Health Benefits of Honey

The benefits of honey do not just stop at the satisfaction of our taste buds. The powerful healing attributes of honey have long been used to promote health and healing. Both the Holy Koran and hadiths refer to honey as a healer of disease. In the Koran we read, “And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees and in people’s habitations… there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for humankind. Verily in this is a sign for those who give thought.” [Sura An-Nahl, ayat 68-69].

Additionally, in Sahih Bukhari we read that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Honey is a remedy for every illness and the Koran is a remedy for all illnesses of the mind, therefore I recommend to you both remedies, the Koran and honey.”

Honey offers remarkable antiseptic, antioxidant and immune boosting properties for our body and health. It not only fights infection and helps tissue healing but also helps reduce inflammation and is often used for treating digestive problems such as indigestion, stomach ulcers and gastroenteritis.

Researchers from around the world are discovering new and exciting medical benefits of honey and other healing products made in the hive, such as propolis, royal jelly and bee pollen.

As in all foods, the health benefits of honey largely depend on its quality. Raw honey, the purest form, comes straight from the comb and is placed into the honey extractor or press. Such honey is unheated, unpasteurized and unprocessed. Because it is raw, it tends to have fine textured crystals in it that occur naturally when glucose, one of three main sugars in honey, sponta-neously precipitates out of the super-saturated honey solution. If your raw honey crystallizes, simply place the container in hot water for 15 minutes and this will help return it to its liquid state.

To keep your energy levels up use honey as an excellent source of easily assimilated energy; honey is one ofthe most effective forms of carbohydrates to ingest just prior to exercise and to replenish your energy levels.

The glucose contained in honey is absorbed by the body quickly, giving an immediate energy boost, while the fructose content is absorbed more slowly, providing sustained energy. Honey has also been found to keep levels of blood sugar fairly constant compared to other types of sugar, and it appears to be a carbohydrate source that is relatively mild in its effects upon blood su-gar compared to other carbohydrate sources.

Honey has been used for thousands of years to help calm a child’s cough, aid in cholesterol relief and digestion and to promote the healing of wounds. Honey, in its purest form truly is a head-to-toe cure that will surely be used more and more in the years to come.

SOURCE: ISLAM RELIGION