Honey Health Benefits
Is honey worth adding to your weekly shopping list? Are you aware of the many health Benefits of Honey? Did you know Honey never goes off like other foods?
Do you know that honey has been linked to health benefits like improved heart health, wound healing, and blood antioxidant status?
In fact, honey has a very strong historical thread and is mentioned at least 61 times in the Bible. For example, God's word within the scripture of Proverbs 24:13 mentions honey as follows;
"My son, eat honey because it is good, And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste."
Many ancient cultures were well aware of the wonderful medicinal properties of raw honey, and many believed it to be a gift from the gods. As far back as 3,000 years ago, the surviving records of the ancient Egyptians show that they were heavily involved as bee keepers tending to their hives for honey production.
The Honeybee
Remarkably, Honeybees’ have been designed with an inbuilt navigational ‘sat-nav’ that is far more efficient than any human GPS device equivalent - and they don't get lost. In fact, they perform amazing complex functions just to produce honey (e.g. navigation, flower identification, etc.), and handle complex organic chemistry with ease. During the honey-making process the honeybee may conduct a total flying distance of twice around the earth!
Overall, it may take around 300 honeybees to manufacture 450 grams (one pound) of honey,
In an article published by Dr. Carl Wieland titled 'Bees outsmart supercomputers' who acts as the founding editor of the Creation magazine, and is one of the pioneers of the modern creation movement in Australia - he refers to a quote by Professor Lars Chittka from the University of London, who stated; [1]
‘In nature, bees have to link hundreds of flowers in a way that
minimizes travel distance, and then reliably find their way home—not a
trivial feat if you have a brain the size of a pinhead!
Indeed such traveling salesmen problems keep supercomputers busy for days.’
Honey - The Health Benefits
If you like to consume honey, then its best to choose 'raw honey' - as, the off the shelf commercially made honeys tend to process out the beneficial antioxidants and enzymes. [2] Interestingly, 'Raw honey' contains five compounds which give it an amazing 'antibacterial clout’ in terms of its healing powers.
It's also loaded with nutrients. According to the National Institutes of Health, they reported that there's at least 31 vitamins and minerals found in honey (e.g. vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and calcium, etc.).
Research studies also highlight that the natural sugars found within honey can be beneficial to the heart. This natural compound is known as 'trehalose' which is also found in mushrooms, lobsters and prawns. Research suggests that trehalose activates a protein that causes immune cells to remove fatty plaque from arteries, and even reducing artery plaque by up to 30% - thus, prevention of heart attacks. [3]
Honey also has the added ability to kill bacteria - mainly due to a protein [e.g. defensin-1].
Even the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend honey as a natural cough remedy and according to a study conducted by the Penn State College of Medicine in the U.S., it suggested that honey reduced nighttime coughing and improved sleep quality in children with upper respiratory infection better than the cough medicine dextromethorphan or no treatment. [4] It's well noted that a teaspoon of honey and one of cider vinegar in a glass of water keeps the arthritis away.
Concluding remarks
Honey - is mentioned again in Romans 1:20 "God’s sweetener, and medicine is surely one more evidence that his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse”
Since, there's no expiration date for honey, it only stands to reason that a few bottles (preferably in glass) be stored away for an economic disaster and health reasons. So, what are you waiting for, why not start incorporating honey into your daily diet now and make use of its Antibacterial and Anti-fungal properties.
If you can purchase it in its raw organic form the better, then proceed to stir a spoon into your coffee or tea; use it as a dressing or marinade, or drizzle it on your toast in the morning or mix it into your cereal. Be mindful that Honey is still a form of sugar - therefore, any daily intake should be moderate (2 tablespoons is ideal).
If you wish to visit a thriving small family business honey farm, then click on the following live link and check out 'Little Eden Honey Farm' within the famous Chittering area of Western Australia.
Refs.
1] Dr. Wieland, C. (2011). 'Bees outsmart supercomputers'. Creation; Vol.33,(3), p.56. July 2011.
2] [2015]. 'Gods-healing-gift-of-honey' Creation; Vol.37,(1), pp.14–17. Article cited online at https://creation.com/gods-healing-gift-of-honey. January 2015.
3] Thompson, A. (2017].'Could honey prevent heart attacks? Natural sugar found in the popular sweetener reduces artery plaque by 30%'. Daily Mail Australia. Published June 9, 2017.
4] Ware, M. 'Honey: health benefits, uses and risks'. Medical News Today Newsletter Article cited online at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/302572#1
Images
1.Pexels -Valeria Boltneva; 2. Pexels - Skitterphoto; 3. Pexels - Arthur Brognoli
