Honey is truly a wonderful gift of nature to all of us! Honey has been regarded as a royal food since several thousands of years due to its unique healing power. Due to the health benefits of honey, people in ancient civilizations have used honey in several home remedies.Honey bees extract sweet nectar from different flowers in the nature and store it within themselves. Then the nectar gradually becomes thick inside the bees. When bees store this thickened nectar in the beehive, it thickens further and takes the form of honey. So honey is the sum product of the essence in several flowers and the hard work of honey bees.

Honey is not just a medicine but like milk, it is sweet, nourishing and is a complete miracle food in itself. Honey is rich in both Iron and Vitamin B. Honey contains several essential minerals and elements required by the body such as copper, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, silica, iodine, zinc and carotene.  The various vitamins found in honey are pantothenic acid, B6, riboflavin, thiamine and niacin

Honey does not get spoilt with time as bacterial growth cannot happen in honey. After one year, honey becomes old. Old honey is all the more nourishing.

Body Immunity: Consumption of honey everyday increases immunity of body, strength and longevity.

Skin Problems: Honey is helpful in curing skin problems such as itching, lesions, acne, inflammation and several other minor skin-related problems. To cure skin problems, mix two tablespoonful of honey with water and drink every day for five months.

Blood Purifier: Honey is an excellent blood purifier due to its anti-bacterial properties. Hence for minor skin eruptions, rashes, boils and inflammation due to blood impurity, honey acts as an effective home remedy.  Add two spoons of honey in a glass of water to have a glowing skin.

Wounds and Skin Burns: Immerse a clean thin cloth in honey and apply the cloth on the wound or the burnt area. This gives quick relief from burns and wounds. Honey contains Hydrogen Peroxide which making it effective in disinfecting the wound and prohibit it from further infection. Several research studies have been conducted on efficacy of honey in treating wounds, especially on the benefits of Manuka Honey- a special type of honey now known as superfood.To know more about these research studies, go to this article.

Cough: Mix one spoon honey with half spoon ginger juice. Drinking this several times a day will do away with cough.  In fact medical research conducted by the US National Honey Board has shown that honey is more effective than some of the common over-the-counter drugs available to cure cough.  It was found to induce better sleep for both children and adults.

Weight Loss Using Honey: Honey is a fantastic home remedy for weight loss. Read the artcile on home remedy for weight loss using honey.

Tonsil Inflammation: Mix a small amount of honey in water and gargle with this solution. This will reduce the swelling of tonsils.

Increase Red Blood Cell Count: Being rich in Iron, honey promotes growth of red-blood cells.

Increase Potency of Other Medicines: When honey is mixed with any other medicinal herb, the potency of the herb increases.

Energy Booster: Add two spoon of honey and juice of one full lemon in a glass of water. This drink is not just tasty, but refreshes the body quickly and completely removes the feeling of tiredness.

Migraine: Consuming two spoons of honey every day helps control migraine. Once migraine pain starts just take two spoons of honey and the pain subsides after some time.

Asthma: Honey is a natural healer of several respiratory problems including asthma. Honey reduces decongestion in the lungs, removes phlegm thus providing relief in respiratory disorders. Prepare a mixture of ginger juice, black pepper powder and honey and consume 3-4 times a day. This can prevent asthma attacks as wells as cure asthma.

Frost Bite: Frost bite can be painful. Pain can be relieved by applying honey on the frost bitten area and gently massaging or rubbing it.

Improve eyesight: Add little honey to a glass of carrot juice and drink this at least one hour before your lunch. This provides nourishment for the eyes and improves eyesight.

Heart Tonic: Honey is a superb heart tonic as it provides nourishment to heart muscles and enhances its overall functioning

Insomnia: Honey can act as a great natural sedative, if you are suffering from sleeplessness. Add juice of one lemon and 2 spoons of honey into one glass of water. This relieves the stress and calms the mind, promoting sound sleep.

Obesity: Using of honey in fighting obesity is well known. Add a spoon of honey to a glass of lukewarm water (not hot) and drink it first thing in the morning after you get up from bed. This will help you fight obesity. For details, refer to this article on Use of Honey in Weight Loss.

Hiccups: Licking a small amount of honey stops hiccups. In extreme cases, mix honey with equal proportion of onion juice and consume 4 spoons, it will stop hiccups completely.

Pregnancy: Honey is beneficial for pregnant women due to its high iron content. Most pregnant women are vulnerable to anaemia which is due to iron deficiency in the body.  The iron requirement of body can be met by consuming 2 spoons honey daily.

For Hangovers: Drinking alcohol can leave a disgusting hangover. Honey can provide relief in case of hangovers by speeding up the oxidation of alcohol. Blend together two spoons of honey with half a cup orange juice and half cup yoghurt. Consume this in case of hangovers.

Cleaning Teeth and mouth of Infants: Infants and toddlers have very sensitive skin and one cannot use toothpaste to clean their teeth. Honey is a great mouth and teeth cleaner in these cases.  After every meal by the baby, soak a small piece of soft cotton cloth in honey and use it to gently rub the baby’s teeth and mouth. This prevents bacterial action in the baby’s mouth. Applying honey on the gums of infants who are teething makes the process of dentition much more easier.

Anti Cancer: Although honey cannot treat cancer, it is believed to have anti-cancer properties. Honey contains Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Esterwhich has anti-cancer properties. One of the prominent research studies has explained how honey can prevent colon cancer. Honey is also recommended for breast cancer.

PRECAUTIONS WHILE TAKING HONEY:

• Never consume honey which is heated. On heating honey undergoes chemical transformation and is rendered toxic.
• Do not drink hot water after eating honey, luke-warm water is alright
• Do not take honey with other hot food

RECOMMENDED DAILY INTAKE:The normal recommended amount of honey per day is 20 to 30 grams (3 tablespoons). Intake amount of honey should not exceed 10-15 grams for children and 40 to 50 grams for adults. Higher intake can lead to severe acidity. Acidity from excessive honey intake can be treated by eating tender cilantro (coriander) and pomegranates.

HOW TO TEST PURITY OF HONEY: Some manufacturers synthesise artificial honey in factories or laboratories. This is done by storing sugar syrup in large containers and keeping them underground. After subjecting them to high pressure for a period of six months, artificial honey is ready which can pass all the commonly- performed purity tests. We will talk about how to test the purity of honey.

1. A drop of pure honey when put in a glass of water, it will settle at the bottom and would not dissolve with time. But artificial honey which is a different form of sugar will quickly dissolve since it is adulterated with jaggery or sugar.
2. A cotton wick dipped in honey when burnt, burns cleanly without any noise. But artificial honey will make noise while burning
3. Few drops of pure honey when poured on a blotting paper should not get absorbed. If it is absorbed, honey is adulterated.
4. Few drops of pure honey when poured on a white cloth would not leave any stains when washed. If stain remains on the cloth, honey is adulterated
5. Another simple but effective test is when you pour honey from one container to another. Unadulterated honey will spin clock-wise as you pour it; this has to do with the unsymmetrical structure of honey molecules.
6. Dogs do not consume honey or eatables with honey in them. Try feeding a slice of bread dipped in honey to a dog. If the dog eats the bread, your honey is not pure. If it does not eat it, your honey is pure. A dog is surely a man’s best friend!!