Honey is a sweet and sticky fluid produced by honey bees from the nectar of flowers and plants. Its color, flavor, thickness and aroma vary depending on the flower or plant from which the bees gather the nectar. Bees ingest the nectar they collect into their ‘honey stomach’, the nectar is regurgitated and dehydrated repeatedly until it reaches the desired quality at which stage it is placed by the honey bee into a honeycomb cell where it gradually converts into honey.
Evidence from Qur’an and Sunnah
In the Qur’an, ALLAH informs us about the honey of honey bees, that their honey varies in color and that it is a healing for mankind.
HE THE MOST HIGH said: “There comes forth from their bellies, a drink of varying colour wherein is healing for men. Verily, in this is indeed a sign for people who think.” [16:69]
HE, THE MOST High, also mentions honey in the Qur’an as one of the foods of paradise:
“The description of Paradise which the Muttaqûn (pious) have been promised is that In it are rivers of water the taste and smell of which are not changed; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine delicious to those who drink; and rivers of clarified honey(clear and pure)...” [47:15]
Honey has also been mentioned in the authentic Sunnah.
It is reported that the Prophet (upon be salah and salam) said: “Cure is in three (things): a drink of honey, a slash of the knife used in Hijamah and branding (cauterizing) by fire. And I prohibit my nation from cauterizing.” [Bukhaaree 5356]
In another hadeeth, it states: “Upon you is the two cures: the honey and the Qur’an” [Ibn Maajah 3452.
Abu Sa'eed al-Khudree narrated, “A man came to the Messenger (upon be Salah and Salam) and said, ‘My brother has pain in his stomach’, so the Messenger (upon be Salah and Salam) said, ‘give him honey to drink.’ The man came back and said, ‘O Messenger of ALLAH! It only increased his illness!’ So the Messenger (upon be Salah and Salam) said, ‘Give him honey to drink.’ The man came back and said, ‘O Messenger of ALLAH! It only increased his illness!’ The Messenger of ALLAH (upon him be Salah and Salam) said ‘ALLAH spoke the truth and your brother’s belly has lied. Go and give him honey to drink.’ He went and gave him honey and was cured.” [Bukhaaree (5684), Muslim (2217)].
Ibnu Qayyim commented that the prescribed medicine should be in sufficient doses otherwise the ailment will not be fully cured and dosage larger than the required amount will weaken the body and cause side effects. Hence the reason why the man wasn't cured straight after taking the honey was due to excessive amounts of harmful properties in his stomach, the prophet (upon him be salah and salam) knew that the dose was not enough and that the man needed more honey to be cured. [Zaad al-Ma'aad -4/35].
The 3 key health benefits of honey are related to the fact that:
1. Honey is nature's energy booster.
2. Honey is a great immunity system builder.
3. Honey is a natural remedy for many ailments.
Nature's Energy Booster
The benefits of honey go beyond its great taste; great natural source of carbohydrates which provide strength and energy to our bodies, honey is known for its effectiveness in instantly boosting the performance, endurance and reduce muscle fatigue of athletes. Its natural sugars play an important role in preventing fatigue during exercise. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy. It is known that honey has also been found to keep levels of blood sugar fairly constant compared to other types of sugar.
So, to experience these health benefits of honey, here are a few tips for you:
1. Next time before you go for a workout, take a spoon of honey to enable you to go for the extra mile.
2. If you are feeling low and lethargic in the morning, instead of reaching out for a can of carbonated energy drink, try honey. Spread it on hot toast or replace the sugar in your tea with it for a refreshing surge of energy.
3. If your kids are finding hard to cope with the physical strain from the buzzing activities at school, prepare them some sandwiches with honey, butter and to make sure they have enough energy to sustain through the day. They couldn't care a bit about the health benefits of honey, but simply love the taste of it!
Immunity System Builder
Amongst the many health benefits of honey, is that honey can be a powerful immune system booster. Its antioxidant and anti- bacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease.
Start every brand new day with this cleansing tonic if you want to see this health benefit of honey: before breakfast, mix a spoonful of honey and lemon juice from half a lemon into a cup of warm water and drink it.
Honey is Anti-Cancer!
Honey does not cure cancer but what many people don't think enough of or have overlooked is - honey possesses carcinogen-preventing and anti-tumor properties!