The natural energy booster
Raw honey is popularly viewed as a natural remedy for a range of ailments.
Meera Murugesan finds out why
IF something is good and comes from a completely natural source, it’s always going to be in demand. Honey is a good example. It is known for its health benefits, given that it contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals besides certain amino acids. It’s a powerful antioxidant and boasts anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties as well.
The ancient Egyptians actually used honey as one of their embalming fluids while the Greeks and Romans applied it to treat burns and wounds. Honey also plays a crucial role in the ancient Indian art of healing called Ayurveda.
These days, supermarkets are stocked to the brim with bottles of this delicious nectar but many consumers prefer to get it directly from the source.
They want their honey to come straight from the hive as they believe it will not be robbed of its nutritional value.
Raw, unprocessed or organic are the terms consumers look out for, as such honey is viewed as a natural remedy for a range of ailments, from the common cold and cough to flu, sore throat, tonsillitis and even asthma.
Apple Kew, a 29-year-old engineer from Malacca, has been consuming raw honey for the last few years. She says she has seen a marked difference in her immune and digestive system.
She hardly falls ill and even when she catches a cold, she is able to recover fast.
Kew also used to have problems with bloating, gas and constipation but daily consumption of raw honey has helped ease the symptoms.
However, she cautions that consumers
should always know the source of their honey as there are fake products in the market.
Kew takes a teaspoon of honey mixed with water every morning. During the flu season, she doubles the dose. If she falls ill, she takes a teaspoon neat to speed up recovery.
Nicole Lim, a busy mother of two, has seen a marked difference in her energy levels since taking raw honey about a year ago.
She doesn’t feel lethargic like she used
to when going about her daily chores and errands. She believes it’s far better to invest in raw honey for health than to buy bottles of supplements.
Describing raw honey as a “natural energy booster”, Lim first tried it as a remedy for her daughter who suffers from nasal congestion and allergies.
“We noticed an improvement in my daughter. Pretty soon, the whole family started taking it,” she adds.
Her children, she says, fare much better these days given the boost to their immune system. They hardly fall ill, even when they come into contact with other children or are in air-conditioned environments for long periods.
Lim takes two to three spoons of honey a day while her children, aged nine and seven, consume one to two tablespoons daily.
She even makes a honey drink to keep in the car which the family can consume when they’re on the go.
“Once you’ve tasted real raw honey, you will be sceptical of anything that doesn’t meet the standards.”
HeaLtH Boost
B. Lillian started taking raw honey in early 2015 after hearing about its benefits and doing her own research on the subject.
Honey helped her eldest son who was frequently falling sick and she now gets her supply from a local bee farm recommended by friends and family.
Lillian believes she has a stronger immune system since consuming honey and says she rarely falls sick now. Even when she does, she bounces back within a day or two. She usually takes one tablespoon of honey once a day or two to three times daily when she is under the weather.
“I also mix it with water to drink and sometimes drizzle it over pancakes and waffles.”
V.H Ng, another raw honey consumer, doesn’t take it daily but only when she has a sore throat or cold. She says it’s a good remedy for common ailments so her family always has a bottle in their kitchen.
Juliana Philip, a 33-year-old mother of two, says raw honey helps her 3-year-old son stay healthy.
Whenever he shows signs of coming down with a cold, she gives him raw honey and the symptoms disappear by the second day.
“Because it’s natural, I feel safe giving it to my child. Raw honey prevents the common cold from becoming full-blown and problematic.”
Juliana herself took raw honey when she had pregnancy-related rhinitis. It helped with her symptoms and she could sleep better at night.
These days, she takes it regularly to boost her immune system.