A Honey Spoonful a Day Keeps the Free Radicals at Bay!
There have been many reports that honey lowers cholesterol.
Now, what exactly is cholesterol? It is a type of lipid or
fat produced by the liver needed to make vitamin D and some
hormones, build cell walls, and create bile salts that help
you digest fat. Our liver produces enough of this waxy
substance (about 1,000 milligrams a day), so we don't have
to worry if there is need to get supplements. In fact, many
foods contain cholesterol and sometimes it's hard to ensure
that we don't get an excessive intake of cholesterol that
could lead to serious health problems. Eggs, meats, and
whole-fat dairy products (including milk, cheese, and ice
cream) are loaded with cholesterol, whereas vegetables,
fruits, and grains contain none. Because cholesterol can't
travel alone through the bloodstream, it has to combine
with certain proteins, which pick up the cholesterol and
transport it to different parts of the body. When the
cholesterol and protein are combined, a lipoprotein is
formed. Most cholesterol is LDL/bad (low-density
lipoproteins) cholesterol which can narrow the arteries and
clog the blood vessels that supply the vital organs such as
the heart, brain, kidneys and intestines. This is why it's
so important to start paying attention to our cholesterol
levels by maintaining a healthy weight, keeping an exercise
regime to strengthen your heart, avoiding foods that are
high in saturated fat and trans fat and following a low fat
diet that contains many low-cholesterol foods such as
fruits, veggies, whole grains (like breads and cereals),
legumes (beans), and fish. When you eat more of these
carbohydrate-rich foods, you will eat less of the foods
higher in fat and cholesterol.
Honey and cholesterol-free recipies are often associated in
the world of healthy foods. Not only is honey free of
cholesterol, it has been reported that adding small amounts
of it in the daily diet could even help keep cholesterol
levels in check. High in minerals such as potassium,
calcium and sodium and B complex vitamins, honey is known
to be a cholesterol fighter - honey lowers cholesterol in
our blood. The antioxidants in honey prevent cholesterol
from being moved out of the blood and into the lining of
the blood vessels. Daily consumption of this natural
sweetener could raise blood levels of protective
antioxidant compounds in the body.
It is believed that honey contain about the same range of
antioxidants as green vegetables, such as broccoli and
spinach and also comparable to fruits such as apples,
bananas, oranges and strawberries. And the antioxidant
level in mead , a wine made with honey is believed to be
comparable to white wine in terms of its antioxidant
capability. Generally, it's been known that dark honey
lowers cholesterol more effectively than lighter honey. For
instance, Buckwheat honey contains the highest levels of
antioxidants. The intake of honey and cinnamon, mixture
also has been reported to have innate healing
characteristics that appear to help diabetics control both
blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
So, see if honey lowers cholesterol by kick starting your
day with this honey and lemon cleansing tonic: mix a
spoonful or two of honey and the juice of half a lemon into
a cup of hot water and drink each morning before breakfast.
Incorporate honey in more places where you might be using
table sugar, and use it often as a home remedy, in no time,
you may find a significant increase in the amount of
antioxidant chemical compounds in your body.
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Ruth Tan is the owner of the website Benefits of Honey at
http://www.benefits-of-honey.com which is an immensely
rich, quality resource on honey and its benefits, and a
plethora of health-related issues.
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