Not all sugars are unhealthy and some of them can actually bring health benefits if consumed in moderation. Honey has been used as a natural sweetener as well as for medicinal use since time immemorial. In Ayurveda, honey is called as Madhu and is both used for internal and external applications. Apart from fructose and glucose, honey also contains antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals like magnesium and potassium. It also is lower on glycaemic index (GI) than sugar which means it raises your blood sugar levels slowly as compared to refined sugar. (Also read: Can you consume honey? Nutritionist speaks of benefits and adverse effects)
Honey has a variety of benefits for everyone. It is good for heart health, skin issues, helps in detoxification, helps with kapha and also aids in healing of injury. Ayurveda however cautions against heating honey as it destroys enzymes and produces ama (acid) and disrupts digestive process. If you are used to having honey water in the morning, but make sure to keep the water lukewarm.
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Ayurveda expert Dr Dixa Bhavsar in her recent Instagram post talked about the benefits of honey, the best ways to consume it and precautions.
BENEFITS OF HONEY AS PER AYURVEDA
- Honey is very good for the eyes and eyesight.
- It quenches thirst.
- Honey dissolves Kapha.
- It is very useful in urinary tract disorders, bronchial asthma, cough, diarrhea and nausea -vomiting.
- It is a natural detoxifier.
- It is good for heart, improves skin, and is aphrodisiac.
- Honey helps in quick healing of deep wounds.
- It initiates growth of healthy granulation tissue.
QUALITIES OF HONEY AS PER AYURVEDA
Dr Bhavsar says honey which is newly collected from bee hive increases body weight and is a mild laxative while honey which is stored and is old helps in the metabolism of fat and scrapes Kapha.
Honey is a popular choice for medicinal formulations as it helps in enhacing qualities of these medicines. Here's how.
"Ayurveda explains another special quality of honey. Honey is called as "Yogavahi". The substance which has a quality of penetrating the deepest tissue is called as Yogavahi. When honey is used with other herbal preparations it enhances the medicinal qualities of those preparations and also helps them to reach the deeper tissues," says Dr Bhavsar.
DOs AND DON'Ts OF CONSUMING HONEY
The Ayurvedic sage Charaka wrote over 500 years ago that “nothing is so troublesome as ama caused by the improper intake of honey.” In Ayurvedic medicine, ama, or undigested matter in the body, is considered to be the root cause of almost all diseases. Heating honey destroys the enzymes that support the digestive process, hence produces ama (toxins) in the body when consumed, says Dr Bhavsar.
Here are the precautions one must consider when using honey:
- Honey should not be mixed with hot foods or water.
- Honey should not be consumed when you are working in a hot environment.
- Honey should never be combined with ghee or mixed with hot, spicy foods; fermented beverages (e.g., whiskey, rum, brandy); or mustard.
BEST WAYS OF CONSUMING HONEY
- 1 tsp with a glass of room temperature water (for obesity).
- 1 tsp honey with a tsp of turmeric and 1 black pepper (for cough, cold, sinusitis, immunity).
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