Nature’s Perfect Product
15/12/2009 5:16:56 PM
ETCM
Honey, made from nectar by honeybees, is not only sweet but has a wealth of goodness discovered and yet to be discovered. It is commonly used as a sweetener of drinks and an ingredient in baking and cooking. Today, it is used to help improve skin condition and some can also help improve various health conditions.
The types of honey and its nutritional value
Not all honey is created equal. Its nutritional value and health benefits are dependant on which plant the honey was made from. But honey typically contains a high amount of glucose and fructose, carbohydrates, trace amounts of vitamins and minerals, and tiny amounts of antioxidants. Therefore, honey good for cooking is different from honey that is good for the skin, or one that may help allergy sufferers and so on. Honey tastes different too and its flavour is entirely dependant on the plant from which the nectar was collected.
In the market today, we can find an assortment of honey. There is polyfloral honey (a combination honey from various flowers), monofloral honey (honey derived from a single plant), blended honey (combination of two or more honeys blended by humans), and honey-dew honey (honey derived from the honey-dew fruit).
|
The packaging of honey is also varied:
Comb Honey is still in the bees wax and is extremely high in nutritional value if you can get past the waxy taste of the comb.
Crystallized/granulated Honey is honey with some honey crystals in it.
Pasteurized Honey is honey that has gone through a pasteurization process that reduces the moisture level and liquefies the crystals – nutritional value has been undermined but improves shelf life.
Raw honey is honey as it exists in the beehive and has only been bottled after settling and straining
Whipped/spun/candied/fondant honey produces a spreadable honey that is smooth in consistency.
Dried honey is honey that has had its moisture extracted from it and is completely solid.
|
Honey as medicine
If honey is just like sugar, how can it have any medicinal value? It may be like sugar, but unlike sugar it contains bacteria and other substances that are beneficial to humans, and that’s why it has excellent healing properties.
Honey used topically: honey has antibacterial properties that helps prevent infection, reduces inflammation, reduces scarring while moisturizing and softening the skin. It is great on sunburns, great as a general-purpose skin and hair softener and moisturiser, helps with conjunctivitis, athlete’s foot and other fungal infections and can be used as an antiseptic for treating cuts and wounds.
Honey used internally: honey’s antimicrobial action soothes a mean sore throat, can help heal ulcers and upset stomachs, proven to regulate intestinal function, alleviate constipations and diarrhoea, helps promote sleep and keeps you awake (confusing but true) and because it has a variety of antioxidants, may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
If you are looking for the “super” honey, it has to be the Manuka honey of New Zealand made only from the Manuka bush. It contains an antibacterial component called the UMF (Unique Manuka Factor) and has been found to be better at combating infections as it is effective against many of the “superbugs” strains of bacteria.
|
| So if you haven’t got the honey yet…go get it! |
|