HONEY: DESCRIPTION, PROPERTIES, BENEFITS.

Honey is an antibacterial and antibiotic ally of the immune system, used not only for natural health but also in cosmetics.

The word honey seems to derive from the hittite melit, a neutral form to which the Latin word mel is linked, from which the figurative use of the term melle is also borrowed. Many believe that sugar and honey are equally nutritious, the second has many virtues that sugar lacks. Peter Molan, professor of biochemistry and director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, has been studying the beneficial virtues of honey for over 15 years. In one of his laboratory experiments, Dr. Molan sprinkled seven types of bacteria on honey, usually responsible for wound infections. All seven types of bacteria have been neutralized by the precious bee product. In France, even the scientist Bernard Descottes, head of the Department of Internal Surgery and Transplants of the Limoges Hospital, already in 1984 started using honey to treat some healing problems and to treat sores, with extremely positive results that brought him to formulate a real "honey-based therapy", renamed by him with the name of "apitherapy".

Properties and benefits of honey. Why is antibacterial and antibiotic?

One of the most important functions of honey is antibacterial and antibiotic: many types of honey contain significant quantities of hydrogen peroxide, that is, hydrogen peroxide, the same that is usually used to disinfect wounds. The high temperatures to which honey is subjected during pasteurization neutralize some beneficial substances: to obtain the maximum bactericidal effect, the ideal is raw, untreated honey.

In addition to stopping surface infections, honey alleviates the symptoms of gastric ulcers and is used for the treatment of diarrhea which, especially in children, can be dangerous because it causes dehydration. Honey is also effective against constipation, since it contains large quantities of fructose, sugar capable of reaching the large intestine without having been digested. Fructose also confers a particular sweetening power and a prolonged antibacterial and antibiotic effect because, while glucose is burned immediately, fructose has emollient properties thanks to which it remains "available" for the longer physical.

The calories contained in honey are 304 kcal per 100g of product. Depending on the type of honey, the therapeutic properties also change: acacia honey acts positively on the digestive system, forest honey is indicated in flu states, orange honey has healing properties, sunflower honey is anti-neuralgic, febrifugal, recommended against cholesterol. Furthermore, heather honey has an anti-rheumatic, anti-anemic action, linden honey calms menstrual pain, is calming, diuretic and digestive, while wildflower honey has a detoxifying action on the liver.