17 Best Honey Benefits for Health (Updated List)

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If you want in-depth information on “Honey Benefits for Health” then you are in the right place.

Here, we will discuss the various health benefits of honey and its uses in various diseases.

Honey is considered an elixir of the earth because of its numerous health benefits.

Honey is consumed by people all around the world. Honey is also used in various dishes. Many people like to eat it raw.

Eating raw honey is more beneficial as compared to any dishes in which it is used. Honey has been used as a medicine for thousands of years.

Here, we will discuss the health benefits of eating honey but before that let’s understand what components honey has in it.

It will make it easy for us to understand the honey health benefits.

Let’s start.

1. Components of Honey

1) Sugar

Almost 81% of honey is made up of 24 types of sugar.

The proportions of sugars vary in different kinds of honey.

Where the table sugar contains only sucrose, honey is high in glucose and fructose. (Their ratio may vary according to the type of honey).

The honey which is rich in fructose is sweeter in taste and the honey which is rich in glucose gets crystallized faster.

Honey contains a very low amount of disaccharides such as sucrose, maltose, etc.

Certain sugars present in honey are produced by enzymes during the production of honey by the bees and others are produced during its storage.

2) Water

Honey contains 14-18% water depending upon its variety. Water in honey can prevent the multiplication of yeast in it.

3) Enzymes

Honey is also rich in various enzymes. These honey enzymes can benefit us a lot when we consume honey.

The darkness of honey can inform us about the presence of enzymes in it.

These enzymes get deactivated in the presence of bright light and when heated.

4) Acids

Honey is moderately acidic in nature and has a pH of 3.2-4.5.

It mainly consists of gluconic acid. It also contains acetic, citric, formic, malic, succinic acids, and phenolic acids in small amounts.

Honey also contains a few fatty acids and 18 amino acids.

2. Nutrients of Honey

The nutrition content of honey largely depends on the soil that nurtured the plants from which honey is collected by the bees.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 20 grams (approx 1 teaspoon) of honey contains,

• 61 calories
• 17 grams carbohydrate
• < 1 gram protein
• 0 grams fat
• < 1 gram of dietary fiber

Honey also contains a small number of vitamins and minerals. Darker honey is generally high in nutrients.

Honey contains small amounts of vitamins such as,

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B (including folic acid)
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K

Honey also contains small amounts of minerals such as sulfur, zinc, sodium, selenium, calcium, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, chlorine, silica, etc.

Here, you can read the entire list of honey nutrients.

3. Honey Benefits for Health

Now, we will discuss the health benefits of honey in detail.

1) Honey is High in Antioxidants

Honey contains antioxidant nutrients such as flavonoids, polyphenols, enzymes, organic acids, selenium, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, etc.

Their combined effect is much greater than their individual amounts.

The main antioxidant of honey is a flavonoid. Flavonoids are antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-allergic, and anti-inflammatory.

They improve vitamin C absorption and protect collagen.

Honey’s antioxidants can prevent the oxidation of cholesterol and other fats that rises when the body is stressed by smoking, too much exposure to the sun, too much exercise, an unhealthy diet, etc.

2) Honey has Anti-microbial properties

Honey contains hundreds of anti-microbial compounds which can kill more than 250 strains of bacteria.

That is the reason why honey is used in various medicines and cosmetics.

Here, you might be thinking, “can honey’s anti-microbial compound kill the healthy gut bacteria?”

If you are thinking so then your presence of mind while reading is best.

The simple answer to this question is that the anti-microbial compounds of honey are quickly absorbed into the blood of the body and can’t rich up to healthy gut bacteria.

So don’t worry about it.

3) Helpful in Pregnancy

Honey contains a small amount of choline in it. Choline is very much beneficial for pregnant women.

It helps in the healthy development of the baby’s brain and spine, lowers the chance of birth defects, improves the baby’s long-time cognitive ability, etc.

That’s why choline is also used in various prenatal supplements for women.

4) Honey Improves Memory and Bowel Movements

Honey is rich in acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter.

It can increase our memory power and concentration, improve bowel movements, and widen the blood vessels.

Drinking a cup of warm water with added a teaspoon of honey on the empty stomach can activate the digestive system.

5) It can Slower Down the Aging Process

Honey can help our body in boosting glutathione which is a powerful antioxidant and detoxifier that slows the aging process.

Honey is also rich in various antioxidants that can reduce the aging speed.

For the best results, consume a teaspoon of honey three times a day.

6) Heal Wounds Speedily

When the honey is applied to wounds, it increases the speed of recovery as well as clears the infection.

It also promotes the process of tissue regeneration and reduces the inflammation around that area.

7) Honey is Good for Heart Health

Honey contains acetylcholine which regulates your heartbeat and keeps it in a normal range.

Honey also regulates your blood pressure and improves blood fat levels.

Raw honey contains propolis which has the ability to improve your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

8) Good for Weight Loss

The major reason why honey is good for weight loss is it is rich in fructose.

When you consume foods rich in fructose such as honey before a workout, they boost your stamina and also help you lose more fat.

So you should try your maximum to replace the other sweeteners with honey, for example, add honey to milkshakes, lemonade, etc.

9) Honey Improves the Quality of Sleep

One of the health benefits of honey that I like the most is it improves sleep quality.

When you consume a teaspoon of honey before sleeping, it increases insulin levels slowly which gets converted into serotonin and melatonin.

These two chemicals help you get the best quality sleep.

10) Raw Honey Promotes the Recovery After a Workout

Consuming raw honey before and after a workout can boost post-workout recovery.

Studies also show that honey can reduce the cortisol levels which get increased during workouts.

That’s why honey mixed with water is considered one of the best alternatives to commercial sports drinks.

11) It Can Help You With Hangover

Consuming one teaspoon of raw honey after drinking alcohol can help you with a hangover.

Fructose present in honey can increase the speed of the breakdown of alcohol by the liver.

Honey also boosts recovery by providing sodium, potassium, and vitamin B6.

These were some general health benefits of health. Now, we will discuss how honey can help us with various diseases.

4. Health Benefits of Honey in Various Diseases

Let’s see how honey is good for you to treat or prevent various diseases.

1) Raw Honey is Good to Treat Alzheimer’s disease

People with Alzheimer’s disease tend to suffer from oxidation, inflammation, and high levels of an amino acid called homocysteine.

They also have low levels of acetylcholine which is a neurotransmitter.

As mentioned above, honey has a small amount of acetylcholine therefore it can increase its level in your body.

Honey also reduces oxidation and inflammation. It also lowers the high levels of homocysteine. That’s why honey is considered best for Alzheimer’s disease.

To get the best out of honey, consume a teaspoon of dark raw honey three times a day including a teaspoon before going to bed.

2) Honey (Dark) Can be Beneficial in Anemia

The major cause of anemia is the low level of hemoglobin.

Honey provides you with three important minerals that are helpful with this problem.

Honey provides you with a small amount of iron which is the building block of hemoglobin.

It is rich in copper which increases iron absorption. Honey is also rich in manganese which helps in building hemoglobin molecules.

That’s why raw dark honey should be consumed by patients with anemia.

3) Cough

Honey is extremely beneficial to treat cough.

Honey when consumed with cinnamon, can remove phlegm from the throat and its antimicrobials, anti-inflammatories, and antioxidant properties can help to cure cough.

Due to the presence of alcohol in many cough syrups, they can force you to sleep but honey has no such side effects.

4) Honey Can Prevent Various Eye Diseases

Honey has been used by various medicinal practices such as Ayurveda, Unani, etc for thousands of years.

Ayurveda advises putting a few drops of honey in the eyes once a month to keep the eyes healthy forever.

(Related: Ayurvedic Tips to Take Care of Eyes)

Since raw honey is an alkali-producing food, its regular consumption can help you prevent cataracts.

5) Fatigue

Helping to get rid of fatigue is one of the honey benefits for health.

If you consume a teaspoon of honey before going to bed, it can help you prevent early morning fatigue from overnight metabolic stress.

6) Honey Can Cure Tooth Problems

Honey has lots of antimicrobials and anti-inflammatories compounds that help you prevent tooth problems such as gingivitis, tooth decay, etc.

Honey also inactivates the plaque bacteria which are responsible for many tooth diseases.

Methylglyoxal present in the honey can prevent the deposition of plaque on the teeth.

=>The Other Diseases For Which Honey Can Help

• Insomnia
• Hair loss
• Indigestion
• Gastroenteritis
• Eczema
• Cystitis
• Constipation
• Infertility
• Mouth ulcer
• Memory loss
• Night cramps

5. Things to Remember Before Consuming Honey

1) Never consume it in excess amounts

2) Never give it to a child of less than one year as it can cause a botulinum effect.

3) Must ensure that it is 100% pure and not adulterated

4) Honey must be stored in a glass container and not in the plastic one.

5) Never heat or cook it. Try to consume it raw always.

6) Never consume honey with an equal amount of ghee (clarified butter). Their combination can cause digestion or skin-related problems.

7) Store it in a dark place and avoid its contact with direct sunlight

FAQs

Conclusion

Here, we have discussed the honey benefits for health.

I hope you are now able to understand why honey is considered an elixir from ancient times.

If you have any questions related to the health benefits of honey, you can ask me in the comment box.

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Thanks for reading…!!!