Living forever may be a pipe dream, but there are certain places where people tend to live longer than others. The Greek Island of Ikaria is one such location, known as a 'Blue Zone', where residents often reach the ripe old age of 100.
So, what's their secret? According to one local, it's all about the honey. In an article on CNBC, Diane Kochilas wrote: "The raw, thick, delicious honey produced by local beekeepers on the island and across Greece is intertwined with my most precious memories of life on Ikaria. I love to smell its subtle, gentle perfume wafting on the breeze, especially when the weather is warm and the bees are out and about, buzzingly busy among the wildflowers, thyme, and pine trees."
"Honey has antibacterial qualities, contains an abundance of antioxidants, and helps the body regulate sugar levels. On Ikaria, it's considered one of the island's secret ingredients for longevity, and many Ikarians start their day with a spoonful."
"It's consumed as folk medicine for coughs and sore throats. A friend in his 90s has told me the combination of honey, sage or mountain tea, ginger, and garlic were the "penicillin" of his generation. Island elders have even joked with me that it's nature's Viagra.", reports Surrey Live.
Celebs are buzzing about the latest health craze, and even footie legend David Beckham has been spotted getting stuck in, declaring "honey harvesting" at his Cotswolds hives as his "favourite thing to do". It's all about the 'raw' stuff, folks – that's the honey without all the heat and sieving that strips out the good bits. This natural nectar is packed with bee pollen, brimming with amino acids, vitamins A and C, enzymes, and antioxidants.
Raw honey's got about 30 types of plant compounds called polyphenols, which are ace for your ticker and might even keep the Big C at bay, boasting 4.3 times more than the processed goo. And while some say heating honey can zap its antibacterial mojo, nutritionist Hannah Hope reckons even the supermarket squeeze still has some germ-fighting and anti-inflammatory oomph.
Spooning up raw honey could be a sweet deal, with experts suggesting it's a goldmine of vitamins like ascorbic acid, pantothenic acid, niacin, riboflavin, and a treasure trove of minerals. There's even chatter in the National Library of Health about honey putting the brakes on cancer.
The study highlighted: "Honey is a natural product known for its varied biological or pharmacological activities-ranging from anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antihypertensive to hypoglycaemic effects. Effects of honey have been thoroughly investigated in certain cancers such as breast, liver and colorectal cancer cell lines. In contrast, limited but promising data are available for other forms of cancers including prostate, bladder, endometrial, kidney, skin, cervical, oral and bone cancer cells."
"Honey is highly cytotoxic against tumour or cancer cells while it is non-cytotoxic to normal cells. Thus, honey may serve as a potential and promising anticancer agent which warrants further experimental and clinical studies."
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of death worldwide. However, honey could potentially address each of the factors contributing to heart disease.
For instance, elevated levels of poor low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol raise the risk of heart disease. This is because it can lead to blocked arteries, which then increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
However, research has found that honey not only helps to lower the levels of LDL cholesterol, but it also serves to raise the levels of good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
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