Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
Quote:
Originally Posted by
eight days a week
Well I was in the 'other' supermarket tonight, and Manuka (the same brand) is a few quid cheaper than in the health food shops, so I grabbed some...
They didn't actually have the half'n'half, so I took the plunge and went for the factor 15+ :shades:
It says take 25g in a cup of warm water, but I'll start off with 10ml I think and see how I go :)
Excellent, do keep us informed how you get on. I'm not sure what volume I take other than it's a very bulging desert spoon of the 50/50 honey as I mentioned above. I take mine dissolved into chinese tea (I add the honey after it has brewed, so the water is very warm but not boiling hot).
It will be interesting to know whether you feel anything, nothing, better or worse.
Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
I tried it yesterday - about a teaspoon and a half in warm water. It's a really nice taste for me, not the strong medicinal taste I was expecting at all, but it is very sweet!
I felt nauseous for the whole day, but I do have stomach problems anyway (maybe it'll help?!) and I almost was expecting to after Ingenious' post:roflmao: I've gone for 10ml today and am enjoying it now...delicious :) I think I'll stick to that much because it's already so sweet. I worked out 25g a day is more than twice as much, and it'd cost about 80p a day :ohmy:
From what I understand there are two types of antiseptic/healing benefits in Manuka:
1) The antiseptic effect that all honeys have.
2) A special 'extra' in Manuka, because of the special plants the bees use
1) Is affected by high temperatures, but the special Manuka effect (2) isn't. I want to get both of the benefits from the honey so I'm mixing it in very warm but not hot water.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
LucyLiz
I put one spoonful of Manuka honey in every tea I have! Haven't had a cold or cough for a very long time! Tastes nice even if there are no other benefits! X
That's very encouraging to hear! I get loads of coughs and colds so I really hope to see this benefit :)
Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
Thanks for the update :) Hopefully the nausea like feelings will ease over the next few days. Once that happens we can then see if you feel any different. Any calmer, less anxious, etc.
Shame about the cost really, I get through a jar of "Supahoney" in a week @ £4 a jar. But then assuming it is doing me some good, that's worth paying.
You never know it might simply be the effect of the sugars in it, might be something really simple rather than the extracts of some mysterious plant.
If anyone else is reading this who is willing to take part, re-read the thread from the top and then get some honey. The more people who try it the more opinions we can get. Just look at threads about 5HTP and St John's Wort for example, some people swear by these, others had no luck.
Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
You're most welcome, thanks for inspiring me to at last try this 'healing honey' :)
I must admit, I'm actually as interested in its effects on my stomach troubles and general health as I am in its possible effects for anxiety and depression. I can only really find two reasons (so far) it might help with mood:
1) Blood sugar - if your low mood can be due to this. I've always struggled with blood sugar myself, how about you Ingenious?
2) The honey contains vitamins, minerals and amino acids (them again!) that we need to feel good.
3) I just thought of this...honey is super-concentrated plant 'stuff' isn't it? Wonder how many of my five-a-day I'm having this way :roflmao:
Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
Duerr’s Tineo & Ulmo Active 10+ honey retains natural active properties to kill
bacteria, fungi and viruses .... This is the honey i buy from Waitrose £5.99,its cheaper than Manuka but i believe its probably just as good..I have a spoonful in my green tea with some freshly squeezed lemon everyday.. Not sure about the anx/dep theory but i feel healthier for taking it..
Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
Thanks Hopeless and that's given me an idea for my Chinese tea too - having a squeeze of fresh lemon :)
Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
Thanks for posting this thread! I've heard of Manuka but didn't know it could help combat anxiety and depression. I'll have a look the next time I'm in a health food shop.
Best,
Graham .
Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
Hi Graham, well it's only a theory really at this point which we're trying to test out, there doesn't seem to much on the web about honey for anxiety or depression.
I've stuck to my 10ml's a day in warm water. I reckon that should be enough, plus I don't think I could drink anything sweeter.
I felt a bit brighter the first few days of taking it. It could be all in the mind, or it could be the simple boost in blood sugar (I wrote about in my last post).
No other effects at present, though my stomach has seemed a bit more settled, which is very welcome. Hopefully it'll continue and I'll keep updating on here.
Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
Since I last posted I have been doing some digging around the net for information about honey. I was surprised first of all to find that it contains (broadly speaking, each one is different) around 40% sugar, 30% glucose, 20% water and the rest is the "special" stuff like enzymes.
However it seems to be the case that heating honey to just 40C destroys everything except the sugar/glucose, and if you think by the time I add it to my Chinese tea that's still at least 60C. The composition of heated honey is apparently very similar to.... sugar syrup.
So this would strongly suggest that what I have been taking for the last month and more is nothing more or less than an instant hit of sugar and glucose :)
So from there we can maybe assume one of two things. The perceived improvement in my life, mood and wellbeing is simply a placebo effect. Or, there is a dietary element to this and the sugar/glucose hit is having a direct effect in me through those means (dietary and physical rather than mental).
It is normally the case I have a huge "dip" mid-morning when I get hungry and the main symptom of this is very high irritability until I have eaten. I always thought this was a "man thing". Since taking the honey each day - which I normally take during the morning - I don't recall ever having a day where I was in a bad mood because I was hungry. Maybe by removing that from my life the cumulative effect is increased wellbeing?
One thing to note though is even if I miss my honey in the morning, and have it later in the day, I still don't get that "dip" anymore in the morning. I can go all the way through from an early breakfast to a late lunch without getting that horrible dip, irritability and general horrible-ness.
Lots to think about!! I'd feel a right prat if it was so bloody simple that having a daily dose of glucose and sugar keeps me feeling great. But if it works who cares?
Re: Honey for anxiety/depression
That's pretty much in line with what I've been reading Ingenious, except that the Manuka 'effect' isn't destroyed at higher heats (unlike the hydrogen peroxide anti-bacterial properties of 'normal' honeys).
I guess my warm water is around 40 degrees, I might have to check...
Do you have any links that the Manuka effect and enzymes are destroyed by heat? Pasteurisation is heating things to very high temperatures to destroy bacteria, and I'd guess all honeys from national shops/supermarkets are pasteurised unless they are labelled not to have been. This includes Manuka, and yet it still has the health claims attached, with research apparently behind it.
Do you have a large breakfast? Just ideas but you could experiment eating more at breakfast, maybe some slow-release carbs, maybe some added fruit.