Sunday 26 October 2014

To note - "Honey should not be heated and it should not be added to substances which are hot in temperature."
From 'Jeevani - Ayurveda for Women' by Dr. P.L.T. Girija
 

HONEY

Honey is a substance with many useful properties. It is non-fatty (dry) and in taste  sweet and mildly astringent. It is considered the best medicine in the treatment of  Kapha. Honey improves vision, relieves thirst and prevents bleeding (premature  bleeding in case of pregnancy) as well as vomiting. It is used in the treatment of cough, respiratory problems and diarrhoea. It is also used in treating poisons, hiccup, diabetes, skin diseases and worms. It breaks up hard masses in the body, cleanses and heals wounds and joins and heals broken bones. It increases Vayu. Honey is a very popular vehicle for the administration of Ayurvedic medicines  particularly in respiratory diseases where Kapha is predominant. Choornam (powders) such as Thaleesadi used in the treatment of Kapha diseases, are usually mixed with honey and administered.

Honey is also used as an ingredient in many medicinal preparations. Honey is known as a ‘yogavahi’. A yogavahi is a substance, which when mixed with other  medicinal substances, enhances their properties.

However, while using honey certain precautions have to be observed.  Honey should not be heated and it should not be added to substances which are hot in temperature. Bees collect honey from all sorts of flowers including poisonous  flowers. Honey thus collected and assembled, when subjected to heat, breaks down and turns toxic. Sometimes people take honey with hot water or tea or hot lemon juice. This is not a healthy practice as honey is subjected to heat. Honey should not be taken in large quantities as it can cause indigestion. Indigestion caused by honey is very difficult to treat.

No comments:

Post a Comment