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Honey has nutritional and therapeutic properties that bring several health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants that protect the body and heart from aging, helps to lower blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol, contains properties against bacteria, fungi and viruses, combats sore throat and cough and can also be used as natural sweetener.
However, even with all these benefits, honey should be consumed in moderation, as it is still rich in calories and sugar.
Replacing pure sugar with honey in some foods helps to keep blood sugar levels stable and can have many health benefits. Some of these advantages are:
1. Increase the body's defenses
The compounds present in honey confer antioxidant power, which helps to protect the body. Among the benefits, there is a reduction in the risk of heart attack and strokes, promotion of eye health, in addition to helping in the treatment of some types of cancer, such as kidney, preventing the multiplication of cancer cells.
2. Improve heart health
Honey has benefits for heart health as it is able to increase blood flow and reduce the formation of clots. This process helps to lower blood pressure, thus preventing heart disease.
3. Improve cholesterol and lower triglycerides
Honey can be a good ally in fighting high cholesterol because it lowers the levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and increases the "good" cholesterol (HDL) in the body.
In addition, honey can help lower triglyceride levels because it can be used as a substitute for sugar. Generally, diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates cause increased levels of triglycerides, increasing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
4. Fight bacteria and fungi in wounds
Honey has properties that reduce healing time, as they are able to sterilize wounds, reducing pain, smell and size, thus promoting their healing, being considered effective and even better than some dressings.
It can also be a great option to treat diabetic foot ulcers as it fights germs and helps tissue regeneration. Honey has also been used to cure oral and genital herpes lesions, as it reduces itching and works as well as ointments found in the pharmacy.
It can also treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria, ulcers and wounds in the long term after surgery and burns.
5. Relieve sore throat, asthma and cough
Honey reduces inflammation and swelling of the throat and lungs, being effective even in cases of flu and cold, improving sleep.
It is recommended to take 2 teaspoons of honey at bedtime, as the candy causes more saliva to be produced.This improves the throat mucosa by protecting against irritation, reducing and relieving cough, and in many cases, it is safer and more effective than some syrups. Here's how to prepare honey tea with lemon and other home remedies for the flu.
6. Improve gastrointestinal health
Honey is a very potent prebiotic that nourishes the good bacteria that live in the intestine, so it is beneficial for digestion and health in general. In addition, it can also be used to treat digestive problems such as diarrhea and is effective in treating bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which cause gastric ulcers.
Still, another tea that can be made to combat bad digestion is honey with cinnamon, as these two natural foods help to improve the digestive process as a whole.
7. Help with memory and anxiety
The use of honey to replace sugar has been associated with improved memory and anxiety levels. In addition, studies indicate that honey can also improve the memory of menopausal and postmenopausal women.
8. Treat hemorrhoids
Honey has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and healing properties, which reduce bleeding and relieve the pain and itching caused by hemorrhoids. To do this, just mix honey, olive oil and beeswax and then apply in the region.
9. Fight obesity
Due to its properties, honey improves blood sugar and fat control, reducing the inflammatory state and helping to maintain weight.
Nutritional information of honey
The table below shows the nutritional information for 100 g and for 1 teaspoon of honey:
Nutrients | 100 g of honey | 1 teaspoon of honey (6g) |
Calories (kcal) | 312 | 18 |
Protein | 0,5 | 0,03 |
Carbohydrates | 78 | 4,68 |
Fat | 0 | 0 |
Sodium | 12 | 0,72 |
Potassium | 51 | 3,06 |
Phosphor | 10 | 0,6 |
Water | 17,2 | 1,03 |
Iron | 0,4 | 0,024 |
Magnesium | 2 | 0,12 |
Fructose | 38,2 | 2,29 |
Glucose | 31,28 | 1,87 |
Maltose | 7,31 | 0,43 |
Sucrose | 1,31 | 0,07 |
It is important to remember that honey is not recommended for young children up to 3 years of age, due to the possibility that the intestine, still immature, does not prevent the entry of small microorganisms, present in honey, which can cause infections.
Contraindications for honey
Even though honey has many benefits, there are some restrictions and it is contraindicated for some people in some situations such as:
- Children under 1 year of age: up to the first year of age, as the child's digestive system may not be fully developed, there is a high risk of serious botulism intoxications by a bacterium commonly found in honey. Learn more about baby botulism.
- Diabetics: even though honey has many benefits over white sugar, people with diabetes should avoid it because it contains simple sugars that increase blood glucose;
- Allergic: to avoid symptoms such as redness of the skin, itching of the body and throat, swollen lips and watery eyes from those who are allergic to honey, the ideal is to avoid consuming both honey and products containing it;
- Fructose intolerance: as fructose is present in the composition of honey, intolerant people cannot consume it, as well as they should exclude other products with fructose from the diet.
Therefore, if it has no contraindications, given all the benefits of honey, this food is a great ally and inserting it in the daily diet can be a great choice.