First Nutritional Treasury -- A Practical Nutrition Book of Bee Products

Author: Ge Fengchen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Honey is made by bees collecting nectar and fermenting it in their hives. It is categorized into spring, summer, and winter honey based on the nectar collection season, with winter honey being the highest quality. Honey collected from the wild, such as from trees or caves, is called wild honey, also known as stone honey or rock honey, and is of the highest quality but limited in supply. Most honey found in the market is obtained from artificially raised bees. The health benefits of honey have long been recognized by people. The Shen Nong Herbal Classic lists honey as a superior product beneficial to humans, the ancient Greeks considered honey a "gift from the gods," and the Indian Veda texts state that honey can promote longevity. The famous physician Tao Hongjing from the Liang Dynasty in China once said, "Daoist pills often use honey, and those who practice immortality may consume only honey, believing it can lead to eternal life." While this statement may seem exaggerated, it fully illustrates honey's role in nutrition and medicine.
Nutritional analysis shows that honey contains about 35% glucose and 40% fructose, both of which can be directly absorbed and utilized by the human body without digestion. Honey also contains various inorganic salts similar to human serum concentrations, as well as a certain amount of B1, B2, and B6 vitamins, as well as iron, calcium, copper, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium. Honey contains amylase, lipase, and invertase, making it one of the most enzyme-rich foods. Enzymes are substances that promote the digestion, absorption, and a series of metabolic and chemical changes in the human body.
Honey has a pleasant aroma and taste. From a nutritional and health perspective, it is not only a (tonic) and longevity-enhancing product but also a good medicine for treating illnesses. As a medicinal agent, honey has been used in China for thousands of years with proven efficacy. The Ming Dynasty medical expert Li Shizhen pointed out, "Honey has five medicinal benefits: it cools the heat; it tonifies the middle; it moisturizes dryness; it detoxifies; and it relieves pain. Fresh honey is cool, so it can clear heat. Ripe honey is warm, so it can tonify the middle. It is sweet and harmonious, so it can detoxify. It is soft and nourishing, so it can moisturize dryness. Slow-acting properties can alleviate acute pain, and harmonizing properties can balance all medicines, working similarly to licorice."
Clinically, honey can not only treat gastritis but also be used with certain medications to treat ulcers. For example, dissolving 6 grams of honey in warm water and taking it on an empty stomach, or mixing honey with 15 grams of Salvia miltiorrhiza, 6 grams of Costus, and 6 grams of prepared licorice decocted in water and then added to honey, can treat duodenal ulcers and various stomach pains. Why does honey have such therapeutic effects? It is because honey is a potential alkaline food, and the manganese and other inorganic salts it contains promote the digestion and assimilation of food, thereby reducing the burden on the stomach and intestines and alleviating symptoms.