Honey, the superfood of the ancient world
There are people who thinks honey is just a sweetener, and many others do not use it out of ignorance. Honey’s many medicinal properties have a long-recorded history. The modern science has contributed significantly to the previously held healing quality of the honey.
Honey is a product that the human being has used since its origins. In fact, the cave paintings of the Cueva de la Araña, in Bicorp (Valencia), which date back to 7,000 years before Christ, show how a man is collecting honey. This shows that already the first settlers of the earth discovered the benefits of this food.
It is part of the Mediterranean diet since the time of the Egyptians.
According to the papyrus of Thebes, written in 1870 BC, the Egyptians fed and cared for their children with honey. For the Egyptians, it comes from the tears of God Ra and is part of all the religious offerings of Pharaonic Egypt. When the ancient Egyptians made their expeditions, they kept the meat in barrels full of honey. Its use is very well related in the found papyri; among other things, they used honey to treat cataracts, sores, cuts, burns; in cosmetics and as a fortifying food. They also made beer from fermented honey. In the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, several vessels with honey were found in perfect condition in 1922, despite the 33 centuries that have passed.
References to honey and bees are found in ancient Indian literature such as Rigveda and Upanishads which probably date back to 1200 BC. In these writings a great mention of bees and honey has been made to explain the philosophy of life by giving several analogies. The mention of honey as the sole sweetening agent, then known to mankind, has occurred in several places. Only in Rigveda, which is the oldest writing in the world, the "Madhu", which means honey, has been used 300 times.
There, several of the paintings in the rock shelter No. III (Painting No. III-F-35b) discovered by Mathpal (1978) in Bhimbetka (20 km south of Bhopal) show the hunt for bee colonies of rock for the collection of honey. According to Mathpal, these paintings belong to the Mesolithic or an earlier period dating from 15,000-11,000 BC Among the activities of the Stone Age people of this period, honey hunting and its collection had been common. This discovery shows that Mesolithic paintings in India are contemporary, if not before, of similar paintings in Europe. The paintings show crudely drawn semicircular combs, sometimes surrounded by bees.
We start this analysis of everything about honey
This product is the most precious and perfect work of one of the most interesting, disciplined, industrious and meticulous insects in the world, bees. These little magicians of nature extract the nectar of the flowers, and later in their beehives transform it thanks, mainly, to an enzyme known as invertase. Almost a magic trick that results in one of the natural products that offers more beneficial properties to humans.
The vitamins contained in honey are one of the reasons that allow the sweetener of bees to have amazing benefits. It is not surprising that it was a product admired by Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Indians and currentl by a good part of this modern world where alternative sweeteners are flooding the market in name of health. It must be without a doubt that it is known and appreciated throughout the world and throughout history.
We are only now beginning to accept the value of honey as a medicine again with the help of modern medical studies that are returning honey to the hospitals for the treatment if diabetics sores and burns, and into medical bandages fir everyday cuts.
The tedious process of honey production
The process of how honey is made remains one of those unique wonders that nature grants and that man can never recreate artificially. The exclusive one is she, the bees. Everything starts when the workers collect in the field the origin of this fantastic process, the nectar of flowers and plants. Worker insects transport the raw material to the hive. There other worker bees extract it from their sisters to begin a constant process of chewing-expelling. That is, they process it in their small bodies and then deposit them in the cells that form the hive and end up becoming the healthiest, nutritious and beneficial sweetener that nature gives. This is how honey is made.
Composition of honey
If admirable and complex is to check how bees make honey, no less striking is to dissect this product and see its composition. It is logical up to a point. We are talking about a sweetener with practically unique properties in a natural food product. That means that the vitamins contained in honey are numerous and, therefore, is the healthiest alternative to sugar. all about honey all about honey
Precisely a type of sugar, fructose, is the major component in natural honey. 38% of honey is fructose, a sugar that is also found in some fruits and vegetables. Its fundamental characteristic is that, unlike glucose, it is not rapidly absorbed by the human body and serves as a valuable reservoir of energy to cope with situations of physical and mental stress.
But flower honey is also composed of the aforementioned glucose (31%) and other sugars such as sucrose or maltose that do not exceed 5%. This product also has carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, enzymes, organic acids, minerals, etc. that give it the great nutritional value it has.
If you drink, take honey with lukewarm water
Honey activates the elimination of up to 35% of alcohol, because it activates the metabolism of the liver. It is also good for eliminating toxins and protecting the liver from medications and an unbalanced diet. The best is the Sweetness honey without cavities. Natural honey does not cause decay due to the action of an enzyme that removes plaque. Although you should not abuse either.
Honey enhances the energy level
If you notice more tiredness every day and do not recover well, take honey to prevent and cure anemia, fatigue, stress, in times of exams and / or strong training. The most indicated are those rich in minerals, or dark in color such as buckwheat and heather
Honey tones the tired heart and helps eliminate fluid retention in heart patients. Choose diuretic honey such as heather, lavender and hawthorn.
Do you have difficult digestion?
Honey is a food predigested by bees, so it is absorbed quickly, relieves burning and ulcer pains. Rosemary honey, linden and thyme are the most suitable.
Medicinal recipes of honey
Honey stored for one year. (Ref: Bh. Ni. Madhuvarga 25)
New honey could be served to vata person only as it is nourishing for all body tissues, strengthening and reduces dryness, works as a laxative.
Old honey recommended for kapha predominant constitution, weight management and detox objective as it is dry and reduces excessive fat tissue in the body.
Eye sore and conjunctivitis: combine equal part honey and lukewarm water, stir to mix well. Once cold, apply as an eye wash. Beware, the mix may sting a bit.
Cough and cold: make a bed of 3-4 holy basil (tulsi), add 1 tsp honey, 2 pieces of crushed peppercorn and 2-3 very thin slices of ginger. Take it 3-4 times in a day1 hr before the meal to alleviate the symptom.
One can also mix equal part cider vinegar and honey with few drops of lime/ lemon juice and drink every 4 hrs for improvement in condition, remember to rinse your teeth as the deposit of vinegar may damage the enamel.
Skin cuts- Smear the cut with honey, wrap with a bandage for quick healing
Diabetic sores- honey is very useful in treating unresponsive diabetic sores. Apply over the wound and cover with bandage or gauge.
Insomnia- add honey to the chamomile tea and drink before going to bed, this may help with a good night sleep.
Sore throat- add pinch of ginger powder in a tablespoon of honey and consume it 3-4 times a day for relief.
Besides flavoring your own honey with herbs such as tulsi (holy basil), lavender, clove rosemary, thyme and other herbs also helps in many other symptoms such as headache, protection against infection, mild constipation and diarrhea. Try souring the raw honey which has all the benefits intact.