5 beneficial properties of honey for our health
In recent years, scientific research has brought to light many beneficial properties of a food that is used in large quantities by the Greeks, due to the abundance of its production in our country. Most people use it as the sweetening substance for breakfast, with milk, coffee or tea, or as a spread on bread and toast.
The beneficial properties that honey brings for the human body are summarised as follows:
- Reduction of the harmful effects of chemotherapy in cancer patients
- Improvement of oral health
- A healthy food preservative
- Strengthening of the antioxidant system
- Improvement of athletic performance
A thorough study of the most recent scientific research demonstrates that honey can delay the oxidation of various foods and especially of meats for several days, making it a very high-quality food preservative.
In addition, honey was shown to contain quantities of antioxidant components similar to several fruits, therefore it is an essential ingredient for fighting the harmful free radicals in our body. Thus the consumption of honey protects against the appearance of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, while it is counted among the foods that delay ageing.
Regarding athletic performance, scientific studies show that the intake of honey provides immediate carbohydrates, which improve endurance, just like the carbohydrate drinks or gels that are widely used during various sports.
In addition, the consumption of honey in combination with a protein supplement after resistance exercises helps in the faster transfer of protein to the muscle groups, resulting in better post-exercise recovery.
The small daily consumption of honey helps in maintaining stable blood glucose values. The antioxidants and certain other components contained in honey also appear to have an antibacterial action, therefore honey can help in fighting peptic ulcers, infections and inflammations.
In conclusion, honey as a sweetening substance brings significant advantages over sugar and we ought to introduce it into our diet as a substitute for it. So use honey as much as you can and reduce your daily sugar consumption to a minimum.