Honey is not only a delicacy, but also an extremely valuable product. The benefits of honey have been known since antiquity. It helps to strengthen the immune system, is able to cure many diseases, helps to improve the structure of hair and skin, and to lose weight.

Honey: properties and effects on the body

The components of honey are unique. This natural delicacy contains 300 nutrients recognized as essential for human life. Two-thirds of the delicacies are simple carbohydrates: glucose (sugar), fructose, sucrose. The ratio of substances varies depending on the species. Simple carbohydrates are the main "builders" of the body. They are used to replenish the nervous, muscular and immune systems with energy. However, the abuse of carbohydrates leads to a decrease in cerebral and physiological activity, reduces efficiency, and provokes obesity.

In addition to carbohydrates, the delicacy contains a fifth of water, 3% protein. It has a whole range of minerals: iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, manganese, iodine. All of them, when consumed in moderation, can provide benefits to the body. Calcium is the main building block for bones. Iron regulates hemoglobin in the blood, which adversely affects the metabolism, the normal functioning of the body.

Benefit

Dozens of scientific papers have been published describing the effect of honey on the human body. All thanks to the enormous benefits that a delicacy can bring to a person. Almost everyone at least once treated a sore throat with honey and milk.

Beekeeping products

Useful properties of honey

Beneficial features:

  • The bee product has antiviral, antifungal properties. The sweet delicacy has a rather high acidity, low water content, which adversely affects bacteria, fungi, viruses.
  • The beneficial effect of honey on the human body has been proven in diseases of the joints, osteochondrosis. A beekeeping product is able to have an anti-inflammatory effect in exacerbations of gout, arthrosis. To achieve effective results in the fight against the disease, it is recommended to make sweet compresses, use it inside.
  • Sugar substitution. In addition to the fact that the bee product contains fewer calories, it also speeds up the metabolism.

Important! Flower and lime honey are the highest in calories.

There are a number of other positive properties:

  • Honey has a positive effect on men's health. There are several types of drugs (suppositories, tablets) to combat prostatitis, adenoma, where honey, propolis, and royal jelly are used. Regular consumption of the treat increases sperm motility.
  • The value of honey for women lies in its supporting the body, which are especially important during pregnancy and lactation.
  • The delicacy is rich in B vitamins.
  • Honey not only does not harm the teeth, but is also able to fight tooth decay. This is the conclusion reached by the American Academy of Dentistry. Several volunteers smeared their mouths with half a spoonful of bee nectar, and after a few minutes they rinsed their mouths. It seems incredible, but this procedure killed the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

The nutritional value

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The nutritional value of honey is quite high, but this does not mean that eating it is harmful. The energy value is concentrated in proteins, fats, carbohydrates. The greatest harm to the figure is caused by fats.

Note!Honey does not contain fat.

The main calorie content of sweetness is due to carbohydrates. It is 328 kcal per 100 g. More than 300 kcal is consumed by energy released precisely from carbohydrates, which are contained in 80 g in 100 g of honey, and proteins are less than 1 g. Carbohydrates are simple, so the body is quickly saturated. Therefore, honey belongs to the category of nutritious foods, even recommended for sports nutrition.

When should you use

May honey

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The delicacy has long acquired the status of a universal product. It is added to food, medicines, cosmetics. Therefore, you just need to know about how honey acts on the human body.

  • Pressure. The product is able to help with hypertension, especially when it is caused by stress. The sweet product contains a large amount of sugars that contribute to the production of serotonin. The hormone relaxes the nervous system, dilates blood vessels, causes them to expand. All this leads to a decrease in blood pressure, but for a limited period.
  • Intestines. Thanks to phytoncides, the product is able to reduce intestinal inflammation. Together with St. John's wort, it can not only relieve inflammation, but also heal damaged intestinal walls.
  • How does honey affect the pancreas? Since sugar has a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract, its use should be limited, honey can be replaced. With pancreatitis, but after a preliminary consultation with your doctor, you can also eat it.
  • Liver. The product is able to regulate metabolism, normalize digestion, and increase the outflow of bile. In case of liver diseases, the product is contraindicated, since it accelerates metabolic processes, causing an aggravation of the disease.
  • Heart. The product is able to reduce pressure, improve blood flow, strengthen the walls of blood vessels thanks to the potassium and magnesium included in the composition. In addition, it accelerates the absorption of cardiac drugs. But during attacks of arrhythmias, it is not recommended to abuse the delicacy, since honey can, due to its rapid absorption into the blood, further disrupt the heart rhythm.
  • Stomach. A large amount of sweets will negatively affect the stomach, just like eating on an empty stomach. However, if you eat half a tablespoon of the product per day, then it will have a beneficial effect on the microflora of the stomach. The product contains oligosaccharides, which are natural prebiotics.

Myths

Myths are constantly walking around honey, which are constantly dispelled by experts:

  • Respiratory tract treatment. The delicacy cannot cure sinusitis and laryngitis, since its antimicrobial properties are not enough for this. But as an auxiliary or prophylactic agent, the product can cope with these ailments.
  • The delicacy can replace vitamin complexes. This is also a myth. You can argue for a long time about the benefits of honey, but the amount of vitamins in it is less than in standard vitamin complexes. To replace vitamins, you need to eat half a kilogram of a sweet treat per day.
  • The product can be eaten with spoons without harm to health instead of granulated sugar. This is not true. The treat is high in sugars and empty carbs. They can not only harm the figure, but also cause obesity of internal organs. The consumption of sweets should be limited if there are signs of excess weight.
  • They can sweeten tea instead of sugar - this is useful. This is also not entirely true. When heated, the substances included in the product break down into chemical compounds harmful to the body. A hot product not only will not do any good, but can also be harmful.
  • Diastasis. It is believed that the treat is rich in diastase, a substance that breaks down starch and converts it into sugars. The product does contain it, but there is so little of it that it will not have any effect on the body. For example, there are many times more diastase in human saliva.

How and where else is honey used

The product is consumed in food all over the world.It has not only a rich taste, it is widely used for cooking and medications. The product is widely used in cosmetic preparations. Its benefits are not limited to disease control. It has long been referred to as an effective tool for maintaining beauty and youth. It nourishes, rejuvenates the skin and accelerates hair growth.

Linden honey

How to use honey? Masks, scrubs, shampoos are made on its basis. Anti-cellulite massage is the best treatment for the fight against orange peel. Sweet wraps will give your skin a glow. If you apply a sweet mask on your head for several hours, then it is possible to lighten your hair by half a tone. Plus, the sweet nectar fights dandruff.

You can also use between:

  • When treating colds. The market is overrun with honey and lemon flavored flu drugs. You can prepare an aid yourself. To do this, pour mineral water into warmed milk and eat honey with a drink with a bite. But it is worth remembering that honey cannot be added to hot drinks, otherwise it decomposes into harmful chemical compounds.
  • When treating stomatitis. If unpleasant inflammation appears in the mouth, you need to prepare a rinse solution. To do this, brew 1 bag of chamomile in a glass or mug, cool. After that add 1 tbsp. spoon of honey, mix well, rinse your mouth 2-4 times a day.
  • Honey is a part of many dishes: cakes, marshmallows, sweets, sweet and sour pork. It is used to make vinegar, which is used in cooking. Wines are made from dark varieties.
  • With a hangover. Some seriously argue that sweetness can save you from the effects of alcohol intoxication. There is some truth in this. It helps the body to recover, speeds up metabolism, eliminating toxic substances. You can make green tea with ginger and eat it with honey - a great remedy for hangover.

People believe that everything about honey and its benefits has long been known. But scientists each year provide new evidence of the invaluable benefits of this sweet treat. Despite the fact that many healing myths about honey turn out to be a lie, one thing remains unchanged - it is not only very tasty, but also healthy.