Honey contains more than 180 substances, including glucose, fructose, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. The average protein content is 0.75%, with some varieties containing as high as 1% or 2%, such as longan honey, lychee honey, and milk vetch honey. With up to 18 amino acids, this is why honey is so high in nutritional value. Because honey contains a large amount of glucose and fructose, it is easily absorbed by the human body, making it both a food and a natural tonic and medicine.
Uses of Various Honey
Wildflower Honey The most traditional type of honey, collected from a variety of flowers. It has a delicate, sweet fragrance and can clear heat, detoxify, and moisten dryness.
Acacia Honey Considered a premium honey. It is white and transparent with a thick consistency. The initial taste is light, with a subtle, sweet, and fresh fragrance. It can clear heat, remove dampness, promote urination, stop bleeding, lower blood pressure, and also nourish the middle burner and moisten dryness.
Osmanthus Honey This was a tribute in ancient times and is known as the "king of honey," making it very rare. The most authentic osmanthus honey is typically harvested from wild osmanthus flowers in deep mountains and old forests during winter. Osmanthus honey has a pure fragrance and a refreshing taste that is sweet but not cloying. It can expel wind and dampness and relieve joint pain.
Milk Vetch Honey Also called clover honey, it is produced in southern China. True to its name, it is light amber in color with a pleasant, fresh taste. It has special effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, expelling wind to improve vision, nourishing the middle burner, moistening dryness, reducing swelling and promoting urination. Additionally, it can help with wind-phlegm cough and sore throat, making it especially suitable for those with excess internal fire.
As the saying goes in Traditional Chinese Medicine: In spring, one should reduce sour foods and increase sweet ones to nourish the spleen qi. When flowers bloom, it is a good time to eat sweets, and the best of all sweets is honey. Eating honey in spring can replenish energy, nourish the body, and even prevent colds!
Longan Honey This is a unique honey from the south. It benefits the heart, replenishes qi and blood, stimulates appetite, strengthens the spleen, and beautifies the skin, clearing heat and moistening dryness. It is especially suitable for women.
Lychee Honey Collected from lychee flowers, it has a rich, aromatic fragrance with a strong lychee aroma. It tastes sweet with a slight fruity tartness. It can promote the production of body fluids, benefit the blood, regulate qi, and tonify the middle burner.
How to Drink Honey
American Ginseng and Honey Soup
Simmer American ginseng in water over low heat until the ginseng flavor is released. Let it cool, then strain out the ginseng and add honey rock sugar to the broth.
Benefits: Reduces internal heat, moistens the intestines, and relieves constipation.
Snow Pear and Honey Soup
Core a large snow pear and simmer it with about 50 grams of honey. This can be consumed long-term.
Benefits: This soup can relieve dryness of the throat and lips, lung-heat cough, and many adverse reactions during pregnancy. It also has a beautifying effect and is especially suitable for women, particularly pregnant women.
Honey and Tomato Juice
Simply squeeze the tomato into juice, add a spoonful of honey, and mix well. It's a sweet and sour, very refreshing drink.
Benefits: Regulates gastrointestinal function, enhances appetite, and aids digestion. It can also effectively prevent arteriosclerosis in late winter and early spring, enhance blood production, normalize cholesterol metabolism, and balance the body's acid-base levels.
Honey and Pumpkin Juice
Similar to the tomato juice method, squeeze the pumpkin into juice and add one tablespoon of honey. It is sweet with no sourness.
Benefits: It is very effective for cardiovascular, liver, and kidney diseases, as well as various types of edema. It can also help with weight loss!
Health Benefits and Uses of Honey
The wonder of honey lies in the fact that just a few spoonfuls can not only help treat many ailments but also greatly improve your appearance.
Regulating Menstruation and Tonifying Blood: Squeeze fresh rehmannia root and goji berries into juice. Mix in honey and simmer over low heat into a paste. Take it on an empty stomach in the morning and evening, mixed with yellow wine. It effectively regulates menstruation and tonifies blood, especially for dizziness, blurred vision, and anemia caused by liver fire, qi and blood deficiency, or irregular menstruation.
Poor Appetite: Add alum to water and simmer over low heat until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and add honey. Drink 3-5 times a day, a small cup each time, to regulate gastrointestinal function and promote gastric acid secretion.
For Acne: Mix one spoonful of wheat germ oil and one spoonful of petroleum jelly with a small amount of honey to form a paste. Apply it to pimples, massage gently until absorbed, once in the morning and once at night. It is very effective.
Improving Sleep: Drink one spoonful of honey before bed each night; apple honey is most effective. Honey can relieve nervous tension, and its glucose, vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium can regulate the nervous system and promote sleep.
Special Notes: Honey Consumption Taboos
Do not give honey to babies. Scientists have found that infants under one year old may suffer from food poisoning from consuming honey and pollen products due to contamination by botulinum bacteria;
Do not consume excessive amounts of honey, as it may lead to diarrhea and loss of appetite;
Do not use boiling water or high-temperature cooking for honey, as this will severely destroy its nutrients;
When consuming honey, try to avoid eating it with tofu, chives, onions, or crucian carp, as this is not good for your health and, in severe cases, may lead to diarrhea, poisoning, or even hearing loss.
TIPS: How to Choose Honey
1. Observe the color. Look at the color depth, luster, whether it has a gel-like consistency, and its viscosity. Also, check for any sediment, impurities, or bubbles;
2. Smell it. Smell to see if it has a pleasant, fresh fragrance, and if there are any off odors like a sour or alcoholic smell from fermentation;
3. Taste it. Taste to see if it is pure and sweet, and check for any bad tastes like bitterness, sourness, or a metallic taste, or a numbing sensation on the tongue.