Honey, the perfect food?

From the website Healthbot, a serious case is made for using honey a little more liberally in the household.

Honey has been consumed by humans for 2,500 years and it’s still got the right stuff. Check it out:

1. Honey is mostly known as a sweetener. It contains about 69% glucose and fructose.
2. Honey is a universal source of energy that provides 64 calories per tablespoon. (One tablespoon of sugar will give you about 50 calories.) The sugars in honey are easily converted into glucose by even the most sensitive stomachs.
3. Honey contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. The vitamin and mineral content of honey depends on the type of flowers pollen was gathered from during the making process.
4. Good for your skin: milk and honey are often served together. Both of these help smooth and sooth skin.
5. Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It has traditionally been used as a natural treatment for wounds, burns and ulcers. In recent years there has been renewed interest in the medicinal properties of honey for wound care.
6. Honey is an excellent ergogenic aid and can boost the performance of athletes. Honey helps maintain blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout. During the ancient Olympics, athletes ate honey and dried figs, to enhance their performance.
7. Antioxidants: Honey contains nutraceuticals, which are effective in removing free radicals from our body. As a result, our body immunity is improved.
8. Honey can help control cholesterol levels and type II diabetes. In a series of experiments involving healthy subjects and those with either high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes, honey has proved itself the healthiest sweetener.
9. Phytonutrients found both in honey and propolis (or ‘bee glue’, which is found in raw honey) have been shown to possess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties. These substances include caffeic acid methyl caffeate, phenylethyl caffeate, and phenylethyl dimethylcaffeate. Researcher has shown these substances to prevent colon cancer in animals by shutting down activity of the enzymes, phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and lipoxygenase.