honey and all kind of chemicals to look and taste like honey. The best would be to buy directly from a producer. It is both cheaper and SAFER!
Consume honey responsible! Too much honey(over 8-10 tbsp) can cause stomach cramps,bloating,diarrhea in the short term and if you continously overdose your honey intake you could experience some serious problems of your intestinal tract. However, honey is your friend, just don't overdose it! Your body should tell you when it is too much.. ;)