Honey has been used as a natural sweetener for ages. It has great health benefits as well as a delicious taste. It is used not only as a food but also as medicine because it is full of nutrients and also has the properties to cure many diseases. In the article below, we list ten health benefits of honey.
Honey is extracted from the beehives. Bees wander from flower to flower to collect the nectar and honey is synthesized from this nectar. Honey has fewer calories than refined sugar that is why it is used more often by the people who are on a diet or conscious about their health.
Table of Contents
- Surprising Health Benefits of Honey
- 1. Honey is Full of Antioxidants
- 2. Honey Can Help to Lower Blood Pressure
- 3. Honey is Good For Cholesterol Patients
- 4. Honey has Antifungal and Antibacterial Properties
- 5. Honey Can Help to Heal Wounds and Burns
- 6. Honey is Less Harmful to Diabetic Patients
- 7. Honey is Good For Oily Skin
- 8. Honey Can Cure Cough and Sore Throat
- 9. Honey has Shooting Effects on The Digestive System
- 10. Honey Can Strengthen Your Immune System
Surprising Health Benefits of Honey
1. Honey is Full of Antioxidants
Honey is a rich source of antioxidants (1). Few of the antioxidants in honey called polyphenols may help in preventing heart diseases. Antioxidants in honey help to slow down the aging process by protecting your body from cell damage because of free radicals. Free radicals are the agents that speed up the aging process and also promote disease processes such as heart diseases and cancer.
2. Honey Can Help to Lower Blood Pressure
As mentioned above, honey is rich in antioxidants which work as an agent to lower the blood pressure in heart patients. Blood pressure is considered a major cause of heart diseases. It can be said that honey is advantageous for heart patients.
Researches show that if patients with blood pressure problems use honey, it helps to reduce their blood pressure and prevent chronic heart diseases (2, 3).
Related: 15 Easy Ways to Lower Blood Sugar Levels Naturally
3. Honey is Good For Cholesterol Patients
The use of honey may help to reduce cholesterol levels in patients. There are two types of cholesterol. i.e. LDL and HDL. LDL cholesterol is bad for health because it increases the risk of heart diseases and causes high blood pressure in heart patients. On the other hand, HDL is good for health as it helps to reduce weight and prevents the deposition of extra fats.
Studies show that the use of honey maintains the level of LDL and HDL as it decreases LDL level and reduces the risk factor in heart patients and increases the HDL level in blood which is beneficial.
4. Honey has Antifungal and Antibacterial Properties
Honey naturally has hydrogen peroxide which is an antiseptic. The presence of hydrogen peroxide in honey makes it antifungal and antibacterial. Research shows that raw honey can be very effective as an antibacterial and antifungal agent.
5. Honey Can Help to Heal Wounds and Burns
Ancient Egyptians used honey to heal wounds and burns and this practice is still going on in some parts of the world because honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It kills germs and protects the wounds and burns from infection.
For diabetic ulcers, honey is an excellent topical ointment to heal the wounds as it can be extremely effective in doing so.
But keep that in mind, honey used in medical treatment is sterile and medicated. You can not use the honey purchased from a store to treat the wounds and bruises.
6. Honey is Less Harmful to Diabetic Patients
As we know, honey is used as a natural sweetener. Diabetic patients are advised not to use sugars because it increases blood sugar levels and might be harmful to them. They can use honey as a sweetener but with caution because it also increases blood sugar level but the damage caused by honey is far less when compared to refined sugar.
7. Honey is Good For Oily Skin
Because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties, honey can be used to treat oily and acne-prone skin. If you apply a thin layer of honey over your face, it maintains the moisture of your skin. Honey is an excellent humectant that keeps the skin moist but not oily.
Related: 12 Home Remedies for Oily Skin Treatment
8. Honey Can Cure Cough and Sore Throat
Owing to its ability to prevents infections, honey can also help cure congestion of the chest, sore throat, and coughing. It helps protect the throat from infection and very useful to prevent cough.
9. Honey has Shooting Effects on The Digestive System
Honey is good to fix the digestive problems as it is effective in the treatment of the bacteria which is responsible for stomach ulcers. So it can be said that honey is good to cure digestive issues and problems.
10. Honey Can Strengthen Your Immune System
Honey is very good for health as it has a great number of medical properties. It has many antioxidants, antifungal and antibacterial agents that help boost the immune function of the human body.
Though honey is beneficial for health, yet it has some harmful effects especially in babies less than one-year-old. It has many useful properties that can be effective for the patients of many diseases and has healing effects for the damaged skin and hair. One should consume honey more often and replace the sugars in the diet with it. This will have dramatic effects on the living conditions as well as on the health status.
