Honey goes in and out of fashion like miniskirts. It is out now, when we are debating all other kinds of sugar, natural and artificial, and condemning them like the worst that happened to humans since they left caves. But, nobody is mentioning honey. It could be that the reason is that eating honey will not make us lose weight or drop blood pressure or improve our cholesterol. But, when comparing all sources of sugar in our nutrition, honey wins hands down.
What is in honey?
We have been eating honey for the last 8,000 years, all over the world, and not only because it tastes wonderful, and not only as a food. Honey has been, and still is, used for natural healing of many ailments. It is a cheap and powerful source of nutrition and energy where nothing much else exists.
Honey is a food bees make for themselves from the pollen of flowers. Bees do it by regurgitating pollen several times until they get thick, viscous liquid they store in hives and we steel. Honey is mostly fructose and glucose, but because it comes from different flowers, it contains many other components that have important effects on our health.
Honey and health
As ancient peoples knew thousands of years ago, honey can be used to heal many problems. It has powerful antibacterial properties, and it can be used to treat wounds and burns. It is used to treat diabetic ulcers when nothing else works. It is found useful in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, although more research is needed. An observational study confirmed what many parents know: honey works better against nocturnal cough than any medicines. Honey also has anti-inflammatory properties and boosts our immune system.
Could we safely conclude that honey is good for us? Yes, but it does not mean that we can gobble it up. It is predominantly sugar, and we do not need much of it. Using honey to replace white sugar is certainly a good idea, and you will need much less of it, because it tastes so sweet. Add it to your tea and your oatmeal and use it to bake with. But, as with anything else, there can be too much of a good thing: if you have insulin problem, use honey with care and consult your doctor.
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