HAIR, YOUR CROWNING GLORY!

Is recession hitting your hairline? Karan Agrawal finds out that trichologists can help

"Global recession,global heating and global hair loss!"exclaims Dr Apoorva Shah,the pioneer of Trichology in India,who along with his wife Dr Sonal Shah are India's first certified Trichologists.We are living in a world of diminishing returns as far as hair is concerned!
    The need for good hair is universal, beyond all boundaries.Hair is your crowning glory and also a measure of your self-image,prestige and confidence.Hair is also your body's barometer indicating good health or lack of it. Many times hair problem are the first signs that something is wrong with you internally! On the eve of bad hair day the mantra to get a bounty full hair on your head is to know the basic fact about your hair.That is why this article.
What is Trichology?
Trichology is the science of hair and scalp in health and disease.It was developed in 1902 in London and since then has used the wonders of science to detect and effectively treat hair and scalp diseases.
Role of Trichologist
Trichologist is the specialist for hair and scalp problems.When confronted with a hair problem a Trichologist would first conduct tricho analysis of the hair and scalp to diagnose the problem before choosing from an array of scientific tools to deal with it.Today there are around 400 Trichologist all over the world.
Significance of Trichology
An early indication of many disorders.
Very often hair problems are the first signs that show that something is going wrong internally.
Hair loss can indicate:
    Thyroid problems
    Anemia
    Dietary and mineral deficiency
    Hormonal imbalance
    Ovarian Cyst disease
Psychological Importance of Hair
    Hair loss can be devastating and should never be trivialized.
    It can lead to body dysmorphic disorder,which leads to destruction of self- image,prestige and confidence as hair and skin are the two most visible parts of the body.
Emotional Effect
    Trichotillomania
It is commonly known,is an impulse control disorder or form of self-injury characterized by the repeated urge to pull out scalp hair,eyelashes or other body hair,sometimes resulting in noticeable bald patches.It is caused severe emotional stress mostly in children,but also seen in adults.
    Tricophagia
It is the advanced stage of Trichotillomania.Characterized by pulling hair and eating it.
Hair facts
    Function of hair
Apart from imparting you with diva looks,hair has a far more essential
function.It's our protective shield and essentially serves to protect that part of the organ where it grows out.Our eyes are protected from dust by eyelashes.Eyebrows disallow sweat and rain from entering into eyes and causing irritation.Nose hair protects from dust particles from air to entering respiratory passages.Hair on our head apart from adding beauty also protects the skull and the brain.Hair on body helps in keeping the body warm.
Growth cycle of hair
Hair follows its own growth pattern which is spread over a certain period of time and consists of three basic stages: Anagen Phase – Growth Phase The Anagen phase or growth phase lasts for about three years.Approximately 85 per cent of all hairs are in the growing phase at any one time. Catagen Phase – Transitional phase At the end of the Anagen phase the hairs enters into a Catagen phase which lasts about one month and makes the end of growth period.On an average 1 per cent of follicle are in this stage. Telogen Phase – Resting phase The resting phase follows the catagen phase and normally lasts about three months.During this time the hair does not grow but stays attached to the follicle.Approximately 10-15 percent of all hair are in this phase at one time.At the end of the Telogen phase the hair follicle re-enters the Anagen phase.
Some interesting hair facts
    Palms and soles are the only two parts in the body which do not have hair.
    Number of hair follicales are formed in the third month from inception and are the same till the time of death, hence there can never be a before and after picture.
Correct diagnosis
Following three ways for correct diagnosis:
A.Trichologist is well trained to correctly diagnosis hair and scalp problems by physical examination of hair and scalp
B.Tricho analysis: A Trichogram helps in determining the A/ T ratio of hair , the grade of hair loss and the structure of hair.
C.Scalp analysis
    Capilloscopy identifies the state of the scalp and hair follicles.
    Densitometry is used to identify the volume and density of hair.
Impact of modern lifestyle on hair and scalp
    Stress: A physical or emotional stress can cause hair to prematurely enter in falling stages leading to Telogen effluviums, a type of sever hair loss. Stress can also caused a type of auto immune disorders on the scalp called alopecia which starts as a 25 paisa coin baldness and then spreads all over the scalp.
    Fashion: today our lives seem to be dictated by changing trends, straightening perming and colouring. All these chemical processes take a high toll on our hair. Tricchoxerrhis nodosa , or hair breakage due to chronic weakness is a common problem caused by chemical treatment.
    Pollution: pollution takes its toll on your hair as well as the rest of your body.It affects by breaking disulphide and hydrogen bonds of the hair it makes your hair dry,brittle,tangled and matted.
    Diet: today's fast food diet which consist of high-fat,high-animal protein and high-salt diet damages the kidneys and creates acidic blood,thereby leading to hair loss,This lifestyle leads to vitamin deficiency,which is another cause of hair loss.And thanks to the globalization of fast food chains,we're importing hair loss from overseas.
Hair tips
+ The first step to beautiful hair is cleanliness.Wash your hair every alternate day or even daily with a mild shampoo formulated for daily use, if necessary. + Eliminate or cut back on smoking, caffeine and carbonated sodas which weaken the body and block maximum hair growing potential. + Excessive blow drying can damaged hair in the long term , making it brittle and causing spilts ends. + Cumin, turmeric and black pepper are some 'hair- friendly' spices. + While drying your hair with towel, use blotting technique instead of rubbing it vigorously. + Use a wide toothcomb to avoid pulling the hair.

London-based team provides holistic healing

Mumbai: Lying on a mat in a dimly lit room, tender hands make sure your body is at ease. With gentle strokes, they expertly locate the tension zones in your body, and then heal them within 15 minutes. The blockages in your body disappear; the fears and anxiety you once felt have disappeared. With an increasing number of Mumbaikars showing symptoms of posttraumatic stress, help is coming in from all quarters. Two experts from the Ki Healing Centre in London—Pradnya Ranade and Master Choong—were in Mumbai for two days to lend a hand. They believe that their brand of natural healing helps people receive vital energy that has been depleted after being hit by physical and mental pain.
    On Saturday, they held a post-trauma session at the Health Awareness Centre in Bandra, where people affected by the terror strikes, either directly or indirectly, were given a first-hand experience of the healing process. "There is a lot of anxiety, and many fears remain shut inside the system. They should be released as soon as possible; it is best to nurse fresh wounds immediately,'' said Ranade, who had also treated those affected by the London blasts. "Ki Healing techniques help people overcome their physical and emotional suffering. We provide revitalising acupressure and energy treatments for individuals,'' she added.
    Shilpa Chawala of the Health Awareness Centre recollects a 65-year-old man's visit to the clinic. "He said he had never felt so scared before, never felt so afraid that he couldn't step out of his house. And he had only seen it on television. Posttrauma treatment for these people is extremely crucial, so they can let go of the fears they harbour,'' she said.

THE NATURAL WAY: Pradnya and Choong treat a trauma patient

How GREEN is this medicine?

The law that regulates ayurvedic drugs now allows the use of antioxidants, preservatives and sweeteners. But won't these drugs lose their organic wholesomeness? Sunday Times finds out

Meenakshi Kumar | TNN

 Ayurveda, the oldest health system in the world, is going in for a makeover, but is it all to the good? Till now,
the biggest innovation had been coloured ayurvedic pills and capsules. But the government's recent amendment of the 63-year-old Drugs and Cosmetics Act appears to allow a more fundamental change — ayurvedic medicine can now contain anti-oxidants, flavouring agents, preservatives and sweeteners. So is ayurveda about to lose its unique organic wholesomeness?
    Ayurveda practitioners and drugmakers don't think so. They say the additives, natural or synthetic, must be in permissible quantities in order that the medicine retains its natural properties. ''The purpose of allowing the use of anti-oxidants or sweeteners is to increase the shelf life of the ayurvedic medicines,'' says Dr S K Sharma, advisor to the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH). The reasoning is that once they last longer, it would be easier to market ayurvedic medicines nationally and internationally.
    But Sharma cautions that the changed law is not ''purely for commercial reasons. There is a
strong need for scientific innovation. It's time that we tried to improve ayurvedic medicines.'' So, the anti-oxidants that are being allowed to use will prevent the medicine from decomposing. The additives, says Sharma, will only help in making ayurvedic medicines more stable than ever before.
    Some ayurvedic practitioners admit that there are legitimate concerns about additives. Dr V V Doiphode, dean of Pune University's Department of Ayurveda, stresses the importance of testing any product before it is added to an ayurvedic drug. ''The onus is on the drug-makers to ensure these (additives) aren't detrimental to health,'' he says. For that they will have to conduct extensive research and lab testing.
    There are other ways of ensuring compliance, not least guidelines issued by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The IPC sets strict standards for drugs and other pharmaceutical products. Add to this, the wording of the amended Drugs and Cosmetics Act, which allows ''only natural colouring agents as permitted under rule 26 of Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules 1955 for ayurveda, siddha and unani drugs.''
    But what if someone wanted to market a flavoured chyawanprash, say chocolate, to attract the international market? Would that be more synthetic than traditional chyawanprash? Not really, so long as it retains its original properties, says Ranjit Puranik, CEO of Shree Dootapapeshwar Ltd, ayurvedic drug-maker and exporter. The loophole, however, is that a product like chyawanprash, which is made of 54 herbs — of which amla (gooseberry) is the main — can be marketed internationally as a dietary supplement rather than a medicine. If it has to be marketed as a medicine, then all the 54 herbs have to go through a standardisation process that will certify that none of the herbs are harmful to health.
    The amended act allows synthetic additives in ayurvedic drugs but insists they ''carry a statutory warning stating the name and quantity of the artificial sweetener.'' Puranik says it's up to the individual manufacturer to decide how natural he wants the ayurvedic drug to be. And if he uses a large quantity of synthetic additive ''he clearly can't then sell the product as ayurveda''.
    That may affect ayurvedic core market, but the holistic health treatment has a long way to go in persuading India and the wider world of the goodness of its old-style organic approach to healing. Industry experts estimate that the global market for ayurveda is worth $120 billion. But India's ayurveda exports are a paltry Rs 450 crore or $91 million. China and Sri Lanka lead the world in ayurveda manufacture and export.
    India is finally trying to close the gap by adding innovation to the ayurveda mix. ''These medicines can be tweaked a bit to suit people's tastes, but the medicinal properties should be maintained. Say for instance, a popular ayurvedic medicine, kashayam, is now available in the form of capsules and tablets. This has been achieved by spray drying but the original properties are not tinkered with.'' says V G Udayakumar, president of the Kerala-based Ayurveda Medical Association of India. He believes the same can be applicable to other medicines too.
    But there's some way to go before the humble hajmola becomes the world's prescribed cure for indigestion.
TRACING ROOTS
    Ayurveda traces its origin to Atharaveda, the fourth Veda
    The Sushruta Samhita, a Sanskrit text by surgeon Sushruta, appeared during the 1st millennium BCE . It is an encyclopaedia of medical learning with details on surgery
    It's believed that visiting Chinese pilgrim Fa Hsien wrote about the Gupta empire's health care system in the 4th century and was impressed by the institutional approach to medicine
    Later, when Arabs came to India, they translated both Sushruta and Charaka Samhita, which then made their way into Europe
    One of Sicily's famous families, the Branca, adopted techniques described by the Sushruta
    Gradually, ayurvedic medicine became the foundation of the European medical tradition

Natural therapy for heart vein opening

Natural therapy for heart vein opening. Please pass it to your colleagues or friends.

For Heart Vein opening  
 
1)                  Lemon juice         01 cup

2)                 Ginger juice         01 cup

3)                 Garlic  juice          01 cup

4)                 Apple vinegar      01 cup

 

Mix all above and boil in light flame approximately half hour, when it becomes 3 cups, take it out and keep it for cooling. After cooling, mix 3 cups of natural honey and keep it in bottle.

Every morning before breakfast use one Table spoon regularly. Insah Allah your blockage of Vein's will open (No need any Angiography or By pass)

 

This is e-mail received from a person working in a Software Company

Dear colleagues, I am working in Blore Software City ...... I wanted to share an incident of my life with you, hoping that it may be an eye opener to you so that you can live more years.

On 27^th October afternoon, I had severe heart attack symptom and I was rushed to the hospital.

After reaching to the hospital, the doctors prescribed a test called angiogram. This test is basically to identify blood flow of heart arteries. When they finished the test they found a 94% block in the main artery, please see the image below with red circle.

 

 

At this point, I wanted to share my living style, which has caused this block in my heart arteries. Please see the below points of my life style, if any of these points are part of your life style then you are at risk, please change yourselves.

1. I was not doing any physical exercise for more than 10 years , not even walking 30 minutes a day for years.

2.     My food timings are 11:00 AM Breakfast or no Breakfast, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM Lunch and dinner at 11:00 PM to 12:00 AM.

3.     Sleeping in very odd timings, going to bed between 12:00 AM and 3:00 AM. Waking up at between 9:00 AM and 10:30AM ........ Some times spending sleepless nights.

4.   I used to eat heavily because of long gaps between lunch and dinner and I used to make sure that Non-Veg is available most of the time, there were times when I did survey on city hotels to find delicious Non-Veg dishes. I was never interested in vegetable and healthier food.

5.     Above all I was chain smoker from years.

6.     My father passed away due to heart problems, and the doctors say the heart problems are usually genetic.

Once they identified the major block they have done immediately a procedure called angioplasty along with 2 Stints, mean they will insert a foreign body into the heart arteries and open the blocked area of arteries. Please see the below image after the procedure.

 

 

I learnt from the doctors that 60% people will die before reaching the hospital,20% people will die in the process of recovering from heart attack and only 20% will survive .. In my case, I was very lucky to be part of the last 20%.

Doctors instructions:

1.Need to have physical exercise for minimum of 45 minutes daily.

2.Eat your food at perfect timings, like how you eat during your school days. Eat in small quantities more times and have lot of vegetables and boiled food, try to avoid fry items and oily food.. Fish is good than other non-vegetarian food.

3.Sleep for 8 hours a day, this count should complete before sun rising.

4.Stop smoking.

5.Genetic problems, we cannot avoid but we can get away from it by having regular checkups.
 
6.Find a way to get relived from the stress (Yoga, Meditation etc).

 

So I urge you all to please avoid getting into this situation, it is in your hands to turn the situation up side down, by just planning / changing your life style, by following simple  points above.

Extinction threatens Yemen's natural Viagra

Floods decimated native bee habitats
SANAA (Jalal al-Sharaabi)

Honey merchants said the price of honey next season will double because of the floods. Yemeni honey, famed for its regenerative and healing properties, is under threat after floods destroyed thousands of beehives in the southeast, threatening the production of what is commonly known as "natural Viagra."

Deadly floods last month that killed dozens and forced thousands to flee hit the honey-producing provinces of Hadhramut the hardest and decimated beekeepers as thousands of hives were washed away. Yemeni honey is known for its healing properties, cosmetic benefits and contains natural stimulants that has given it the nickname “natural Viagra.” Beekeeper Ahmed Hadi, who owned 800 beehives, was looking forward to the profits the honey season usually brings but instead was taken by surprise when torrential rainfall drowned his farm and killed his son and a worker.  "I asked for compensation, but they told us that the priority is only for the natives of Hadhramaut," Hadi told AlArabiya.net. More than 37,000 beehives in the area were destroyed by the floods, according to police reports submitted by Wadi Doan residents. Many beekeepers were killed and many others are still missing. Honey merchants said that the floods will double the prices of honey next season. The price of one kilogram of Hadhramaut honey reached 10,000 riyals ($50).  Prices vary according to type of honey. Al-Sedr honey, usually produced in November, is the most expensive and is primarily exported. About 17 percent of the honey produced by Yemen’s more than one million beehives is exported, generating $9 million per year, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture. Hadhramaut honey business alone is worth 2.25 billion riyals ($11.3 million) and constitutes 26 percent of total honey production of Yemen. In a 2006 article Yemeni honey research Abdullah Yareem noted that laboratory studies found that Yemeni honey in particular was effective in treating topical wounds by speeding the creation of new skin cells and the absorption of oxygen.  (Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid) Source: http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/11/09/59808.html

‘AIDS can be eliminated in a decade’

If All At High Risk Are Tested, Model Suggests Disease Could Be History

London: The virus that causes AIDS could theoretically be eliminated in a decade if all people living in countries with high infection rates are regularly tested and treated, according to a new mathematical model.
    It is an intriguing solution to end the AIDS epidemic. But it is based on assumptions rather than data, and is riddled with logistical problems. The research was published online on Tuesday in the medical journal, the Lancet.
    "It's quite a startling result," said Charlie Gilks, an AIDS treatment expert at the World Health Organization and one of the paper's authors. "In a relatively short amount of time, we could potentially knock the epidemic on its head."
    Gilks and colleagues used data from South Africa and Malawi. In their model, people were voluntarily tested each year and immediately given drugs if they tested positive for HIV, regardless of whether they were sick. Within 10 years, HIV infections dropped by 95%. Other initiatives like safe sex education and male circumcision were also used. The strategy would cut the estimated number of AIDS deaths between 2008 and 2050 by about half, from about 8.7 million to 3.9 million, leaving only sporadic HIV cases. Experts think the strategy's cost would peak at about $3.4 billion a year, though expenses would fall after an initial investment. "This is certainly beyond the bounds of the current infrastructure for many countries, but that is not a reason not to think big," said Myron Cohen, of the University of North Carolina, who has done similar research. Only 3 million people are currently on AIDS drugs. Nearly 7 million people are still awaiting treatment, and about 3 million more people were infected last year. Worldwide, WHO guesses that about 33 million people have HIV. Increasing access to testing and drugs would stretch already weak health systems in Africa, which has most of the world's HIV cases. WHO emphasized that the study findings do not signal a policy change. "This is only a theoretical exercise," said Kevin De Cock, director of WHO's HIV/AIDS department. He said WHO would hold a meeting next year to study the idea more closely. AP

Study: Honey Fights Bacteria That Cause Chronic Sinusitis

Humble Honey Kills Bacteria

(WebMD) If you start poking around into the history of honey, you'll find the stuff is revered in many early cultures.

Honey is mentioned in the Bible, it was used to preserve corpses by the ancient Egyptians, was considered sacred during the time of Buddha, and the prophet Muhammad PBUH espoused its potential healing properties.

But it's only been in recent times that science has been able to prove and explain the benefits that honey holds.

Now a new study from researchers at the University of Ottawa shows honey to be effective in killing bacteria that cause chronic sinusitis.

Honey Kills Bacteria
Chronic sinusitis affects millions of people every year.

In chronic sinusitis, the mucous membranes in the sinus cavities become inflamed, causing headaches, stuffy nose, and difficulty breathing.

Though it can be caused by allergies, chronic sinusitis can also be caused by bacteria that colonize in the nose and sinuses. That's where honey may help.

Researchers, led by Tala Alandejani, MD, at the University of Ottawa, tested two honeys, manuka and sidr.

Manuka honey comes from the manuka bush, also known as the tea tree bush, in New Zealand. Sidr honey comes from the sidr tree in Yemen, an ancient and sacred tree mentioned in spiritual texts. It's one of the world's most expensive honeys.

Researchers singled out three particularly nasty bacteria: two strains of staph bacteria, MSSA (methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus) and MRSA(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), and one called Pseudomonas aeriginosa(PA).

The two types of honey were effective in killing the bacteria. Even bacteria growing in a biofilm, a thin, slimy layer formed by bacteria that affords resistance to antibiotics, were susceptible to honey.

The researchers also found that the two types of honey worked significantly better than an antibiotic against MSSA and MRSA, according to past research.

Here's the breakdown of results:
Sidr honey was 63% effective in killing MSSA.
Sidr honey was 73% effective in killing MRSA.
Sidr honey was 91% effective in killing PA.
Manuka honey was 82% effective in killing MSSA.
Manuka honey was 63% effective in killing MRSA.
Manuka honey was 91% effective in killing PA.

Scientists hope the results can help lead to a new treatment for people with chronic sinusitis. One note of caution: Infants one year or younger should never be given honey because it could become toxic in their underformed intestinal tract, causing illness or even death.

The study is being presented at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology -Head and Neck Surgery annual meeting in Chicago. By Kelley ColihanReviewed by Louise Chang©2005-2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

Source: www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/23/health/webmd/main4471318.shtml

Honey Might Just Sweeten the Sinuses

There is a reason bees protect it and bears love it, honey is not only delicious but used for healing. A spoonful of honey will coat your throat and soothe the sore during the cold season and added to tea it is used as a sweet yet healthy way to put you at ease. Honey has been used as a staple in diets as far back as biblical times and it was known to be used as currency during the Roman Empire. A new study suggests honey may be good for those suffering from sinusitis—an inflammation of the sinuses that could be a result of bacterial, fungal, allergy or viral infections—also known as rhinosinusitis including an inflammation of the nose.

The findings from this new study were to be presented this week at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation’s annual meeting. Canada’s University of Ottawa conducted the study and it’s co-author Dr. Joseph G. Marsan wasn’t surprised at the natural bacteria fighters in honey that they found, “Honey has been used in traditional medicine as a natural anti-microbial dressing for infected wounds for hundreds of years.”
The researchers investigated the activity of honey on bacteria-laden communities called “biofilms,” responsible for a lot of chronic infections, including sinusitis. Biofilms are known to reject the prescription antibiotics and over the counter remedies most used by patients with sinus symptoms. Dr. Marsan explains that popular antibiotics are blocked by bacteria clumped together in biofilms even though the reason is unknown, “Certain bacteria…have found a method of shielding themselves from the activity of anti-microbials by living in substances called biofilms, which cannot be penetrated...”.

Marsan and his team found that only certain honeys contain the bacteria-killers needed to successfully manage the inflammatory aspects of these chronic infections, "Our study has shown that certain honeys, namely the Manuka honey from New Zealand and the Sidr honey from Yemen, have a powerful killing action on these bacterial biofilms that is far superior to the most powerful anti-microbials used in medicine today”. Although they were able to isolate the different types of honey that provided anti-bacterial effects, the researchers still have to bring these superhero honey formulas out of the Petri dish and into clinical trials using lab animals and later on actual patients.

A chronic sinus infection lasts at least a few months, with over 31 million people in the United States alone undergoing nonstop courses of treatment from pills to antibiotics to nasal sprays, and even a process called irrigation in which a mixture of salt water is poured up the nose into the sinuses in order to provide at least some relief. While dealing with cold symptoms nonstop and none of those options working long term, surgery is sometimes the course of action to alleviate the pain. With this new evidence of honey helping where all the others fail to kill the bacteria, scientists say their methods of treating patients won’t be very different from their usual ways.

An ear, nose and throat resident at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Talal Alandejani says when honey is approved for antibacterial use for sinus sufferers, they will try the familiar idea of irrigation but substitute the salt water mixture, "we'll use an irrigation needle. This is not new….Probably in the non-medical world it sounds weird, but we've been irrigating with antibiotics already, so it's the same equipment . . . we’re just going to use honey in it."

While we await approval for animal testing and further approval for the wide use on humans as an alternative to drugs and surgery, the researchers don’t know yet what exactly in the honey is causing the desired effect, but no one is complaining. The upside is that I haven’t seen any bears with post-nasal drip lately and that makes honey a little sweeter.

Source: http://www.healthnews.com/natural-health/honey-might-just-sweeten-sinuses-1902.html

Antibacteria Found In Both Sidir Honey and Manuka

Antibacterial found in Yemeni Honey and also Manuka New Zealand. Here is the news:

CANADA: Canadian doctors have confirmed that manuka honey can be better than antibiotics when it comes to killing bacteria that cause sinus infections.

Researchers tested the effectiveness of three types of honey -.- manuka honey from New Zealand, sidr honey from Yemen, and Canada's clover and buckwheat honey - with the superbug Staphylococcus aureus, which is highly resistant to antibiotics.

Both New Zealand’s manuka honey and Yemen’s sidr honey effectively killed bacteria, but the clover and buckwheat honey had no effect at all.

Scientists are yet to discover exactly what component of honey kills bacteria.

The news follows a recent study in Ireland which confirmed the effectiveness of honey dressings for wounds.
The clinical trial found that Comvita’s Medihone dressings made with Manuka honey significantly improves the healing rates of stalled venous leg ulcers.

Source: http://www.marketnewzealand.com/mnz/News/Story/14400/19749.aspx

Multiregion collections on honey usage

Honey collection by humans is an ancient activity. Eva Crane The Archaeology of Beekeeping (1983) states that humans began hunting for honey at least 10,000 years ago. Eva Crane (1983) evidences this with a depiction a line drawing of a Mesolithic rock painting showing two honey-hunters collecting honey and honeycomb from a wild nest. The two women are naked and employ a long wobbly ladder which appears to be made out of a kind of grass in order to reach the wild nest. Both women carry baskets or bags. This rock painting is on a wall in a cave in Valencia, Spain.

Islamic Medicine

The Qur'an mentions the benefits of honey.[40]"And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees and in (men's) habitations…there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for mankind. Verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought".[41]

There is an entire Surah in the Qur'an called al-Nahl (the Bees).

According to hadith, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) strongly recommended honey for healing purposes.[42]

Biblical Period

The Old Testament contains many references to honey. The book of Exodus famously describes the Promised Land as a "land flowing with milk and honey" (33:3). However, the claim has been advanced that the original Hebrew (devash) actually refers to the sweet syrup produced from the juice of the date.[36] In The Book of Judges, Samson found a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of a lion (14:8). In Matthew 3:4, John the Baptist is said to have lived for a long period of time in the wilderness on a diet consisting of locusts and wild honey. The word "honey" appears 56 times in the King James Version of the Bible.[citation needed]
In Jewish tradition, honey is a symbol for the new year—Rosh Hashana. At the traditional meal for that holiday, apple slices are dipped in honey and eaten to bring a sweet new year. Some Rosh Hashana greetings show honey and an apple, symbolizing the feast. In some congregations, small straws of honey are given out to usher in the new year.

Buddhism

Honey plays an important role in the festival of Madhu Purnima, celebrated by Buddhists in India and Bangladesh. The day commemorates Buddha's making peace among his disciples by retreating into the wilderness. The story goes that while he was there, a monkey brought him honey to eat. On Madhu Purnima, Buddhists remember this act by giving honey to monks. The monkey's gift is frequently depicted in Buddhist art.

Mediterranean region

In the Roman Empire, honey was possibly used instead of gold to pay taxes. Pliny the Elder devotes considerable space in his book Naturalis Historia to the bee and honey, and its many uses.

In some parts of Greece, it was formerly the custom for a bride to dip her fingers in honey and make the sign of the cross before entering her new home. This was meant to ensure sweetness in her married life, especially in her relationship with her mother-in-law.[citation needed]

In the accounts of the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Seti I, one hundred pots of honey were equivalent in value to an ass or an ox.[citation needed] Ancient Egyptian and Middle-Eastern peoples also used honey for embalming the dead.[37]
Scythians, and later the other Central Asian nomadic people, for many months drove a wagon with a deceased ruler around the country in their last rites mourning procession, carrying the body in a casket filled with honey.[citation needed]

After his death in battle, the head of Vlad III Ţepeş (of later Dracula fame) was cut off and presented to the Ottoman Sultan, preserved in a jar of honey. [38]

Western culture
In Western culture, bears are depicted as eating honey, even though most bears actually eat a wide variety of foods, and bears seen at beehives are usually more interested in bee larvae than honey.[39] Honey is sometimes sold in a bear-shaped jar or squeeze bottle.

"Honey", along with variations like "honey bun" and "honeypot" and the abbreviation "hon", has become a term of endearment in most of the English-speaking world. In some places it is used for loved ones; in others, such as the American South, it is used when addressing casual acquaintances or even strangers.