Honey !!

[Tim Wescott]

Health Benefits Of Honey:


Honey is a sweet treat. But it is also good for many other things. It is good at treating many conditions.

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.

Honey may also be effective in the treatment of your ulcers.

According to the national honey institute, honey may be beneficial to athletes by reducing fatigue. Honey is good source of glucose and fructose.

Honey is a good source of antioxidants. They play a big role in the prevention of cancer as well as heart disease.

[Tim Wescott]

More good things to know about honey:

Honey isn't just for tea anymore. New research shows that eating honey can actually improve endurance as much as some over the counter energy gels. In a recent study done at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory, nine cyclists were give 15 grams of either honey, glucose (the carb found in many energy gels) or a placebo gel, prior to and at 16 kilometer breaks during a 40 mile bike race. "In the endurance test, honey was as effective as the carbohydrate source," says Margo Krause, M.S., R.D.

Compared to other sugars, such as sucrose found in beet and cane sugar, honey provides more sustained energy. "When sucrose is ingested, there's a sharp spike and very quick falloff of energy. With honey, which is mostly glucose and fructose, you don't get that rapid falloff," says Bruce Wolk of the National Honey Board (the research and promotional board of the honey industry's producer, importer, packer and U.S. honey cooperative). "honey also has enzymes, viatmins, minerals and antioxidants."

So what does all this mean for you? If you're running to the gym after a long day at work, a tablespoon of honey can give you a carbohydrate boost to help power you through your workout - for less money than an energy gel and without the artificial flavor and colors of processed foods. Honey is "processed" by honeybees that gather nector and other sweet deposits from plants, then modify and store them in honecombs. You can also substitue honey for other sweetners to reduce energy swings and provide a fat-free carbohydrate source.