Raw honey is naturally sweet with many health benefits. People use it as an alternative to regular table sugar. Know what they are.
Bidisha Mukherjee
Raw honey is a naturally-occurring substance, which has been in use since ancient times across various cultures. Raw honey means it's not processed or heated and is unpasteurized. Organic raw honey grown in your locality is the best for you.
That's because it's obtained from bees that are present in your surrounding and so it has those components which are required to stimulate your immunity in that particular environment. Apart from being good in taste, it has many health benefits.
It is a highly nutritious substance which supplies many useful nutrients to our body like carbohydrate, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and phytonutrients. Due to the presence of carbohydrates, raw honey gives a good amount of energy.
It can strengthen your immune system and help fight against many types of bacteria. It helps to heal various types of wounds. As the sugar content in it is very high and the water content is low, it is capable of absorbing excess of moisture within a wound. Due to lack of moisture, bacteria do not get suitable environment to grow and thus, they die.
In some specific varieties of honey, hydrogen peroxide is present in large quantities, which helps to destroy the micro-organisms in a wound. Propolis is another compound present in it, which is capable of killing various bacteria.
Health Benefits
Organic raw honey acts as a good energizer and provides energy instantly. The carbohydrates present in it increase your body strength and help us to get rid of muscle fatigue. It also works effectively on morning sickness. Sore throats like pharyngitis and laryngitis may also be healed with it.
When combined with apple cider vinegar it is a good medicine for constipation, pain in stomach, and migraines. It does not contain any cholesterol, and therefore, it is beneficial in controlling cholesterol and lowering the risk of heart attacks.
When taken along with cinnamon, honey can provide significant relief to joint pain in arthritis. The same components are also used to treat stomach and bladder infections. They may also be used to treat bad breath. Research suggests that honey and cinnamon, when applied directly on the scalp can reduce the process of hair loss.
When it is mixed with lemon, and consumed regularly it helps convert the accumulated fat into usable energy. This helps in the process of weight loss. It can be applied as an ointment on diabetic ulcers and skin diseases like, eczema.
It is an excellent moisturizer for dry skin and hence may be used for facial treatment. Rub gently one teaspoon of honey on the face, and wash it off with lukewarm water, this helps you get a soft and glowing skin within a week. This treatment works for oily skin as well, which is acne prone, as it has a healing effect on the acne.
Raw honey can be preserved without any artificial preservative, and hence, it can work as a good preservative too. Every morning, you may consume two teaspoons of raw honey with warm water or you can add it to your morning tea as well.
Despite so many health benefits, it is not good for babies below the age of one year. This is because, a specific bacteria called Clostridium botulinum is found in honey, which can cause infection in the intestines of the child. As their immunity is not developed enough to stop the growth of this bacteria, they may face serious outcomes.