Honey, A Food With Healing Properties

Honey is a tasty and healthy food. Doctors of the past considered honey as a natural remedy. Today experts continue to consider it very useful to alleviate different conditions.

Numerous scientific investigations have been carried out that corroborate its benefits in different types of injuries. Let’s discover them.

The use of honey in history

• An ancient medical text written on papyrus from 3,000 years BC specifies the use of honey for head wounds. He says it “helps prevent swelling and sealing the wound to keep air and infection out.”
• In World War I, German doctors used a mixture of honey and cod liver oil to treat gunshot wounds.

What are scientists saying today?

The experiments that have been carried out, related to the benefits of honey for health, showed that it would be beneficial and effective inside the human body, so we should ingest it often.

Its most common use is as a sweetener, as a replacement for sugar, although it is also used in cosmetics to treat the skin .

Research in this regard published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology indicates that its use in cosmetics is due to its moisturizing, emollient, soothing and conditioning effects that would help maintain youthful skin, regulate pH and prevent infections by pathogens.

At the University of Waikato, New Zealand, they have carried out an extensive study whose conclusions have suggested that honey would have interesting properties on skin damaged by wounds.

• It would have healing properties.
• It would act as an antibiotic: a 2016 investigation indicates its bactericidal properties, thanks to the hydrogen peroxide, flavonoids and phenolic acids present in its composition. It is also often considered a good antiseptic.

Other properties attributed to it are:

• Anti-inflammatory activity and source of natural antioxidants (based on data from a 2014 study).

• Moisturizing, due to its high concentration of moisture.
• It would help metabolize food, promote digestion and improve intestinal flora.
• It would relieve a cough and a sore throat.

How does it work?

Medical research suggests possible health benefits through honey’s antibacterial and antifungal activity. It is inferred that, therefore, honey could be used as a natural antiseptic on wounds and injuries.

However, the properties of honey could change due to its production and other variables, according to the same research cited above. For this reason, further studies are needed on its antibacterial and antifungal properties.

The amazing thing is that recent research shows that honey would have antiseptic effects similar to common antibiotics. Despite everything, there is a lot of controversy about it. This food should not function as a substitute for any pharmacological element. It must be taken into account that not all the data obtained in the studies are significant, since the samples are not always truly representative.

Anyway, it is true that there are nutrients that are capable of stimulating immune function. Antioxidants have this property, in the same way as some micronutrients such as vitamin C or D. Providing them in the right proportion is key to guaranteeing good health.

Contains a large amount of sugar

Despite all the beneficial effects mentioned, it should not be forgotten that the main ingredient in honey is sugar. For this reason, it must be consumed in moderation. An excessive intake could be negative for metabolic health, generating spikes in blood glucose levels and causing significant pancreatic stress.

It is advisable to add honey as a sweetener in moderate doses. It is also a valid option to consume concentrates of this food, or even royal jelly, this being the version that concentrates more nutrients inside. You can consult with a nutritionist to learn how to correctly introduce it into the diet, so that you benefit from its properties.

Do not forget either that not all honeys have the same quality, neither organoleptic nor nutritional. Depending on the variety, it will present a higher or lower concentration of antioxidant compounds. It can be made by different types of bees and from pollen from different plants. Those that are darker are usually characterized by being more beneficial from a nutritional point of view.

Honey, a food categorized as healthy

As we always tell you: natural remedies can help you alleviate symptoms but in no way replace clinical treatment. Go to your doctor with any questions. At the same time, he thinks honey is beneficial when consumed in moderation. The fact of increasing its presence in the diet in an excessive way will not lead to an improvement in health, but quite the opposite.