“A spoonful of honey makes the medicine go down because it is yogavaahi (potentiating/ synergistic)” says Ayurveda. It claims that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage with medicine, it does not harm diabetic or obese patients. The ferment and a special protein as well as the vitamins in honey perhaps account for the beneficial action of honey in these conditions. Today’s Science says that since honey consists of velulose, it is not harmful in diabetes.
Honey is the oldest sweet and sweetener known to man. Virtually, every ancient religious text mentions it. In ancient Babylon, it was a man’s duty to provide his son-in-law with as much mead as he could drink in the first lunar month after the wedding—hence the term ‘honeymoon’.
Honey is made from nectar, a sweet sap produced by special glands in flowers collected from both wild and cultivated plants. No flower contains honey as such but the nectar collected by the honeybees is converted into honey by them and stored in the honeycomb. Nectar contains 50-90 per cent of water, 10-50 per cent sugar (predominantly sucrose) and 1-4 per cent aromatic substances, coloring material and minerals. To transform nectar into honey, honeybees reduce the moisture content so that the final honey produced contains between 14 and 19 per cent water. They also add one enzyme, which inverts the sucrose, a twelve-carbon compound, into two six-carbon sugars namely Levulose and Dextrose. The Levulose, the sweetest of the common sugars makes honey sweeter than cane sugar. Apart from these, it contains small amount of minerals, acids, coloring materials and flavoring materials. It also contains vitamin B1, B2, C and nicotinic acid. Its nutritive value is due to the presence of high level of sugars, which are directly used in our body as energy giver. Honey contains more nutrients than refined sugar. You can use less honey than sugar in recipes. It contains fewer calories and carbohydrates than sugar, as it contains water. But when substituting honey for sugar in recipes, (due to the high density of honey compared to sugar), substitute it by volume rather than by weight, as that would give you more calories.
MEDICINAL USES
• Wound healer: The use of honey in Ayurveda as a wound dressing material has been rediscovered. The viscosity of honey provides a protective barrier to prevent wounds from becoming infected. Honey will draw moisture from the air, which promotes healing, and even helps prevent scarring. It stimulates the formation of new blood capillaries and the growth of fibroblasts that replace the connective tissue of the deeper layer of the skin and produce the collagen fibers that give strength to the repair. The high sugar content of honey—due to osmosis—draws lymph out of a wound, lifts dirt out of the wound bed and reduces swelling around the wound. Honey does not stick to the underlying wound tissues, as it creates a solution of honey in contact with the wound surface so that there is no tearing away of newly formed tissue, and no pain, when dressings are changed. Honey helps fight germs by converting oxygen in the system into hydrogen peroxide—a very good disinfectant—generated by the action of an enzyme that the bees add to the nectar. Honey also has a low-protein content, which essentially starves the bacteria of the nitrogen it needs to grow. Honey is fully effective even with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Unlike antiseptics and antibiotics there is no impairment of the healing process through adverse effects on wound tissues. While using honey as a wound-dressing material, ensure that there is an even coverage of the wound surface with honey. Honey can be made fluid by stirring or warming. Cavities may be filled by pouring in fluidized honey, or more conveniently by using honey packed in squeeze-tubes. Spread honey on the dressing pad rather than on the ulcer—it is much easier to do and causes less discomfort for the patient. The amount of honey needed depends on the amount of fluid exuding from the wound: typically, 20 ml of honey is used on a 10 cm X 10cm dressing. Cover with absorbent secondary dressings so that the honey is prevented from leaking out or being exposed to insects. Change the dressings more frequently if the honey is being diluted a lot—otherwise change everyday or after two days. Because the enzyme in honey that produces hydrogen peroxide is destroyed by heating and exposure to light, unpasteurized honey should be used, and it should be stored in a cool place and protected from light. If it is necessary to warm honey to liquefy it, it should be heated to no more than 37° C.
• Acne: Mix three tablespoonfuls of honey and one teaspoonful of cinnamon powder. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples.
• Arthritis: Take one part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and add a small teaspoon of cinnamon powder, make a paste and slowly massage it on the painful part of the body. The pain recedes within a minute or two. For internal use, take daily—morning and night—one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
• Burns: To heal burns, mix honey with turmeric powder and apply the paste on the burn area.
• Cold and cough: A mixture of half tsp of black pepper powder, 1 tsp of long pepper powder and 1 tsp of honey helps relieve a painful throat. Dried ginger powder half tsp, 2-3 black pepper cones, 2-3 cloves, 2-3 cardamoms, half tsp cumin seeds added to black tea with a dash of honey gives good relief in case of cold, cough and throat inflammation. It can be taken two to three times in a day.
• Cracked lips: To treat cracked lips, apply half tsp fresh milk cream with quarter tsp honey and 2 to 3 drops of rose water on your lips.
• Diarrhea: During diarrhea nutmeg powder mixed with honey can be taken. Small children can also be administered with it, twice or thrice a day as the case may be.
• Energy booster: To get more energy before exercising, have a spoonful of honey before you start. It gives instant energy that lasts longer.
• Hair loss: Those suffering from hair loss or baldness, may apply a paste of hot olive oil, one tablespoonful of honey, one teaspoonful of cinnamon powder before bath and keep it for approx. 15 minutes and then wash the hair. In experimental studies, it was found to be effective even if kept on for 5 minutes.
• High cholesterol: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread or chappati instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol.
• Indigestion: To cure indigestion, boil a few sticks of cinnamon (dalchini) in a bowl of water. Add a pinch of pepper powder and a little honey. Take one tsp after meals to relieve indigestion.
• Low immunity: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.
• Obesity: Daily in the morning half an hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight. Also drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high-calorie diet.
• Tooth ache: Make a paste of one teaspoonful of cinnamon powder and five teaspoonfuls of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied 3 times a day till the tooth stops aching.
• Urinary tract infections: Take two tablespoonfuls of cinnamon powder and one teaspoonful of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It checks the germs in the bladder.
• Cleanser: Pour 1 teaspoonful of honey into the palm of your hand. Pour a little milk powder into the honey. Mix well and apply on your face as your daily cleanser.
• Scrub: Pour one teaspoonful of honey into the palm of your hand. Pour a little almond flour into the honey. Mix well and apply on your face gently as a facial scrub. Good for all skin types too.
• Bath: Four tablespoonfuls of whole milk powder and two tablespoonfuls of honey in a baby bath make an excellent treat for the kids. Be sure to rinse off thoroughly after that.
• Hair conditioner: Mix half cup honey and half cup olive oil (use two tablespoonfuls oil for normal hair). Work a small amount at a time through hair until coated. Cover hair with a shower cap; leave on for 30 minutes. Remove shower cap; shampoo well and rinse. Dry as normal.
• Hair rinse: Stir one teaspoonful honey into four cups warm water. Blondes may wish to add a squeeze of lemon. After shampooing, pour mixture through hair. Do not rinse out. Dry as normal.
• Moisture mask: Mix two tablespoonfuls honey with one teaspoonful milk. Smooth over face and throat. Leave for 10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Great for dry skins or mature skins.
• Conditioning face pack: Make face pack with a mixture of one tbsp honey, one egg white, one tsp glycerine and enough flour to make a quarter cup of paste. Apply smoothly over your face and throat. Rinse with warm water after 10 minutes.
• Smoothing skin lotion: Mix one teaspoonful honey with one teaspoonful vegetable oil and half teaspoonful lemon juice. Rub into hands, elbows, and heels; anywhere that feels dry. Leave on for 10 minutes. Rinse off with water.