Секреты меда, которые вы не знаете

In the hearts of us common people, honey has always been regarded as a natural treasure with various health care benefits. But how much do you really know about the numerous knowledge of honey? Today, let’s delve deeply into the unknown secrets of honey together.

First of all, let’s talk about the composition of honey. What is медовый mainly composed of? The answer is sugar and water. Excluding water, honey contains as high as 95% to 99% sugar. Don’t underestimate these sugars. They are mainly fructose and glucose, which are different from ordinary sugars. The monosaccharides in honey can be directly absorbed and utilized by the human body, quickly converting into energy, instantly filling our tired bodies with vitality, and there is no need to worry about the problem of weight gain. At the same time, honey not only contains probiotic sugars that can maintain the healthy intestinal flora in our intestines but also includes more than 180 kinds of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, all playing significant roles in aiding digestion, sterilization and anti-inflammation, and enhancing the body’s immunity.

Then, what exactly is natural honey? In fact, it is the product of bees’ brewing. Bees collect nectar or secretions with a water content of approximately 75% from the flowers of plants and store them in their second stomach. After a series of complex transformation processes within the bees’ bodies, worker bees then store them in the honeycomb and seal them with beeswax. After about 15 days of repeated brewing, various vitamins, minerals, and amino acids in the nectar reach rich contents, and at the same time, polysaccharides are successfully transformed into monosaccharides, glucose, and fructose that the human body can directly absorb. When the water content is less than 23%, this becomes the honey we are familiar with.

Do you know how many flowers bees need to visit to produce one pound of honey? The answer is 2 million. 60,000 bees in a hive may have to fly as much as 55,000 miles to find suitable flowers. The type of flower also determines the color and taste of honey. A single bee can only bring back 0.03g of honey in one flight. Excluding the needs of the bee colony itself, one kilogram of honey requires the collection of 2 to 5 million flowers and a flight of 450,000 kilometers, equivalent to 11 times around the equator of the earth, and one bottle of honey is equivalent to 1 million flights. Behind this is the tireless efforts of the bees to bring us this sweet treasure.

Next, let’s talk about whether drinking honey can relieve pollen allergies. The answer is no. Although honey contains a small amount of pollen, the theory that eating honey can teach your body not to react to pollen does not hold. This may be because the common types of pollen in honey are not the ones that cause allergies, but rather trees, grasses, and weeds, etc.

When it comes to why children under the age of 1 should not drink honey. This is not because honey is too sticky or difficult to swallow, but because of the child’s physical condition. The gastrointestinal tracts of children under the age of 1 have not yet matured and may not be able to adapt to the active ingredients or other substances in honey. Moreover, wild honey may contain a “sleeping” bacterium – Clostridium botulinum. Due to the limited digestive capacity of infants, Clostridium botulinum may wake up and produce dangerous toxins in the intestinal tract. Constipation is the first symptom of botulinum poisoning in infants, and it may also be accompanied by weakness, difficulty in sucking or feeding, and other conditions. Therefore, before the child reaches the age of 1, do not give them honey to eat, just like children of this age can only drink milk or eat very fine complementary foods. There is no problem after the age of 1.

For children over the age of 1, honey may bring a surprise, that is, it can relieve the symptoms of cough. The American Academy of Pediatrics has warned that non-prescription cough syrups or cold medicines should not be given to children under the age of 6, and honey may be a good choice at this time.

Honey also has a magical effect in wound healing, and the way to use it is to apply it directly to the wound. The ancient Greeks and Romans used honey to bandage wounds, and so did the Russians and Germans in World War I. In addition, honey also helps prevent infection.

Finally, the benefits of honey do not stop here. It may be beneficial for pink eye, diarrhea, burns, etc., and it can even help treat hemorrhoids, cold sores, etc. This is because honey is rich in antioxidants that can eliminate “free radicals” that may damage cells and has anti-inflammatory effects.

In conclusion, as a precious gift bestowed upon us by nature, honey contains endless mysteries and benefits. But when enjoying its advantages, we also need to use it reasonably according to our own conditions and age and other factors, allowing this sweet treasure to better serve our health.