The development of science and technology has allowed us to uncover the numerous health benefits of consuming honey. Despite the fact that we know so much about honey today, it is not being utilized in the manner it should be. Very few of us are even remotely interested to consume honey every single week, let alone on a daily basis. We would much rather opt for sugar and other unhealthy sugary products instead of honey. It is not that honey tastes bad, it is just that people are yet to develop an affinity for it.
Our ancestors did not know as much about honey as we do. However, they still made better use of this remarkable natural product that we are overlooking nowadays. This is why so many of the traditional recipes across a number of cuisines involved honey as a primary ingredient. The people of yesteryears would use honey in both savory items as well as in desserts. Unlike them, we keep our honey bottled up and locked inside kitchen cabinets. They are only ever used when we are trying to make a fancy dessert for a special occasion. Instead of being used so rarely, honey should be utilized as a sugar substitute. If we had done that more often, then we could have led much healthier lives.
Regardless of how we may have misused honey in the past, it is never too late to start over again. By learning about the amazing properties of honey, you will find the drive and the motivation to include honey in your daily diet and adopt healthier eating habits. Here are four reasons why honey should be a key ingredient in every household:
1) Honey Helps Alleviate Cough
Having a bad cough can really ruin your week. Not only are you going to lose your voice, but you have to deal with aches in the throat, mouth, and chest caused by the incessant coughing. In times like these, we resort to expensive cough medications. If the coughing persists for longer than a week or if you are the kind of person who is prone to coughing, then you will be required to spend a considerable amount of your money in buying pricey cough medications.
This problem can be easily avoided if you rely on honey. According to the World Health Organization, honey is a demulcent. For those of you who are not familiar with the term “demulcent”, it basically refers to a substance that can help alleviate the irritation in the mouth and throat. Honey is able to grant you relief from this irritation by forming a smooth film in the affected regions. This soothes the coughs and makes it much easier for you to find your voice. Consuming honey when you have a cough can also lower sleeping difficulties associated with upper respiratory tract infections.
2) Honey Can Reduce Allergic Reactions
The properties of honey that make it useful for alleviating cough related irritations in the throat and the mouth have made scientists believe that honey could be instrumental in reducing seasonal allergy symptoms. You are not going to come across a lot of clinical studies to prove this theory. However, many of the leading health experts around the world share the belief that honey has the ability to act like a natural vaccine. The small amounts of pollen contained within pure honey can trigger the body to produce antibodies. With repeated exposure, the antibodies will build up inside the body, making it less likely to produce and release histamine. As a result, the allergic responses will become less frequent.
3) Honey Can be An All-Natural Energy Drink
The energy drink market is booming, to say the least. As schedules become more hectic and jobs become more demanding, people are getting sapped more than ever. This has led to an exponential increase in the demand for energy drinks that are meant to help people trudge through their daily work routine. Instead of paying a premium price for “high quality” caffeinated energy drinks that may or may not be healthy, people should consume honey more often. Honey is an all-natural energy drink that is packed with unprocessed fructose and glucose. These nutrients enter the bloodstream directly and provide a quick boost of energy.
4) Honey Can Enhance Memory
Struggling to concentrate and retain memory is one of the biggest problems that the modern man faces. The honey could serve as a simple solution to this problem. The antioxidants contained within honey have the ability to prevent cellular damage and loss inside the brain. This was proven by a 2011 study that was published in Menopause. The study went on to reveal that women who consumed 20 grams of honey a day were likely to possess better short-term memory than their counterparts who were on hormone pills.