Do you often hear such words: honey can beautify the skin, honey can moisten the intestines and laxative, honey can be antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, honey can replenish energy, honey can enhance immunity... The benefits of honey seem to be innumerable, making it seem like a miracle food that can solve a wide variety of health problems.
But have you ever wondered if these claims are true, what kind of health benefits does honey have, how does it produce these effects, and does it have any side effects or contraindications?
If you are curious about these questions, then please read on, because in this article, I will unveil the mystery of honey for you, and use a scientific perspective to analyze the health effects of honey for you, so that you can truly understand this sweet liquid, and finally reveal it to the world.
1. What is honey?
Before we start talking about the health benefits of honey, let's first understand what honey is, how is it formed, and what are its characteristics?
Honey, as the name suggests, is a sweet liquid made by bees in the hive after the process of brewing, evaporation, and enzymatic hydrolysis.
The color, aroma, taste, viscosity, crystallinity and other characteristics of honey mainly depend on the species of nectar source plants, climatic conditions, bee species, harvest time and other factors. In general, the darker the color of honey, the stronger the flavor, and the higher the nutritional value.
The main components of honey are water and sugar, of which the sugar is mainly glucose and fructose, accounting for 70%~80% of the total weight of honey. These two monosaccharides are directly absorbed by the body.
It does not need to be digested, so honey can quickly replenish the body's energy and eliminate fatigue.
In addition to water and sugar, honey also contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, organic acids, pollen, propolis, aroma substances, etc., which are all nutrients required by the human body and have a variety of physiological functions.
2. What are the health effects of honey?
As a natural food, honey has rich nutrients and a variety of physiological functions, therefore, it also has a variety of health effects, let me introduce to you, what are the health effects of honey, and how it produces these effects.
1. Beauty and beauty: Honey has a good effect on beauty and beauty, which is mainly due to its three components: vitamins, organic acids and flavonoids.
Vitamins are important nutrients for human skin, which can promote skin metabolism, increase skin elasticity, and prevent skin dryness, wrinkles, pigmentation and other aging phenomena. Honey contains a variety of vitamins, especially B vitamins, which help the skin synthesize collagen and keep the skin smooth and firm.
Organic acid is a natural acidic substance in honey, which can regulate the acid-base balance of the skin, remove dirt and oil from the surface of the skin, shrink pores, and inhibit the occurrence of acne. Honey contains a variety of organic acids, mainly gluconic acid and citric acid, which gently exfoliate and make the skin smooth and refined.
Flavonoids are a natural antioxidant in honey, which can remove free radicals in the body, prevent oxidative damage to the skin, delay skin aging, and enhance the skin's resistance. Honey contains a variety of flavonoids, such as anthocyanins, quercetin, rutin, etc., which can protect skin cells and increase the skin's radiance and elasticity.
Therefore, regular consumption of honey or honey compress can achieve the effect of beautifying and nourishing the skin, making the skin more youthful and healthy.
2. Laxative: Honey has a good laxative effect, which is mainly due to its two components: fructose and organic acids.
Fructose is a monosaccharide in honey, which can increase the osmotic pressure in the intestines, absorb water in the intestines, soften the stool, promote intestinal peristalsis, and relieve constipation. The fructose content in honey is high, accounting for about half of the sugar, therefore, honey has a strong moisturizing effect.
Organic acid is a natural acidic substance in honey, which can stimulate the secretion and activity of the intestines, increase the digestive capacity of the intestines, eliminate waste and toxins in the intestines, and prevent inflammation and infection of the intestines. Honey contains a variety of organic acids, mainly gluconic acid and citric acid, which can regulate the acid-base balance of the intestines and maintain the health of the intestines.
Therefore, regular consumption of honey or soaking in water with honey can achieve a laxative effect, making the intestines smoother and cleaner.
3. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory: Honey has a good antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, which is mainly due to its two components: enzymes and propolis.
Enzymes are an active substance in honey, which can decompose hydrogen peroxide in honey to produce a substance with a strong bactericidal effect, called catalase. This substance can kill or inhibit a variety of bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms, preventing them from causing infection and inflammation in the human body.
Honey contains a variety of enzymes, mainly catalase, glucose oxidase, invertase, etc., which can make honey have a strong antibacterial effect.
Propolis is a substance that bees collect resin or pollen, process it, and paste it at the entrance or crevice of the hive, which can protect the hive from external aggression and prevent the growth of bacteria in the hive.
Propolis contains a variety of antibacterial substances, such as flavonoids, phenols, volatile oils, minerals, etc., which can enhance the antibacterial effect of honey, and can also be anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-allergic, etc.
Therefore, regular consumption of honey or smearing wounds with honey can achieve antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, making wounds heal faster and preventing infection and inflammation.
Through the above introduction, do you have a deeper understanding of honey? Do you have more confidence in the health effect of honey? Honey is a natural food, which can not only beautify the skin, moisten the intestines and laxative, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, but also enhance immunity, prevent diseases, delay aging, and improve the quality of life. Honey is a good friend of human beings, and it can bring us health and happiness.
Of course, although honey is good, it should not be consumed in excess, otherwise it will cause obesity, diarrhea, tooth decay and other problems. In general, one to two tablespoons of honey per day is sufficient, preferably in the morning on an empty stomach or an hour before bedtime, for maximum health benefits.
In short, honey is a miracle food that has a variety of health benefits that can finally be revealed to the world. If you want to enjoy the benefits of honey, then act fast and choose the one that is right for you and start your honey wellness journey. I believe you will find that honey will bring you unexpected surprises and harvests.
Source: From Baidu Wan Teacher Health Shop
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