Therapeutic Uses of Honey in Ayurveda
The FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission defines honey as "the natural sweet substance produced by honeybees from the nectar of flowers or from secretions coming from living organisms feeding on plants, that bees gather, transform and combine with specific ingredients, store and leave to ripen in the combs of the hive."
In Ayurveda, honey is called madhu. Its qualities are explained as follows:
Sandhatru cchedanam ruksham kashayam madhuram madhu ||
meaning, "it has sweetness (madhura rasa) with added astringent as the end taste (kashaya anu rasa). It is heavy (guru guna), dry (ruksha) and cold (sheeta). Its effect on the doshas is as follows: it aggravates vata, scrapes kapha and normalizes pitta and rakta. It promotes the healing process".
Honey contains:
- Sugars like fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, lactose and other disaccharides and trisaccharides.
- Proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids.
- Volatile aromatic substances.
- Ashes and water etc.
Various ingredients of honey have helped it to become not only a sweet liquid, but also a natural product with high nutritional and medicinal value.
The medicinal quality, taste, texture, colour, and aroma of honey differs according to the geographical area and the species of plants from which it has been collected.
Types of Honey
Eight types of honey are described in Ayurveda depending on the type of bee which collects it. They are pouttika, bhramara, kshoudra, makshika, chatra, arghya,oudalaka, and dala.
- Pouttika is collected by very large bees from the nectar of poisonous flowers. It increases vata, causes gout and a burning sensation in the chest. It is also a sedative and reduces fat.
- Bhramara is collected by large bees and is sticky in nature.
- Kshoudra is collected by medium sized honey bees, and is light and cold in nature. It dissolves kapha.
- Makshika is collected by small honey bees, and is very light and dry natured. It's useful in vata-kapha diseases and kapha diseases.
- Chatra is heavy and cold in nature. It's useful in gout and leucoderma (shwitra).
- Arghya is good for eyes but causes arthritis.
- Oudalaka is useful in skin diseases, and helps in modulation of voice.
- Dala is dry and reduces vomiting.
Amongst all the above makshika is considered as the best type with immense medicinal properties.
Therapeutic Uses of Honey
- As it contains sugars which are quickly absorbed by our digestive system and converted into energy, it can be used as instant energizer.
- As it is hygroscopic it speeds up healing, and growth of healing tissue and dries it up.
- Honey acts as a sedative and is very useful in bed wetting disorders.
- Honey is very good anti-oxident which restores damaged skin and gives soft, young looks.
- Honey has anti-bacterial properties due to its acidic nature and enzymically produced hydrogen peroxide.
- Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles which fight bacteria and viral diseases.
In Ashtanga Hridaya the great classic of Ayurveda, the therapeutic uses of honey are explained as follows:
Mehakushtakrimicchardishwaasakaasaatisaarajit ||
Vranashodhana sandhaanaropanam vaatalam madhu ||
Which means:
- Honey is very good for eyes and eyesight.
- It quenches thirst.
- It dissolves kapha.
- Reduces effects of poison.
- Stops hiccups.
- It is very useful in urinary tract disorders, worm infestations, bronchial asthma, cough, diarrhea and nausea or vomiting.
- It cleanses wounds.
- It heals wounds.
- Helps in quick healing of deep wounds.
- Initiates growth of healthy granulation tissue.
- Honey which is newly collected from a bee hive increases body weight and is a mild laxative.
- Honey which is stored and is old helps in metabolism of fat and scrapes kapha.
Ayurveda explains another special quality of honey. Honey is known as Yogavahi - it has a quality of penetrating the deepest tissue. When honey is used with other herbal preparations it enhances the medicinal qualities of those preparations and also helps them to reach the deeper tissues.
Precautions before using Honey
- Honey should not be mixed with hot foods.
- Honey should not be heated.
- Honey should not be consumed when you are working in a hot environment.
- Honey should never be mixed with rain water, hot and spicy foods, and fermented beverages like whisky, rum, brandy and so on, or with ghee and mustard.
- Honey includes the nectar of various flowers, some of which may be poisonous. Poison has hot or ushna qualities. When honey is mixed with hot and spicy foods the poisonous properties get enhanced and cause imbalance of doshas.
Home Remedies that use Honey
- Mix 2 teaspoons of honey with carrot juice and consume regularly. This helps to improve eyesight and is very helpful for those who sit before a computer for long hours.
- In colds, coughs and congested chest mix 2 teaspoons of honey with an equal quantity of ginger juice and consume frequently.
- A mixture of black pepper powder, honey and ginger juice in equal quantities, when consumed thrice daily helps to relieve the symptoms of asthma.
- Regular use of one teaspoon of garlic juice mixed with two teaspoons of honey helps to control blood pressure.
- One glass of warm water taken with two teaspoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in the early morning reduces fat and purifies blood.
Consuming one spoon of honey daily helps us to lead a healthy long life.
About the author
Dr. Krishna R.S has been an Ayurvedic practitioner for 19 years, since obtaining a degree in Ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) in 1986 from University of Mysore, India. He completed his postgraduation diploma in allopathic medicine and surgery from University of Bangalore, Karnataka, India. His articles about Ayurveda and life sciences have been published in many magazines.
Dr. Krishna lives in Mysore, Karnataka, India. He gives consultations in Mysore and also in Bangalore the silicon valley of India.
91-0821-2451405
Send an email to Dr. Krishna
www.ayurveda-increaselibido.com
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