There are various health benefits of honey. It is a sweet liquid made by bees that can be used in many forms and provides several advantages.
Since ages, honey has been used both as a food item and a medicine.
This article will explain to you the 10 best health benefits of honey. So let’s dive deep into it…
1. Home Remedy For Cough
Honey is known to be the best remedy for cough. This may be the best health benefit of honey.
In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend honey as the best natural remedy for cough. Honey is even better than some of the common medications for cough.
Researches show that a tablespoon of honey can reduce the irritation in the throat. In addition, it reduces cough symptoms and helps in better sleep more than cough medications.
However, honey should not be given to children less than the age of one year.
SUMMARY: Honey is a natural and safe cough remedy. In addition, it also reduces throat irritation and gives you better sleep.
2. Rich In Antioxidants
Good-quality and pure honey contain some important antioxidants that are beneficial for your health.
Antioxidants are your body’s natural defense against diseases and promote good health. They reduce the risk of strokes, heart attacks and some types of cancer.
Antioxidants basically slow down the dangerous disease processes in your body. They work by destroying the free radicals in your body – compounds that can damage healthy cells.
Researches show that honey contains variable amounts of polyphenols. These are powerful antioxidants that help in reducing the risk of cancer and heart diseases. Polyphenols are also present in fruits, vegetables, green tea, and olive oil.
SUMMARY: Honey provides you a number of antioxidants, including polyphenols, that helps in reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer.
3. A Healthier Substitute Of Sugar
The sweet taste of honey makes it a natural replacement of sugar. It contains about 38% of fructose and 31% of glucose which makes it sweet in taste.
Sugar has a lot of harmful effects on your health and contains no nutrients, but only empty calories. Due to this reason, honey is supposed to be a better option than sugar.
For diabetic people, honey is slightly better than refined sugar. Still, it should be consumed in moderation.
Some studies show that honey can increase blood sugar levels but not as much as refined sugar.
Despite the health benefits of honey over sugar, you should consume it with caution as it is high in calories. It contains just simple carbs, and no protein, fats, or fibers.
Make sure to consume only pure, organic, and all-natural honey. Some famous brands add corn syrup and artificial sugar into it, in order to reduce its cost. So be a smart consumer and don’t go with the brand name.
Superbee, Farm Honey, Indigenous, and FirstrBud Organics are some brands of real honey. You can check it here on Amazon.
SUMMARY: Unlike sugar, there are various health benefits of honey along with sweetness. It is also “less bad” for diabetics. But make sure to buy a real one.
4. Honey Helps In Healing Burns And Wounds
Another major health benefit of honey is its healing effects. Since ancient times, people are using it to heal burns and wounds and it is still common today.
These healing powers of honey come from its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
Studies show that honey is most effective in healing partial thickness burns and infected wounds after surgery.
Another study published in The Cochrane Library says that “topical honey is cheaper and better than other nterventions like antibiotics – which may have other side effects.”
In addition, honey can also be used in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, which can have serious complications.
On top of that, it has the ability to nourish skin tissues and can help in treating other skin conditions.
SUMMARY: Honey has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help in healing wounds and burns and nourishment of skin tissues.
5. Honey Helps In Improving Cholesterol
High levels of bad cholesterol or LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) are directly linked to the risk of heart diseases.
LDL cholesterol plays a major role in fatty buildup in your arteries that leads to strokes and heart attacks.
Surprisingly, honey can help in increasing your cholesterol levels. Several studies show that it reduces “bad” LDL cholesterol levels while improving the “good” HDL cholesterol.
A study was done to compare the effects of honey and refined sugar on cholesterol. It shows that honey causes a 5.8% decrement in LDL and a 3.3% increment in HDL cholesterol.
SUMMARY: Honey helps in reducing “bad” LDL cholesterol and increases the levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.
6. Honey Improves Gut Health
Honey is a potent probiotic, which means it nourishes the good bacteria in your stomach. Good bacteria play a crucial role in digestion and in your overall health.
Honey also helps in curing diarrhea and reduces its duration. It works by blocking the actions of pathogens which causes diarrhea.
SUMMARY: Honey improves gut health by nourishing good bacteria in your intestine.
7. Prevents acid reflux
Researches show that honey can reduce the upward flow of acid and food in your stomach by partitioning the esophagus (food pipe) and stomach.
In fact, a study done by the Indian Journal Of Medical Research points out the following benefits of honey in preventing acid reflux:
- Reflux may cause by the free radicals that damage the cells in the digestive tract which may lead to acid reflux. Honey can prevent this damage by removing free radicals.
- It has anti-inflammatory properties which can help in reducing the inflammation in the esophagus.
- Honey is a natural substance and can be used along with other treatments for acid reflux.
SUMMARY: Researches shows that its anti-inflammatory properties and action on free radicals helps in preventing acid reflux.
8. Honey Builds Immunity
Among all the benefits, this is the most impressive health benefit of honey to me.
Its antibacterial and antioxidant properties strengthen your immune system and help in keeping you healthy.
One main thing about honey is that you should not give it to children below the age of one year.
SUMMARY: The antibacterial and antioxidant properties of honey helps in building your immune system.
9. Diabetes
Honey contains only about 70% of sugar which means its glycemic index is lower than sugar. Due to which it does not spike your insulin levels as the way sugar does.
This makes honey a better alternative of sugar for diabetic people. Researches show that using honey in place of refined sugar helps in keeping your blood sugar levels steady.
However, diabetic people have to be conscious while consuming honey. It is better than sugar but it only contains simple carbs.
SUMMARY: For diabetic people, honey is a better alternative of sugar as its GI is lower than sugar.
10. Natural Energy Booster
Honey is a healthy and natural energy booster. It contains a lot of simple carbohydrates which is the primary source of energy.
One tablespoon of honey (21 grams) contains about 17 grams of carbohydrates including glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose.
The glucose present in the honey absorbs by your body quickly that provides you instant energy while fructose absorbs at a slower rate providing sustained energy.
Due to the high amount of natural sugar, honey plays an important role in reducing fatigue during exercise. It may also boost workout performance and reduce muscle fatigue.
Make sure to consume it in moderation as it is high in sugar and may increase your blood sugar levels.
SUMMARY: Honey is high in natural sugar that digests quickly and gives you instant energy.
The Bottom Line
So these were the amazing 10 health benefits of honey which give you a strong reason to add this in your diet. Its a great source of natural sugar and a better substitute for refined sugar.
However, high consumption of honey may lead to weight gain and can increase your blood sugar levels. So I recommend to consume it with caution, especially for diabetic people.
Unfortunately, some companies are selling you corn syrup and refined sugar in the name of honey. So make sure the honey you are buying is pure and all-natural.
You can check some good brands of honey here on Amazon.
