One of the world’s VERY first coins had a bee symbol.
Honey contains live enzymes — I always put local honey in my tea and I always used a metal spoon. Today I discovered when honey comes in contact with a metal spoon, these enzymes die. So the best way to eat honey is with a wooden spoon; if you can’t find one, use a plastic spoon.
Honey contains a substance that helps the brain work better. Studies suggest that honey might offer antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits. In some studies, honey has been shown to help prevent memory disorders. Studies suggest that honey enhances memory and cognitive function. It helps improve your ability to recall information and boosts your overall mental performance. Another study showed that after the consumption of honey for 5 years, only 489 subjects developed dementia. This research by Al-Himyari (2009) set out that honey has memory booster effects to treat dementia and cognitive deterioration. It improves the cholinergic system and blood flow in the brain and has antioxidant effects.
A teaspoon of honey before bed is also helpful. Because tryptophan is an essential amino acid but cannot be produced naturally in the body, supplementing through honey before bed brings many benefits to the body. In addition, honey also contains glycogen to help sleep and reduce adrenaline to help limit insomnia, reduce stress and get a good night’s sleep.
Bees also produce propolis — one of the most powerful natural antibiotics. Propolis is a resin-like material made by bees from the buds of poplar and cone-bearing trees. Propolis seems to help fight against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. It might also have anti-inflammatory effects and help skin heal. Propolis is rarely available in its pure form. It’s usually obtained from beehives.
Honey is one of the few foods on earth that alone can sustain human life. Just a spoonful of honey is enough to keep a man alive for 24 hours.
In fact, bees in Africa once saved the local people from starvation! Yet The American Heart Association recommends no more than 3 tablespoons
of honey per day.
Honey has no expiry date because it’s already been “digested”. You see, Bees “process” it: They swallow nectar and regurgitate it into combs to make honey. An enzyme in their stomachs breaks the nectar down into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is a natural antiseptic, sold in drugstores to treat all manner of wounds. In other words, on top of its natural resistance to bacteria, honey’s hydrogen peroxide repels any microorganism with the temerity to trespass. Honey is inherently hostile to microbes and bacteria. It’s a very low-moisture sugar with an acidic pH, yielding an environment in which bacteria literally cannot thrive. Even though honey doesn’t have an expiration date, it can still undergo natural changes. The National Honey Board says that over time honey may “darken and lose its aroma and flavor or crystallize,” depending on changes in temperature. However, honey does change. It can change color from pale to dark. It can start clear and become cloudy. Most peskily, its texture can change from smooth and thin to thick and grainy in a process called crystallization. Thankfully, none of these changes make the honey bad or unsafe to eat! There is an important exception to this rule. If honey is exposed to moisture, it can ferment and spoil, which will be immediately obvious: smelly, sour, moldy and utterly unappetizing. Did you know that the term “Honeymoon” (honeymoon) comes from the fact that the bride and groom consumed honey for fertility after their marriage?
The origin of honeymoon can be traced back to the ancient Norse term “hjunottsmanathr,” which translates to “honey month”. This tradition involved a period of seclusion for the newlyweds, possibly to evade the bride’s family’s scrutiny, especially in non-arranged marriages. During this secluded time, the newlywed couple would often indulge in mead, a sweet wine crafted from fermented honey, believed to bring good fortune. Originally developed by monks for medicinal purposes, it was quickly recognized for its aphrodisiac qualities, enhancing marital bliss. Friends and family would often gift the bride and groom with a month’s supply of this special honey-based elixir, accompanied by exquisite goblets.
Here is one more interesting fact: a bee lives less than 40 days, visits at least 1000 flowers and produces less than a teaspoon of honey, but for her it is the work of a lifetime.
Thank you precious bees!
For more information:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872021/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-science-behind-honeys-eternal-shelf-life-1218690/
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