What are the health benefits of honey? This post explains the health benefits of raw honey including the benefits of eating honey for skin.
We will also know about the health benefits of honey and cinnamon, benefits of honey and milk and benefits of honey and lemon.
Honey
Honey is a sweet, viscous food made by honey bees from the floral nectar. Bees store honey in wax structures called honeycombs and honey is collected from these hives.
Honey gets its sweetness from the monosaccharides fructose and glucose. It is noteworthy that honey has about the same relative sweetness as sucrose (common table sugar). Honey doesn’t spoil, even after thousands of years.
Over its history, honey has been used as a food – in cooking, baking, desserts, and as a sweetener. It is also widely used as an addition to various beverages such as tea.
The physical properties of honey vary, depending on water content and the type of flora used to produce it. Sometimes, temperature and the proportion of the specific sugars (it contains) also gives the honey a distinct taste and flavor.
Of all the kinds available, “Raw Honey” is preferred to use as a food. Raw honey is as it exists in the beehive or as it is extracted from the beehive, without adding heat or is processed.
Raw honey is higher in terms of nutrients. It has 22 amino acids, 31 different kinds of minerals, vitamins and enzymes. It also contains 30 different types of polyphenols (bioactive plant compounds which act as antioxidants). Raw honey contains some pollen and may contain small particles of wax.
Health Benefits Of Honey
Nutritionally speaking, 1 tablespoon of honey contains 64 calories, 17 grams of sugar (fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose). Honey is composed of 17% water and 82% carbohydrates and has low content of fat, dietary fiber, and protein (virtually no fiber, fat or protein). 1 tablespoon of honey provides around 46 kilocalories of food energy.
In ancient myths and folklore (related to medicine), honey is used to treat various ailments including gastric disturbances, ulcers, skin wounds, skin cuts, skin injuries and skin burns. Honey has been used by ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and in Ayurveda (India) and traditional Chinese medicine.
- Honey is a popular home treatment for burns, wounds and skin injuries. Research suggests that honey can aid in the healing of partial thickness burns 4–5 days faster than other dressings. Also, post-operative infections heal faster when treated with honey. Honey is very effective in treating minor wounds and burns.
- For ages, honey has been used as an antibiotic in traditional and herbal medicine. Honey has powerful antibacterial effects against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
- Honey is used for heart related ailments as it can reduce several risk factors for heart disease. It is very effective in people with type 2 diabetes as it lowers LDL cholesterol (bad) and triglycerides while maintaining the HDL cholesterol (good). In short, honey may improve the cholesterol levels in a human body.
- Manuka honey is considered best for treating burn wounds. Manuka honey (New Zealand) has strong antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Honey has low pH, and its enzymes produce the hydrogen peroxide which prevents bacterial infections and hence it is highly effective in treating wound infections and burns.
- Honey is more effective as a cough suppressant than Benadryl. Its antiviral and antibacterial properties help reduce inflammation and kill the bacteria that cause sore throats.
Substitute for Sugar
Honey can be used as a substitute of common table sugar. Honey is mainly fructose (38%) and glucose (32%), with remaining sugars including maltose, sucrose, and other complex carbohydrates. Its impressive sugar flavor profile makes it an ideal substitute for sugar in our daily diet. It lowers the increased risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.
Honey and Cinnamon
The combination of honey and cinnamon fight skin problems. We all know that cinnamon has antimicrobial and antiparasitic properties. Cinnamon contains antioxidants which aids healing, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol level.
Replacing sucrose (common sugar) with honey prevents weight gain. The compound cinnamaldehyde activates thermogenesis which creates heat and burns calories. Honey also activates hormones which suppresses the appetite and thus helps in controlling body weight.
Consuming honey and cinnamon (regular basis) boosts the immune system. It kills all kinds of harmful foreign bacteria and viruses and also improves the digestive system.
Milk and Honey
Consuming milk and honey improves sleep quality. Drinking a glass of warm milk with 2 tablespoon of honey (just before bed) induces better sleep quality and fights insomnia. Consuming honey before sleep makes the brain release insulin and tryptophan (a neurotransmitter) relaxes the mind and help sleep peacefully.
Milk with honey supports heart health. Milk increases levels of HDL cholesterol (good) which clears plaque from heart arteries. Milk is super rich in potassium which helps reduce blood pressure levels.
Honey increases stamina and drinking honey and milk before and after a physical workout is a game changer. It releases protein and carbohydrates and maintains optimal sugar levels and glycogen restoration throughout the blood.
People who are into heavy mental work should drink milk and honey as it has a soothing effect on the mind and the body. It releases serotonin (helps mental relaxation) and lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the body. Also, the natural enzymes in the honey act as a mood lifter.
Honey also gives healthy, glowing skin as it has anti-ageing properties. Honey together with milk makes the skin smooth and glowing. It promotes the growth of healthy skin tissue. Face packs made out of the honey and milk mixture works as a super effective moisturiser and cleanser for the skin. Milk and honey scrub with oatmeal is an excellent skin exfoliator.
Regular application of honey and milk on the skin reduces the ageing process dramatically and it also gets rid of wrinkles on the skin. For hair, honey and milk (hair pack) restores damaged and wrinkly hair. Milk and honey is a great conditioner.
Consuming milk with honey also supports bone strength, improves bone mineral density and boosts bone-building capabilities. Mixing honey with lemon water also helps lose weight.
Caution
- Understand that honey is still a form of sugar and it is advised that honey intake should be moderate.
- Honey should never be given to children under 12 years of age (risk for botulism).
- Raw honey is best to consume. Because commercial honey is processed honey, they have lower levels of antioxidants and enzymes.