I throughly enjoy honey. I add it to oatmeal, I put it on chicken, I use it for energy, I use it on my lips, and the list goes on. Here is a nice little article I came across and thought it was worth posting.

Health Benefits of Honey


Honey has long been recognized as a natural remedy and has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. Health benefits of Honey - History of Honey, Mead, Royal Jelly

Perhaps your parents failed to mention it when they discussed the birds and the bees with you, but honey has long been known to have a multitude of healing powers with everything from relieving a sore throat, allergies, healing wounds, etc. It also goes great with peanutbutter. Now, new scientific research from the University of California, Davis reveals that honey consumption raises antioxidant levels.

In the study, 25 people were told to eat between four and 10 tablespoons of buckwheat honey, depending on their weight, each day for a month. They could eat the honey in almost any form, but it couldn't be baked or dissolved in tea. Many chose to eat straight from the spoon. Antioxidant levels rose in the participants. Antioxidants provide defense against free radicals, which cause cell damage.

Researchers discovered honey contained as many antioxidants - which combat the free radicals which can damage cells - as spinach, apples, oranges or strawberries. Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say honey appears to have a "mild protective effect".

It was already known that honey contained varying levels of antioxidants, with dark honey having more than light. This is the first study to examine honey's effect on human blood.

In the study, researchers checked the blood of 25 men aged 18 - 68 over five weeks.

They found drinking four tablespoons of honey mixed into a 16-ounce glass of water improved the antioxidant levels in their blood.

The team is currently conducting a study on rabbits to see if honey could slow atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

The types of flowers the bees pollinate determine flavor and color of honey. Buckwheat honey comes from the buckwheat plant and is dark in color with a distinct flavor. The darker shades of honey are believed to have more antioxidants. The study showed no weight gain in participants for the month they were consuming honey. And, some claimed that eating honey for breakfast actually made them feel full and satisfied.

Eating honey along with supplemental calcium appeared to enhance calcium absorption in rats, according to a study from Purdue University.

In addition, the researchers suggested that the absorption of calcium increased as the amount of honey taken was upped.

Sugar is a crystalline carbohydrate extracted from sugar cane and sugar beets. It is a non-nutritive empty calorie that robs the body of vitamins and minerals. Sugar is addicting. The biggest culprit? Soft drinks, which account for one-third of our total sugar intake.

Approximately one half of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from crops pollinated by bees. Today honeybees are an essential part of a healthy agriculture economy. If you have allergies, honey can be beneficial. If you eat honey that is local to your area, it may prevent your seasonal allergies. Bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in your honey.

Health-promoting compounds found in honey could make this ingredient a more attractive option for food makers currently using bulk sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup and looking to jump on board the growing health foods trend, say scientists in the US.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say that honey may be a healthier alternative to corn syrup due to its higher level of antioxidants, compounds which are believed to fight cancer, heart disease and other diseases. Honey, which contains a number of antioxidant components that act as preservatives, also shows promise as a replacement for some synthetic antioxidants widely used as preservatives in salad dressings and other foods.

High fructose syrups kicked off in the US in the 1970s when the country developed new technologies to process this bulk calorific sweetener. The ingredient, an alternative to sucrose, rapidly gained in popularity and is now used extensively by soft drinks makers such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo.

Honey, a natural syrup produced by bees is similar to invert sugar, with a small but variable excess of levulose (fructose). The composition and flavor of honey varies with the plant source of the nectar, processing and storage but a typical composition is 41 per cent fructose, 34 per cent glucose, 18 per cent water, and 2 per cent sucrose with a pH of 3.8 to 4.2.

According to the US researchers, dark-colored honey, such as buckwheat honey, is generally thought to contain higher levels of antioxidants than the light-colored varieties. Previous studies by the researchers, who presented their findings this week at the American Chemical Society meeting in Illinois, suggest that honey may have the same level of disease-fighting antioxidants as that of some common fruits.

In international terms China is currently by far the largest honey producing nation in the world, with around a 40 per cent slice of the market. The next biggest producers are the US, Argentina and Ukraine. According to the American Honey Producers Association, China and Argentina have been adversely affecting America’s domestic honey industry with cheap imports, although there is a counter argument that both China and Argentina have been helping to counterbalance falling production in the US. Also starting to emerge onto the world honey production arena are Thailand and Vietnam.

Honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, and is a wonderful beauty aid that nourishes the skin and the hair. Honey acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent and helps disinfect and speed the healing process in wounds, scrapes and burns.


* Honey mixed with ground almonds makes an excellent facial cleansing scrub.

* A tablespoon of honey whisked together with an egg white, 1 teaspoon of glycerin and about 1/4 cup of flour makes an excellent firming mask. Just smooth on the face, leave on 15 minutes, and rinse off with warm water. You will be pleased with the results.

* Honey also makes a great moisturizing pack. Just mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 2 teaspoons of whole milk, smooth over the face and throat, and let it do its job for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, and finish splashing with cold water.

* Honey also makes a great lotion for dry patches of skin on hands, elbows, or other parts. Just mix 1 teaspoon of honey with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Apply to hands, elbows, heels of your foot, etc., and wash off after 15 minutes. Fast relief!

* Honey works well on chapped lips and for acne because it has antibacterial properties.

* To give your hair lustrous shine, mix 1 teaspoon of honey into 4 cups of warm water. Use as a hair rinse. And if you're a blond, add the juice of 1 lemon, too.

* Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with a cup of warm water. Use it as a mouthwash. Honey cleans teeth and dentures, and kills germs in the mouth.


Royal Jelly: Royal jelly is a substance produced by worker bees inside the beehive. Inside this nutritious substance are sugar, proteins, fats and many vitamins. It is used in problems caused by tissue deficiency or body frailty.

Even ancient languages give us a clue to the importance of honey. The BEE (bhei-) was particularly important as the producer of honey, for which we have the common Indo-European name melit-. Honey was the only source of sugar and sweetness (swd-, “sweet,” is ancient), and notably was the base of the only certain Indo-European alcoholic beverage, medhu-, which in different dialects meant both MEAD (“wine” in Greece and Anatolia) and “honey.”

A Land of Milk and Honey

And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey: unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. -- Exodus 3: 8

Addressing Moses from the burning bush, Yahweh announces his plan to bring Israel out of Egypt to a "land flowing with milk and honey." God means Palestine, the land he promised to Abraham (Genesis 12) and again to Jacob (Genesis 28).

He doesn't mean, though, that milk and honey wash over the land -- as "flowing" might suggest -- but rather that his people can look forward to a booming economy. (They could also look forward to unfriendly natives, but that's another story.) Milk and honey were dietary staples for the semi-nomadic Israelites of biblical times, so Palestine would indeed be a promising home, abounding in goats and swarming with bees. The soil would be fertile also.

Mead (honey wine) has for centuries been renowned as an 'aphrodisiac' and the word Honeymoon is derived from the ancient Viking custom of having newly-weds drink mead for a whole moon (month) in order to increase their fertility and therefore their chances of a happy and fulfilled marriage. We have returned full cycle to the birds and the bees.

One more:

Honey Remedies

Honey
The Predigested Natural Food Since ancient times, humans have used honey as a natural food, as a sweetener, for medical use, for beautification and for many other purposes.

Benefits of Honey

* Eyesight
Regular use of honey mixed with the carrot juice helps to improve the eyesight. It should be taken one hour before meals in the morning.

* Cough
Mixture of equal quantities of honey and ginger juice is a good expectorant. It gives immediate relief in symptoms like cold, cough, sore throat, congestion of chest and runny nose.

* Asthma
Mix half a gram of black pepper powder with honey and ginger juice mixture (equal quantity). Take this mixture at least three times a day. It helps to cure asthma.

* Blood Pressure
Take one teaspoonful of garlic juice mixed with two teaspoonful of honey. It can be taken twice a day in the morning and evening. Regular use of this mixture is beneficial for high blood pressure.

* Blood Purification and Fat Reduction
Take one glass of warm water and mix 1-2 teaspoonful of honey and one teaspoonful of lemon juice. Take this preparation daily before evacuation. It helps to purify the blood. It also helps to reduce fat and to clean the bowels.

* Heart Tonic
One teaspoonful of anise powder mixed with one or two teaspoonful of honey acts a very nice tonic for the heart. It strengthens the heart muscles and improves its functions.

nice!

Good post I love honey myslef!

It encourages an alkaline state in the cell also. It's good stuff.

Very nice! I actually thought Size was making a thread about me but this is just as good

The best thing is it has a shelf life of forever!!!

Sweet info size.

BTW, anyone know the glycemic index for honey ?

yeah honey can also be used postraining obviously. i drank honey -water when i was a baby. i still love it

Originally Posted by Iron Warrior

Sweet info size.

BTW, anyone know the glycemic index for honey ?

Low to moderate. But really, how many of you will be consuming ~3 tbsp on an empty stomach? Mix it with oats and the GI is meaningless. Add any protein or fat and fibre you eat during the meal also, and who cares.

Nice info.

Thanks Robboe, you got rep points

Honey and oats is one of my favorites. Other favorites, honey natural pb, + bananas and honey + hot water with a bit of fresh lemon or lime (like a tea for me).

If you are new to using honey, you will be surprised about how a small amount of honey can add quite a bit of flavor.

Originally Posted by size

If you are new to using honey, you will be surprised about how a small amount of honey can add quite a bit of flavor.

Yeah man, just bought some raw honey and 1 tablespoon was way too much for 1 cup of oats.

just make sure you use raw honey for the health benefits, processed honey is basically worthless unless you are just wanting it for a sweetner

I loved honey... untill I ate a little too much (I was 5 yo) puked all out and since then I can't even smell it.

Nice post Size. I just read "The Cut Diet" that was offered free by Scivation, written by their R&D guy. It looks interesting, and every 21st meal you get to use a bunch of honey in your oatmeal. It is a contest prep diet, and also incorporates tons of peanut butter, almonds and avocados. I'm gonna try it in a few months. I can't wait; those are some of my favorite foods. You can probably still get it. Check out the link in the Scivation forum: http://anabolicminds.com/forum/sciva...your-copy.html

how does one know if its raw or not?i get mine from the local health food store which is from local honeybees i believe
all it says is 'natural buckwheat honey' on the label.thats it
i love the stuff.i mix it in with my protein powder,raw eggs,little bit of choc or vanil soymilk,for a nice home made weight gain shake.deeeelicious

Originally Posted by juggernaut333

how does one know if its raw or not?i get mine from the local health food store which is from local honeybees i believe
all it says is 'natural buckwheat honey' on the label.thats it
i love the stuff.i mix it in with my protein powder,raw eggs,little bit of choc or vanil soymilk,for a nice home made weight gain shake.deeeelicious

It should say on the label, the one I get is from Y.S. Organic Farms. Also, darker honey will have more anti-oxidants so if you can see the color for comparison then that's even better

Royal Jelly contains many essential nutrients, including: all the B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, E and K, more than 12 minerals, and 18 amino acids.

I always try to buy honey that says it's unpasterized.
Sometimes they say raw honey, or "natural honey", and I'm not 100% sure if that means unpasturized or not.
I'm a believer in honey.

Good post!

Great read size. Even though I am not a big fan of honey, I may try to start incorporating it into my diet. How is honey natty pb compared to regular natty pb?

Originally Posted by Achilles13

How is honey natty pb compared to regular natty pb?

Sorry, I forgot the comma.
I intended honey, natty pb. It is good though.

I love you honey.

I am a honey freek!!! Points Size.

I'm a honey fan too... Here's another reason to use it: Supposedly it's good for exercise too.
Honey and Exercise - Pioneer Thinking

I'm trying honey and lemon (without salt) for a workout drink today. Honey's GI isn't too bad, around 62.

Originally Posted by size

I throughly enjoy honey.

I love honey. Good recipe to incorporate honey into your diet....

4 - Tablespoons (2 servings) of Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter
1 - Scoop Vanilla flavored protein powder.
1 - Tablespoon of honey

Mix all together, roll mix into balls, fridge overnight. Makes 2 servings at about 300 calories a serving.

I kid you not, tastes like the filling in Reese's Peanut Butter cups. Good protien, healthy carbs (honey) and a ton of healthy fat.

Sorry guys, I dont see honey as anything great. Sure it is a natural product and has some micronutrition but the bottom line is that it is a high calorie sweetener - I would only use it as a cheat.

Honey is a source of simple carbohydrates. Its composition on average, is 17.1 percent water, 82.4 percent total carbohydrate and 0.5 percent proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The average carbohydrate content is mainly fructose (38.5 percent) and glucose (31percent). The remaining 12.9 percent of carbohydrates is made up of maltose, sucrose and other sugars.

It's approximately half glucose (dextrose) and half fructose. This looks alot like sucrose, which is one molecule of each, and it has GI comparable to sucrose as well. One could simply substitute table sugar and only give up a whopping .5 percent in micronutrition and a difference in taste.

Awesome thread.

Originally Posted by anabolicrhino

The best thing is it has a shelf life of forever!!!

I am the only one in my family who will eat honey. So it's a good thing the shelf life lasts forever!!