"You know what? There is a miracle food in the world, it may not cure all diseases, but it has a good health effect, drink a cup, it can help you detoxify and rejuvenate, moisturize and laxative, calm the mind and sleep, strengthen the spleen and appetize... It is - honey! ”
Stop! Stop! Stop! Ninth Uncle wants to say: In fact, honey is not so amazing, its real effect is only one!!
First, honey, how did it come about?
Today, let's do an "ingredient party" to see how honey comes from and what nutrients it has.
The raw material of honey is nectar, a natural sugary liquid produced by the nectar glands of plants, and the transformation process is roughly as follows:
①
Bees collect large amounts of nectar with their mouthparts, mix saliva with nectar in the mouth, and send it to the stomach for storage.
②
After collecting enough nectar, the bees will return to the hive and "spit out" the nectar stored in the stomach into the mouths of other worker bees, and the nectar is mixed with the saliva and digestive enzymes of multiple bees through "word of mouth", and after a certain level, the honeys will apply the nectar to the inner wall of the hive.
③
Bees will constantly flap their wings near the mouth of the nest, evaporating the water in the nectar, making the honey sticky.
Studies have found that the main components of honey are fructose, glucose and other sugars, accounting for about 80%, water accounts for more than 10%, its essence is high concentration of sugar, so it is so sweet and not easy to spoil.
Even though honey also contains other ingredients, such as mineral vitamins and trace amounts of biological enzymes, these components account for less than 1% of honey's content.
Second, drink honey for health? Don't believe these claims
Myth 1: A glass of honey water in the morning can moisturize the intestines and laxative?
The reason why there is the illusion of "honey water laxation" is because of the physiological diarrhea caused by fructose metabolism disorders, that is, fructose intolerance, which is the same as some people drinking milk intolerance.
To achieve smooth bowel movements, what should really be done is to drink more water and eat more dietary fiber, water and dietary fiber can stimulate intestinal peristalsis, soften feces, promote bowel movements, and increase the frequency of bowel movements.
Claim 2: Honey lemonade, can detoxify and rejuvenate?
The main component of honey water is sugar, vitamins, minerals, proteins, organic acids, enzymes and other content are very small, and other foods are also available, honey does not have a unique role.
In addition, lemonade does not have whitening effect, its vitamin C content is not very high, only 22mg/100g, in order to achieve the effective dose of whitening, you need to eat hundreds of lemons (with skin) at one time, obviously contrary to reality.
If you want good skin, it is not about eating a certain type of food, but about eating a balanced diet:
(1) Dark foods rich in antioxidants, such as green leafy vegetables, vegetables containing lycopene, purple rice, black rice, grapes and other anthocyanin-rich legumes and vegetables.
(2) High-protein foods, such as milk and cheese.
(3) Foods rich in iron and zinc, such as lean meat, beef and mutton, animal liver, etc.
(4) Foods rich in vitamin D, such as butter, egg yolk, cod liver oil, etc.
(5) Foods rich in dietary fiber.
Myth 3: Can honey cure alcohol?
Although there are relevant studies that confirm that honey can properly protect the damage caused by alcohol to the gastric mucosa, there is no evidence that honey can speed up alcohol metabolism, so it cannot be hangover!
Myth 4: A glass of honey water before going to bed can help sleep?
Honey contains tryptophan, a substance that aids sleep, but the content of tryptophan in food is limited, and it is difficult to reach a sleepy dose with only a glass of honey water. Conversely, drinking plenty of water before bed may lead to increased nocturia.
If you have the habit of getting up at night, you can consider not drinking water 2 hours before going to bed.
Third, the real benefits of honey are only this one
Faith is shattered, isn't honey good at all? Of course, there is, and multiple studies and guidelines agree that honey has the effect of relieving coughs.
Researchers from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom published a study in the journal BMJ found that honey was better able to treat upper respiratory tract infections. The World Health Organization also mentioned in the "Guidelines for Coughing in Children" that honey can wrap the mucous membrane in the throat, thereby slowing down the frequency and intensity of coughing.
The "Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cough in Children in China (2021 Edition)" mentions that the effect of honey in relieving cough may be comparable to antitussive. The American College of Chest Physicians also gives clear recommendations: honey is the only recommended drug for the treatment of cough related to the common cold.
However, it should be noted that honey is not suitable for everyone to eat, and if you do not pay attention to the dosage, it may cause "poisoning".
Fourth, eat honey healthily, keep these 4 points in mind
Children under 1 year old are prohibited from eating
Honey may contain botulinum toxin and its spores, and for infants and young children under 1 year of age with poor resistance and unstable intestinal environment, consumption of honey may cause rapid multiplication of toxins and cause food poisoning.
2. Three types of people reduce consumption
Diabetics: The sugar content of honey is as high as 80%, and it is easy to be quickly absorbed after entering the human body, which has a greater impact on blood sugar.
Patients with liver disease: The sugar of honey can be converted into fat, which accumulates in the human body, and fructose will also affect liver metabolism and increase the burden on the liver.
Patients with high uric acid/gout: fructose affects liver metabolism and produces large amounts of uric acid, causing insulin resistance, which leads to reduced uric acid excretion and aggravates the condition of gout.
3. There is no need to put it in the refrigerator for storage
When the temperature is too low, the honey will crystallize and precipitate glucose. Although it does not affect the food safety and nutritional value of honey, it may affect the taste.
4. The shelf life is mostly 2 years
Theoretically, ripe and highly pure honey can be stored indefinitely under sealed, protected conditions. But in reality, because honey containers are often opened, spoons can also carry bacteria and moisture, accelerating spoilage. According to the requirements of the Food Law, honey is best consumed within 2 years.
Honey has no magical health effect, let alone replace the use of drugs, its sugar content is too high, eat more will become fat, everyone should still pay attention to eating, do not be greedy!
Resources:
[1] BMJ: Oxford University research shows that honey works best in treating upper respiratory tract infections and also prevents bacterial resistance. Maytz Med. 2020-08-20
[2] Du Xuefeng. How bees make honey[J]. China Health Food, 2017(10):1.
[3] Can eating honey every day improve cardiometabolism? Are you sure, Medical Profession Cardiovascular Channel, 2022-11-27
Reproduction without the author's permission is prohibited