Honey is a sweet thick fluid prepared by the honeybees from the nectar of flowers.Nutritionally speaking,honey contains about 75-80% sugar and the rest is a mixture of water and minerals like phosphorous,calcium,magnesium,some acids and enzymes.So we see,that together with minerals,honey also gives us energy,about 300 to 320 calories per 100ml of honey.To put it simply,one tsp of honey would give us about 15 to 16 calories.
The enzymes present in honey aid in digestion of food especially raw sugars and starch.The difference between the commonly used sugar and honey is that,the sugars contained in honey are in a very simple predigested form and thus are directly absorbed by our body.Whereas the normal sugar has to be broken down in our body into simpler forms to be digested and absorbed.Apart from giving nutrition,honey can be used as a sweetening agent in sweets and desserts.
In addition to the excellent medicinal properties,honey is supposed to be a good thirst quencher.Arabs take honey and water across deserts.Another aspect of honey is its use in the beauty treatment.One of the most commonly used facepacks for aging skin,is a mixture of honey and cornflour and limejuice.It also acts as a good moisturiser and helps in most dry skin problems.
So we see that honey is a pleasant,attractive,sweet item of food with plenty of other uses too.This does not mean that you can eat as much honey,as you like.We all know that excess of calories over and above what we require would make us fat and honey does have calories.Honey may improve your digestion but it should not be done at the cost of giving you a sweet tooth!
As Medicine:
- One to two tsps full of honey in a glass of hot milk is said to be a good sedative.
- For children the use of honey as a general tonic has been known from time immemorial.The reason being that honey acts as a disinfectant and an antiseptic.So a judicious internal administration of honey would render the digestive system aseptic and disease-causing germs would fail to thrive.
- Honey is good for sore throats,coughs and colds.An age-old cough mixture still used in many homes consists of honey and limejuice in equal parts.
- Honey is also reputed to be a good stimulant for a weak heart.
- As far as constipation is concerned,honey is a very popular laxative.
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