8 Benefits of Honey You Might Not Know About
People have been eating honey for thousands of years, and today, this gooey gold sweet stuff lines supermarket shelves. Aside from the obvious yum factor – honey is commonly used as a natural sweetener in teas and baked goods — it also boasts several health advantages. Here’s a roundup of the benefits of honey, especially raw honey, which is unpasteurized, helping it retain its nutrients and health benefits.
1. Powerful Antioxidants
Honey is loaded with antioxidants, which may reduce the risk of many health maladies like heart disease, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes. Antioxidants have also been linked with improved brain health, reduced inflammation and healthier skin. This is particularly true for raw honey varieties, as some believe pasteurization reduces the number of antioxidants in honey. Although we don’t know for sure how this process affects the antioxidants in honey, several studies have shown that heating other foods can reduce their antioxidant content.
See more: From Bee to Bottle: How Honey Is Made
2. Honey Has Healing Properties
Raw honey contains propolis, a waxy substance comprised of bee saliva, beeswax and pollinated plant material. Research suggests that propolis may have both antifungal and antibacterial properties.
The antioxidant properties in honey can also help speed up the growth of new tissue when applied topically to a wound. Meanwhile, the honey helps keep the wound moist, further promoting healing. Plus, the honey provides a protective barrier, helping to prevent infection.
Honey can also clear wound infections when applied topically and can be used to promote healing in wounds that are not responding to conventional therapies like antibiotics and antiseptics. For instance, researchers are currently studying the use of honey to treat Candida-associated infections.
It is important to note that the honey used in research settings is medical grade, so it might not be a good idea to treat cuts with store-bought honey. Always check with your doctor before using honey to treat a medical condition.
3. Digestive Powerhouse
Honey has long been used to treat digestive issues. For instance, during the Roman Empire, physicians prescribed different types of honey as a cure for diarrhea and constipation. Meanwhile, various books and records from Eastern Europe and Arab countries report the use of honey in the prevention and treatment of peptic ulcers, gastritis and gastroenteritis.
Modern studies outline digestive health benefits of honey as well. For instance, one study found that ingesting the substance shortens the duration of diarrhea in children. Another study identified oregano honey as a potential treatment for Helicobacter pylori bacteria, which is a common cause of stomach ulcers.
Raw honey also contains prebiotics, which help support a healthy gut microbiome, benefitting digestion and overall health.
4. Soothing Sore Throats & Cough
Honey could also be the answer to your sore throat this cold season and can be added to tea or warm lemon water. In fact, honey by itself may work as well as over-the-counter medications for coughing. According to the Mayo Clinic, several studies have shown that honey can lessen coughing in people suffering from upper respiratory tract infections. Honey even worked as well as diphenhydramine, a common antihistamine used to lessen coughing.
See more: Illinois Beekeepers Work to Protect Honeybees and Educate Their Communities
5. Could Improve Heart Health
Honey may also help lower blood pressure, improve blood fat levels, regulate heartbeat and prevent the death of healthy cells, according to one review. Another study linked moderate honey intake with a lower risk of high blood pressure among women. Plus, a study on rodents showed that honey helped protect the heart from oxidative stress. The propolis in raw honey may even improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
6. Nutrition
Honey also contains a number of vitamins and minerals including calcium, magnesium, manganese, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorous, potassium, riboflavin and zinc. It also contains varying amounts of amino acids and enzymes. Amino acids are essential for building and repairing tissues, such as muscles, bones and skin, and boast a number of other health benefits.
See more: Bee Pollen: Uses and Benefits
7. Better Sleep
A spoonful of honey at bedtime may be just what you need to get better z’s. For instance, one study of people who were hospitalized for heart disease found that consuming a mixture of milk and honey twice a day for three days improved overall sleep quality.
Another preliminary study in Canada found that taking 1.5 tablespoons of raw honey improved some areas of sleep for a group of poor sleepers when compared to melatonin.
“Raw honey is a rapidly digestible and metabolizable dense energy source, and thus may provide this sleep time energy reserve,” the research says. “Additionally, honey may promote melatonin formation due to its possible tryptophan content (a precursor to melatonin) that both helps to initiate sleep as well as promote the release of hormones that facilitate whole body recovery during sleep.”
8. Easing Allergies
There is some evidence that honey can ease allergies as well. Experts say the key to utilizing honey for seasonal allergies is selecting local honey, as it has pollens from trees and plants in your area and can help you build immunity.
However, the scientific community is divided on whether honey can be used as an allergy remedy. For instance, one study found that eating locally collected and unfiltered honey had no significant effect on allergy symptoms.
Meanwhile, another study in Malaysia found that ingesting honey in combination with loratadine improved symptoms of allergic rhinitis when compared to a control group that took a honey-flavored corn syrup with loratadine.
How to Choose Raw Honey
As previously stated, pasteurized honey may not offer the same benefits as raw honey because of the heating process. The good news is that most grocery stores offer raw honey. Just look for the word “raw” on the label, and be careful not to confuse the word “raw” with other classifications like “pure,” “organic” or “natural.” You can also find raw honey at farmers markets and online.
See more: National Agricultural Genotyping Center Tests Work to Save the Honey Bees and Crops
Precautions
Although raw honey boasts an impressive array of potential benefits, consuming it comes with some risk. For instance, it can carry harmful bacteria like Clostridium botulinum, which can lead to botulism poisoning, especially in infants. For that reason, the Centers For Disease Control recommends against giving honey to children who are under a year old. Botulism poisoning in infants may include symptoms like constipation, slow breathing, sagging eyelids, paralysis that spreads downward, loss of head control and lethargy. Adults, on the other hand, may experience a short period of diarrhea and vomiting followed by constipation, blurred vision and muscle weakness.