The sweet liquid produced by bees is finally used as a traditional medicine that is believed to overcome various conditions. Is it true that the assumption about the benefits of honey if viewed from a medical perspective?
Honey consists of several ingredients, including water, sugar, antioxidants , flavonoids, phenolics, vitamin E , vitamin C, amino acids, and minerals such as zinc and iron.
People often take the benefits of honey as a medicine to relieve coughing, allergies, diarrhea, and asthma. Not only that, some people also use it for various skin problems, such as relieving itchy skin and healing wounds.
If you are interested in using honey as a traditional medicine, it helps you know the true benefits of honey from the medical realm. Here is the explanation:
Cough
Some studies say that the sweet taste in honey can trigger the production of saliva and mucus. This can wet the throat so that relieve cough. Eating honey before going to sleep might reduce coughing in adults and children aged two years and above. Honey should not be given as a cough medicine for babies or for other reasons because it can cause poisoning.
Wound healing
You can try applying processed honey or honey containing cream to the injured skin. Nutrients and other chemicals in honey are believed to accelerate wound healing by reducing pain, reducing infections, increasing the performance of cells involved in wound healing, reducing pus, and unpleasant odors in wounds. The types of wounds that honey might be able to cure are the burns , blisters, postoperative wounds, and chronic foot ulcers or ulcers. However, research shows honey has not been proven to treat acne.
Diabetes
The benefits of honey were also good in handling diabetes. Several studies have found that consuming honey every day can reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics. Not only that, cholesterol levels and body weight of diabetics can also decrease because of the benefits of honey. But so far it still needs to be further investigated about what kind of honey is best for helping to treat the condition.
Thrush is due to r adi oterapi
Consuming about 20 ml of honey may reduce the severity of canker sores, as well as weight loss and pain when swallowing due to radiation therapy in the treatment of cancer in the head and neck. Research shows that patients who are given honey after radiation therapy in the head complain of less pain than those who don’t.
Several recent studies have shown the positive impact of the benefits of honey for some of the conditions above. However, to strengthen the scientific evidence, further research is needed with a better population sample.
In addition, further research is also needed to find out the truth of the benefits of honey in terms of medical for other conditions, such as:
- Increase stamina.
- Overcoming allergies.
- Treating diarrhea.
- Relieve the condition after eye surgery.
- Increase fertility .
- Overcoming itchy skin.
- Treating skin irritation due to sunburn.
- Relieve asthma.
- Overcoming the problem of malnutrition.
- Lose weight or to diet .
How Safe Is Honey ?
If consumed and applied to the skin at the right dose, honey is classified as safe in general. Children over the age of one year can also consume honey. But you should avoid giving honey to babies or children under the age of one year to avoid the risk of botulism. Botulism is a poisoning condition that attacks the body’s nerves and is potentially fatal.
However, please note that not all honey is safe. There are types of honey that can cause harmful effects if consumed, namely honey from Rhododendron nectar. This type of honey has the risk of causing low blood pressure, chest pain, and heart rhythm disorders because they contain toxins.
The possibility of honey is safe for consumption by pregnant and nursing mothers. But in order to maintain the safety of your child, it’s better for pregnant and lactating women to avoid consuming honey.
For those of you who have pollen allergies, it’s better to avoid consuming honey because this sweet liquid is made from pollen which can cause allergic reactions .
If you want to consume and feel the benefits of honey, it’s good to make sure in advance whether the product has been registered with BPOM RI or not. Also note the expiration date listed on the package. When in doubt, consult your doctor about the benefits of honey for treatment and to maintain your health condition.
