Is Honey Suitable for Everyone?
【Introduction to Honey】：
Honey is a type of sweet substance produced by bees from the nectar of flowers. Bees collect nectar or secretions with a water content of about 75% from flowers and store it in their second stomach. Through various transformations in their body over approximately 15 days, honey is enriched with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to a certain level. At the same time, the polysaccharides in the nectar are converted into monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose, which can be directly absorbed by the human body. Honey with a water content of less than 23% is stored in the hive and sealed with beeswax. Honey is a supersaturated solution of sugar and can crystallize at low temperatures. The crystallized part is glucose, while the part that does not crystallize is mainly fructose.
The health benefits of honey have always been recognized, and many people choose to consume it daily. However, is honey suitable for everyone? When is the best time to consume honey?
Honey may increase dampness in the body for some individuals
However, for individuals with a cold and damp constitution or those who frequently experience edema, consuming honey may actually increase dampness in the body, causing more harm than good. Therefore, it is important to consider one's personal constitution before consuming honey.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, honey has a neutral nature and a sweet taste. It has the effects of nourishing the spleen and stomach, moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements. It can relieve symptoms such as dry mouth, dry nose, dry skin, and constipation. Honey also has a calming effect. Honey is also able to nourish yin and moisturize dryness, making it suitable for patients with yin deficiency and excessive internal heat. For individuals with dry and swollen nose symptoms caused by nasal sensitivity, consuming honey can help improve the condition.
In addition, the choice of honey should also be based on one's personal constitution. Different types of honey come from different plants. For example, wolfberry honey, longan honey, codonopsis honey, and hawthorn honey have a warm nature and have a nourishing effect. Ginkgo honey, coptis honey, loquat honey, chrysanthemum honey, winter honey, and multifloral honey, on the other hand, have a cool nature and have the effect of clearing away heat.
