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Honey’s Health Benefits and Why You Need It In Your Ready Nutrition Medicinal Pantry
Honey’s Health Benefits and Why You Need It In Your Ready Nutrition Medicinal Pantry
Honey actually fights against bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The latter is the most common bacteria found in the human nasal passages and nose. Also, honey should be as raw as possible, and the darker the better. Dark honey contains more antioxidants, and it is more effective in fighting microorganisms and bacteria.
It is highly effective as a cough-suppressant and as a demulcent. That latter term means something that coats the throat and the linings of the trachea and mouth to soothe the surfaces…a principle for which cough drops and lozenges have a primary function/goal. Buckwheat honey surpasses dextromethorphan (the primary cough suppressant found in Robitussin, for example) in terms of cough suppressant action.
There is also a type of honey known as Manuka Honey, a special type of healing honey that can fight against more than 200 types of bacteria and some of the species it defeats are resistant strains such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Manuka honey is obtained from bees that are in New Zealand and is differentiated from other types of honey for its healing qualities because it comes from pollen the bees there take from the Manuka bush.
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Traces of Pesticides Discovered in 75 Per Cent of the World’s Honey
TRACES OF PESTICIDES DISCOVERED IN 75 PER CENT OF THE WORLD’S HONEY
Residue from potentially harmful pesticides has been discovered in 75 per cent of honey sampled from around the world, according to a study conducted by Swiss scientists that was published in the journal Science in October 2017.
The researchers sampled 198 different honeys sourced from every continent, excluding Antarctica, testing for the presence of five unique neonicotinoid pesticides that are frequently applied to crops. These insecticides are so efficient that by 2008, they accounted for one quarter of the global insecticide market – and that rate continues to increase.
According to the study, these neonicotinoids are absorbed by plants and transported to all organs – including flowers, resulting in contaminated pollen. Increasing evidence suggests that large-scale use may lead to significant environmental impacts, leading scientists to start investigating the chemical’s impact on landscapes around the world.
“Despite increasing research efforts to understand the patterns of neonicotinoid uses and their effects on living organisms, we lack a global view of the worldwide distribution of neonicotinoid contamination in the environment to evaluate the risk,” the study states.
To help determine the potential risk of current contamination levels, citizen scientists from around the world sent individual samples of locally produced honey to the researchers’ laboratory in Switzerland. According to the study, the residue level of pesticides found in honey provides a measure of possible contamination in the surrounding landscape.
“Many of our samples were from very remote regions,” said Professor Edward Mitchell with the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland, who co-authored the study. “We also aimed to (include) isolated oceanic islands, and places in central parts of continents far away from industrial areas.”
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The Differences Between Commercial and Organic Honey Can Help You Find Your Sweet Spot
The Differences Between Commercial and Organic Honey Can Help You Find Your Sweet Spot
For thousands of years, honey has been widely used for both nutritional and medicinal purposes. Over 300 varieties are available in the United States alone. These range from those that are nearly colorless and bland tasting, to strains offering rich brown hues, robust with flavor. However, many store-bought honeys are processed, removing much of the pollen content.
While preserving pollen is attainable simply by using a coarse filter and minimal heat to sift bee parts, wax and hive debris, recent scientific research is throwing out some very sticky questions: Can products containing little to no pollen still be called honey? Does bee pollen really matter?
As it turns out, the answer is both yes and no.
WHY BEE POLLEN STILL MATTERS
Health, definition and identity are the central issues to understanding why these tiny flower grains are of vital concern. First, many believe that bee pollen contains nutrient-rich properties that promote good health. Second, pollen is what defines honey. Third, pollen is honey’s DNA that allows its source to be identified.
HEALTH
Contrary to widely held beliefs about pollen’s powerful health benefits, ongoing scientific studies have shown that its quantities in the product are insufficient to have any meaningful nutritional value. According to Dr. Lutz Elflein, a honey analysis expert with an international food laboratory, amounts range from about 0.1 to 0.4 percent. Similarly, a 2004 study by the Australian government found the percentage of pollen in 32 Australian canola honey samples ranged only from 0.15 percent to 0.443 percent.
Another 2012 study by the National Honey Board analyzed vitamins, minerals and antioxidant levels in raw and processed varieties. The study revealed that commercial processing significantly reduced pollen content, but did not affect its nutrient content or antioxidant activity. The results led researchers to conclude that the micronutrient profile of honey is not associated with its pollen content and is unaffected by commercial processing.
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