The Hindu Business Line : Nectar of the gods

To glow with health and sweeten your life, add honey to your daily diet. Rich with vitamins, minerals and amino acids, honey is also an excellent nutrient and a natural beauty aid for flawless skin and silky hair. Honey acts as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent and helps disinfect and speed the healing process in wounds, scrapes and burns. The best thing about honey is its convenience. One can eat honey straight from the jar, spread it over bread like jam, or mix it with fruit juices or other beverages like sugar.

Nutrients

Honey contains sugars such as glucose and fructose, and minerals such as potassium, calcium, sulphur, magnesium, iron, and phosphate. Traces of copper, iodine , and zinc are also present. This wonder food is packed with vitamins B1, B2, B6, B5, B3, and C. These nutrients vary according to the nature of the flowers from which the honey bees obtain nectar and pollen.

Weight loss

The richness of nutrients in honey aids weight loss. Weight watchers may wonder how honey can help, as honey contains a form of sugar and is therefore high on calories. Honey is far superior to refined sugar because sugar lacks nutrients, and has empty calories. A daily dose of honey can satiate the sweet tooth and keep overzealous dieters nourished and energised. Honey is believed to aid weight loss when taken with warm water, with lemon juice, or with cinnamon powder. Honey is perceived to help burn the stored fat in the body.

Honey is helpful for athletes because it helps to sustain blood sugar levels during periods of heavy exercise. It helps in revitalising muscles and restoring glycogen levels after strenuous physical activity.

Refined sugar and starches must undergo a process of inversion during digestion to change them into a form which the body can absorb. Honey has been already pre-digested by the bees, and its sugar already converted into levulose and dextrose. This saves the stomach extra labour, and makes honey most suitable for people with weak digestions.

Uses

Honey is a home remedy for minor ailments. A dab of honey helps cuts and scrapes to heal quickly. Its powerful anti-microbial properties soothe raw tissues. Chemicals present in honey kill viruses, bacteria, and fungus, making it a useful dressing especially for wet wounds. The sugar in honey absorbs water and traps some of the moisture. So, bacteria cannot thrive easily.

A spoonful of honey and lemon juice (undiluted with water) can soothe sore throats. Add a dash of black pepper to this to increase blood circulation.

Honey can be used as a natural, safe cosmetic for radiant skin and beautiful hair. The alpha hydroxyl acids in honey help to rejuvenate the skin cells.

Honey-based face applications

A face scrub with honey and almond paste removes dead skin cells and lends a glow.

A mixture of honey and milk left for 15 minutes on the face makes a fine moisturising mask. Honey consumed with milk is also good for the skin and health.

Lemon juice, olive oil and honey can be mixed and applied to dry, rough patches of skin on the knees, elbows, hands, or feet. Wash it off after 20 minutes for petal-soft skin.

A teaspoon of honey mixed with egg white, one teaspoon glycerine and enough flour to make a thick paste makes the skin firmer and tightens the pores. Leave on the face to dry and then rinse off to reveal smooth skin.

Honey with olive oil makes an excellent hair conditioner. Massage onto the hair, leave for half an hour, and then wash the hair thoroughly.

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