I. Characteristics of honey

Honey, also known as Bách Hoa Tinh, Bách Hoa Cao, or Phong Mật in Vietnamese, is a sweet substance created from natural essences collected by bees from nectar. Honey is regarded as a pure extract without any reduction in its components, including water and sugar.

Honey is considered a wonderful gift of health from Mother Nature

1. Most common types of honey

In reality, there are numerous types of honey based on the plant sources, honey extraction methods, and whether the honey is raw or processed industrially (such as separating water content, filtering impurities, pasteurization, etc.). It is estimated that there are around 320 different types of honey, diverse in colors, scents, and flavors, providing consumers with various choices.

However, the most common types include:

• Raw forest honey.
• Honey from coffee, rubber trees, and cacao flowers.
• Natural honey from melaleuca flowers.
• Pure honey from orange and tangerine flowers.
• Honey from mint, chrysanthemum, and white clover flowers.
• Honey from avocado, buckwheat, and blueberry flowers.

2. Chemical composition of honey

Honey contains mainly sugars, as well as a mixture of amino acids, vitamins, essential minerals, iron, zinc, and especially a high content of antioxidants. It is often used as a natural sweetener in food and as a medicinal substance.

Natural raw honey contains about 200 substances, including amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, but its primary components are water and sugar.

• Sugars: Sugars make up the highest proportion of honey, accounting for approximately 95-99% of the dry content in raw honey. The main carbohydrates in honey are fructose (32.56-38.2%) and glucose (28.54-31.3%), which together comprise about 85-95% of easily digestible sugars in the digestive system. Other sugars found in honey include disaccharides like isomaltose, turanose, nigerose, melibiose, maltose, sucrose, panose, maltotriose, and more. Additionally, some oligosaccharides are present in raw honey, representing about 4-5% of fructooligosaccharides that act as beneficial bacteria.
• Water: Water is the second most abundant component of honey and is of considerable importance.

In the composition of honey, the main components are sugar, water, and amino acids

• Organic acids: Typically, organic acids in honey account for about 0.57% and include gluconic acid, a by-product of glucose decomposition through enzymes. Organic acids are the main contributors to honey's acidity and play an essential role in its characteristic flavor.
• Minerals: The content of mineral compounds in raw honey typically ranges from 0.1% to 1.0%. Potassium is the primary metal, followed by calcium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, and phosphorus.
• Antioxidants: Honey contains various antioxidants, such as phenolic acids and flavonoids. These antioxidants help counteract disease-causing free radicals, reducing the risk of the cell damage caused by oxidation.

3. Properties of honey

Honey exhibits specific characteristics, including:

• Viscosity: Raw honey is a viscous liquid, and its viscosity depends on various factors and components. The water content significantly influences honey's viscosity.
• Hygroscopicity: Hygroscopicity describes honey's ability to absorb moisture from the surrounding air. Normal honey with an average water content below 18.8% will absorb moisture from the air when humidity is above 60%.
• Surface tension: Honey's surface tension also varies based on its origin and the presence of certain adhesive substances. Along with high viscosity, surface tension contributes to honey's ability to form bubbles.
• Color: The color of liquid honey can range from clear and colorless (similar to water) to dark amber or black. The colors of honey are primarily shades of yellow and amber. The color of honey changes depending on the plant source and storage conditions. Less common colors include fresh yellow (from sunflower honey), slightly reddish (from hazelnut honey), slightly gray (from acacia honey), and slightly green (from honeydew honey).
• Crystallization: After crystallization, honey becomes lighter due to the formation of white glucose crystals. The crystallization of raw honey results from the formation of glucose monohydrate crystals. These crystals vary in number, shape, size, and quality depending on the honey's components and storage conditions. Lower water content and higher sugar content in the honey lead to faster crystallization.

II. The benefits of honey in traditional medicine

According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), honey has a sweet taste and a neutral nature, making it a precious medicinal ingredient mainly used for the large intestine, lungs, and spleen in the body.

In traditional medicine, honey is believed to offer many wonderful benefits

In traditional medicine, natural honey has numerous wonderful benefits, including nourishing the spleen, increasing vitality, promoting bowel movement, treating chronic coughs, relieving blood coughs, nourishing blood, moisturizing the lungs, clearing heat, detoxifying, and preventing bacteria. Therefore, honey has held a significant position in traditional medicine for many centuries to treat various illnesses, including:

• Enhancing immunity and nourishing the body.
• Restoring health after illness.
• Treating chronic coughs.
• Healing gastric ulcers.
• Treating constipation.
• Treating hemorrhoids.
• Treating oral thrush in children caused by Candida A fungus.
• Enhancing skin complexion: whitening skin, treating acne, reducing freckles, and minimizing wrinkles.

III. Remedies for treating illnesses with honey

Honey is used to create highly effective remedies in traditional medicine, which have been applied for generations. Some of these remedies are as follows:

1. Remedy for dry cough and long-lasting cough with phlegm

Since ancient times, people have passed down knowledge about using natural honey to treat coughs. In reality, honey cannot completely make your cough disappear, but it is considered an effective remedy to soothe and reduce coughing.

This is because honey acts as a soothing agent for the throat's mucus membranes, which are the cause of the coughing stimulus. Moreover, honey contains various antioxidants and other antibacterial properties, playing a significant role in promoting the treatment of coughs with phlegm or persistent dry coughs.

How to treat long-lasting cough and phlegm cough with natural forest honey

To relieve cough with honey, you only need to mix 1 cup of warm water with 1 tablespoon of pure honey and add a slice of lemon. Drink it to relieve phlegm quickly. Alternatively, you can prepare 2-3 green quats, wash and cut them in half. Then, add about 3 tablespoons of pure peppermint honey and warm water and drink it immediately.

2. Remedy for gastric pain

If you have used too many medications to treat stomach pain and might experience drug resistance, try using honey for treatment, as it effectively reduces the pain. Numerous studies have shown that honey has natural antibacterial properties, making it beneficial for health and more effective than many other antibiotics in healing stomach ulcers. Additionally, honey contains precursors of Vitamin A, and groups of Vitamins B1, B2, B6, E, and folic acid, which are very beneficial for human health.

The traditional Chinese medicine remedy for stomach pain using pure honey is straightforward. You just need to mix 2 teaspoons of pure honey into a glass of warm water, stir well with a spoon, and then drink it all.

Drinking warm honey water will quickly alleviate stomach pain without causing any side effects like Western pain relievers. For the best results, it is recommended to drink it early in the morning upon waking up and before preparing to go to bed.

3. Treating cold

The common cold is a quite common condition in winter, and anyone is susceptible to it if they don't keep their body warm enough. There are many natural remedies for treating a cold at home, among which pure honey stands out due to its antibacterial and antioxidant properties, making it one of the best ingredients for treating colds and related flu symptoms.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the remedy for a cold using pure honey should include a little lemon juice

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the remedy for a cold using pure honey should include a little lemon juice. To accelerate the effectiveness of the treatment, you should mix lemon juice and pure honey in equal proportions. Additionally, you can add some ginger powder or crush ginger into the mixture. It is recommended to consume this remedy multiple times a day to warm up the body from the inside and quickly recover from the cold.

4. Remedy for mouth ulcers with pure honey

Using natural honey to treat mouth ulcers is considered a simple and effective home remedy that many people are applying. Besides the beauty benefits and wound healing properties, as well as body detoxification, honey also can reduce mouth ulcers. Moreover, honey is a rich source of nutrients such as zinc, iron, and potassium, which helps boost immunity and prevent the recurrence of mouth ulcers.

The remedy for treating mouth ulcers with pure honey is as follows: First, mix honey with turmeric powder in a ratio of 1:2 and stir well with a spoon. Then, apply this mixture to the area with the ulcer and leave it on for about 2-3 minutes. Finally, rinse your mouth with clean water to completely remove bacteria and prevent them from entering the body.

For this honey treatment for mouth ulcers, it is best to persist and apply it about 3 times a day. In a short period, the affected area will significantly reduce pain, discomfort, and swelling.

5. Remedy for reducing high Cholesterol levels in the blood

Natural honey will help eliminate excess fat cells and cholesterol from the body's tissues, preventing obesity, and high blood pressure, and reducing high cholesterol levels in the blood.

Honey can help reduce the total cholesterol levels in the body

Honey can reduce overall cholesterol levels in the body, including LDL cholesterol and neutral fats. Additionally, the components of honey contain antioxidants such as phenolic acids and flavonoids that effectively remove excess fat. Moreover, these substances protect cells, prevent plaque buildup in blood vessels, and are highly effective in preventing heart disease.

Every morning, you only need to drink a glass of warm water with a tablespoon of honey and about 5-10 drops of apple cider vinegar to help detoxify the body and lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Furthermore, if you drink it before meals, it can also aid in weight loss and help maintain a slim figure.

6. Cure hemorrhoids with natural honey

The benefits of natural honey are highly praised by experts due to its rich antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Because of these properties, honey is widely used to prevent diseases related to mucosal infections in the rectum and anus. In particular, pure honey is surprisingly effective in tightening and shrinking hemorrhoids.

Furthermore, consuming honey can enhance the body's immunity and stimulate the digestive system. This helps prevent constipation and reduces pressure on the rectum and anus during bowel movements.

Patients should clean the anus with warm water, pat dry gently with a soft cotton towel, and then apply pure honey directly to the hemorrhoids. It is important to do this regularly, twice a day, in the morning and evening, to help reduce bleeding and pain.

Additionally, to enhance the effectiveness of treating hemorrhoids, honey can be combined with carrots. Carrots are rich in vitamins and fiber, and when combined with natural honey, they increase the anti-inflammatory effect. They also support the mucous membrane, helping to alleviate cramps and bleeding in the rectum and anus caused by hemorrhoids.

Patients should use approximately 25ml of honey combined with 50g of carrots and 150ml of water. Peel and wash the carrots, grind them into a paste, add honey and water, and simmer over low heat. Divide the mixture into two portions and consume them twice a day, continuously for 7 days, to noticeably improve the digestive system's efficiency.

7. How to cure constipation with honey

As mentioned above, honey is very beneficial for the digestive system, so in traditional medicine, honey can be used to treat constipation in a simple way that you can apply at home.

Natural honey can effectively treat constipation because it possesses water-absorbing properties

Natural honey can effectively treat constipation because it has water-absorbing properties. Natural honey contains about 17% water, and this is why drinking warm water with honey regularly is very beneficial. It acts as a lubricant that stimulates the colon and helps push stool out.

Moreover, honey can convert fructose into glucose, a type of sugar that is directly absorbed into the bloodstream without going through intermediate stages like refined sugars. As a result, it doesn't cause constipation and is not harmful to health. Therefore, honey is safe for people with sensitive stomachs and digestive issues.

Pure honey has been proven to improve kidney and bowel function, especially aiding in smooth bowel movements and promoting digestion, thus effectively treating constipation.

In particular, combining honey with tomatoes creates a very effective remedy for constipation. Clean the tomatoes, extract the juice, add fresh lemon juice and 200ml of cow's milk, and mix in a teaspoon of pure honey. Patients should drink one glass of this mixture every day for 7 consecutive days, and the symptoms of constipation will noticeably reduce.

Home remedies for acne treatment with honey

Acne affects the aesthetics of the skin and causes damage to the skin. The main cause of acne is the accumulation of dirt and bacteria that invade and persist on the skin. Severe and long-lasting acne can even lead to difficult-to-treat skin inflammation.

Therefore, using honey to treat acne is considered a highly advantageous option. Honey can combat inflammation and bacteria effectively. When combined with lemon, it can stimulate hidden acne to come to the surface and make the extraction of acne easier than ever.

The process of treating acne with honey is not difficult at all. After thoroughly cleaning the face, you should apply honey evenly on the skin and gently massage with your hands to allow the nutrients to penetrate deep into the cells, especially in areas where hidden acne is present. You need to persistently apply this formula 2-3 times a week, and even the most stubborn hidden acne will be eradicated, leaving your skin radiant, smooth, and glowing.

IV. People who should not use honey?

Although natural honey is extremely beneficial and safe, there are some special cases in which honey should not be used, such as:

•  Children under 1 year old: The digestive function of infants is still weak, and their liver detoxification function is not fully developed, especially for infants under 6 months old. During the preparation and transportation process, honey is susceptible to contamination with botulinum, which, when combined with certain substances, can produce toxins and cause poisoning in children under 1 year old.
• People with liver cirrhosis: For patients with hepatitis B, regular consumption of honey is suitable because the Monosaccharides in honey can reduce the burden on the liver. However, patients with liver cirrhosis, should not consume honey as it may worsen the symptoms of this disease.

Mật ong rất tốt nhưng phải bất kỳ ai cũng nên sử dụng

• Pregnant women: Honey has a nourishing effect but is not suitable for pregnant women as it can stimulate uterine contractions and affect the normal comprehensive development of the fetus.
• People with low blood pressure and low blood sugar levels: Honey contains a compound similar to Acetylcholine, which has a hypotensive effect. For individuals with low blood sugar levels, consuming honey may lead to complications.
• People who have recently undergone surgery: Individuals who have undergone surgery have lost a significant amount of blood, and their bodies are still weak. If they absorb too many nutrients, it may burden the liver and cause airway congestion, leading to bleeding from various organs.
• People with bowel function disorders: Pure honey can cause strong intestinal contractions, leading to disorders in bowel function and resulting in symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation.
• People prone to allergies: Honey is not suitable for those who have allergies. People with pollen allergies should avoid eating honey as it may cause allergic reactions.

Honey is a "gift" from nature with numerous health and beauty benefits in both traditional and modern medicine. This article aims to share valuable information to help you choose delicious honey that suits your needs, and most importantly, understand the clear origin of the product.

However, if you still have doubts and questions about honey, IVY HONEY is ready to be your companion and provide answers to all your queries, helping you choose the most suitable honey product for your needs.

IVY HONEY is proud to provide high-quality honey that meets strict standards, bringing many health benefits to users. We always adhere to the process of beekeeping and honey production according to the VietGAHP standard, with criteria such as non-GMO, no use of antibiotics in beekeeping, and no residues of plant protection drugs in honey.