Honey Popular in Traditional Chinese Medicine

A Spoonful of Honey Can Work Wonders
China View, 8/26/2008

BEIJING, Aug. 26 -- It's one of nature's healthiest foods and a favorite in traditional Chinese medicine, writes Zhang Qian

For many Chinese people, it's become a habit to add honey to milk, spread it on bread, or just simply stir some into a cup of warm water for breakfast every morning.

It's not just for the sweet taste but more for its rich nutrition and special function in traditional Chinese medicine, such as dispelling toxins and pathogenic heat, relieving pain and nourishing yin (cold) energy.

Honey, composed of various micro-elements such as vitamins, iron, calcium and copper as well as various enzymes, is a great nutritious supplement. And with about 80 percent of it easily assimilated glucose and fructose, honey is suitable for almost everyone, especially for elderly people with a weak digestive system.

Apart from its widely recognized nutritional value, honey is also Chinese people's favorite as a "neutral" food with medicinal properties. In the "Compendium of Materia Medica," the TCM classic by pharmacist Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), honey can help dispel pathogenic heat, clear away toxins, relieve pain and combat dehydration.

Eating honey often can help nourish yin energy and strengthen the spleen, resulted in clear sight and rosy cheeks. Have honey every morning can help prevent constipation and it is also a good choice for those who suffer chronic coughing…