Currently, the world market for honey is predicted to reach 2.4 million tons by 2022 (Global Industry Analysts Inc, 2016). This is as a result of the awareness and perception of honey as a natural product free from problems such as obesity and pile associated with normal sugar.
According to Hasteen, honey is produced by honey bees, especially by a species known as the Apis mellifera species as blossom honey. It is through the secreting of nectars of flowers and honeydew honey. Forest honey is a type of honey made from honeydew secreted by plant-sucking insects such as aphids (Abebiyi, 2004).
Bees first convert the flower nectar into honey by process of regurgitation and evaporation, then store it as a primary food source in wax honeycombs inside the beehive with the bright, golden amber color. The following are some of the benefits of honey in our day to day lives.
· Honey helps in fighting acne
· It combats infection
· It helps in fighting colds
· Honey treats burns
· It reduces cholesterol
· It clears bladder infection
· It recedes arthritis pain
· Honey helps in soothing toothache
· It clears sinuses
Ways through which Honey can be used
There are pockets of ways through which honey can be used. It has been documented that honey can be used to treat so many diseases and as such, wide arrays of illnesses, injuries and ailments are tackled without ever having to do anything with them.
Honey can be applied with other remedies, consumed alone or rubbed onto the skin. Honey can as well be used in tackling the following:
· Stress
· Weakness
· sleep disturbance
· vision problems
· bad breath
· teething pain in children over a year old
· cough and asthma
· hiccups
· stomach ulcers
· diarrhea and dysentery
· vomiting
· bedwetting and frequent urination
· high blood pressure
· obesity
· jaundice
· hangover relief
· eczema and dermatitis
· burns, cuts, and wounds
· arthritis
As potent as honey in treating conditions like these, there are few things honey can be able to handle but guess what? It will never make such situations worst, yes, it won’t!
\While not all uses of honey are confirmed as effective, trying it as treatment will not make conditions any worse or cause harm.
Honey is sometimes touted as a cosmetic solution for cracked, dry, pimply, or clogged skin.
References
Adebiyi, F. M, Akpan I, Obiajunwa E. L, Olaniyi H. B. (2004). Chemical physical characterization of Nigeria honey. Pak J Nutr. 3:278-81.
Global Industry Analysts Inc. (2016). Honey: A global strategic business report. San Jose, CA:Global Industry Analysts Inc.. Retrieved from http://www.strategyr.com/MarketResearch/Honey_Market_Trends.asp [Google Scholar]
Havsteen BH. The biochemistry and medical significance of the flavonoids. Pharmacol Ther 2002; 96:67-202.
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