"And your Lord revealed to the bee saying: Make hives in the mountains and in the trees and in what they build: Then eat of all the fruits and walk in the ways of your Lord submissively. There comes forth from within it a beverage of many colours, in which there is healing for men; most surely there is a sign in this for a people who reflect. (Surat an-Nahl, 68-69)
Honey is a sweet treat. In
fact, it is man's oldest sweetener. It can be a good substitute for sugar in
our drinks and food. But it is also good for many other things and treating
many other conditions. Reliance on commercialized medicines which contains too
much chemicals can become hazardous to our health. Alhamdullilah, Allah has
given us the knowledge that Mother Nature can at least help to ease the pain we
are suffering from.
Honey is composed of sugars
like glucose and fructose and minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium,
sodium chlorine, sulphur, iron and phosphate. It contains vitamins B1, B2, C,
B6, B5 and B3 all of which change according to the qualities of the nectar and
pollen. Besides the above, copper, iodine and zinc exist in it in small
quantities. Several kinds of hormones are also present in it.
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.
Honey may also be good for
your skin. It has the ability to attract water. You can use honey instead of
alpha hydroxy masks because of its high content of the acid. It is also safe
for sensitive skin.
You can also use it as a
moisturizing mask for your skin as well as your hair. To use it as a
conditioner, mix the honey with olive oil. Be sure to wash your hair thoroughly
before you go outside.
If you have a sore throat,
take some honey. Due to its natural anti-inflammatory effect, it will help to
heal the wounds more quickly. It also has different phytochemicals--chemicals
found in plants and different foods--that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungus
making it a good substitute for wound dressings. The taste may also take your
mind off the pain.
There is evidence that
honey diluted in water will help with your stomachaches and dehydration.
Germ-Fighting Properties
Do you have a cut? Honey is
a natural antiseptic. Medical journals cite more than 600 cases in which honey
was employed to treat wounds. By applying honey to your wounds, you prevent
infections. Honey contains antimicrobial agents, which prevents infections by
killing the bacteria in and around your wounds. When using honey it may help to
heat it up before putting it on your wound (caution test the heat before you
place it on the wound). Many types of bacteria can’t survive in honey, so wounds
heal, swelling eases and tissue can grow back.
Honey may also be effective
in the treatment of your ulcers. In Europe, honey has been used internally to
help cure ulcers, particularly stomach ulcers.
Burns, too, heal better
with honey, studies show. The advantage of honey is that it not only prevents
infections from occurring, it actually accelerates skin healing. Since the
sugar in honey absorbs water it helps to trap some of the moisture so that the
bacteria and other microbes can’t grow as easily as in other food.
How Does It Help In Healing Wounds?
When honey comes into
contact with body moisture, the glucose oxidase enzyme introduced to the honey
by the bee slowly releases the antiseptic hydrogen peroxide at a sufficient
level to be effective against bacteria but not tissue damaging. Not only is
honey anti-bacterial, it also draws body fluids and nutrients to the area and
so assists cell growth and prevents a scar forming by drying out of the wound.
The osmotic action of the
honey draws out and provides a film of liquid between the tissues and the
dressing, allowing the dressing to be removed painlessly, without tearing of
the re-growing cells. There are reports in medical journals of large bed sores,
otherwise needing skin grafts, that have healed without scarring after honey
treatment.
In treating diarrhea, honey
promotes the rehydration of the body and more quickly clears up the diarrhea
and any vomiting and stomach upsets. The anti-bacterial properties of honey,
both the peroxide and non-peroxide, are effective in the laboratory against
MRSA strains of bacteria which are notoriously resistant to antibiotics and are
sometimes responsible for the closing of hospital wards.
Other Benefits of Honey
Easily digested: Because sugar molecules in honey can
convert into other sugars (e.g. fructose to glucose), honey is easily digested
by the most sensitive stomachs, despite its high acid content. It helps kidneys
and intestines to function better.
Good source of
antioxidants: It
plays a big role in the prevention of cancer as well as heart disease.
Has a low calorie level: Another quality of honey is that, when it
is compared with the same amount of sugar, it gives 40% less calories to the
body. Although it gives great energy to the body, it does not add weight.
Rapidly diffuses through
the blood: When
accompanied by mild water, honey diffuses into the bloodstream in 7 minutes.
Its free sugar molecules make the brain function better since the brain is the
largest consumer of sugar, thus, reduces fatigue.
Supports blood
formation: Honey provides an important part of the energy needed by
the body for blood formation. In addition, it helps in cleansing the blood. It
has some positive effects in regulating and facilitating blood circulation. It
also functions as a protection against capillary problems and arteriosclerosis.
Does not accommodate
bacteria: This bactericide
(bacteria-killing) property of honey is named "the inhibition
effect". Experiments conducted on honey show that its bactericide
properties increase twofold when diluted with water. It is very interesting to
note that newly born bees in the colony are nourished with diluted honey by the
bees responsible for their supervision - as if they know this feature of the
honey.
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.
It is obvious that honey,
which is produced in much higher amounts than the requirements of the bees, is
made for the benefit of man. And it is also obvious that bees cannot perform
such an unbelievable task "on their own."
Taken from http://islamic-world.net/sister/h15.htm
