Top 10 Health Benefits of Honey

Honey, used by humans for the past 2500 years and referred to as the nectar of the Gods in ancient Greece, boasts many health benefits ranging from allergy relief to even healing the skin. Made by foraging bees from the nectar of flowers, this superfood is often used in Ayurvedic medicine to cure a plethora of ailments. Here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Honey:

• Energy booster: Honey is a great all-natural source of energy with just 17 grams of carbohydrates per tablespoon. Because it is natural unprocessed sugar, even the most sensitive stomachs can digest it. The fructose and glucose directly enter the bloodstream and deliver a quick boost of energy. The rise in blood sugar acts as a short-term energy source during a workout, especially in longer endurance exercises.

• Allergy relief: If you’re one of the millions of Americans who suffer from allergies, try buying some local organic honey! Because local bees pollinate the local flowers you are probably allergic to, their nectar will contain small amounts of pollen, which in small amounts of it, allow the body to trigger an immune response that produces antibodies to the pollen. This means a less allergic response.

• Anti-inflammatory: The Ancient Greek physician and herbalist Dioscorides recognized the anti-inflammatory properties of honey, writing that honey is “good for sunburn and spots on the face” and that “honey heals inflammation of the throat and tonsils”.

• Boosts athletic performance and recovery: Recent research has shown that honey is an excellent ergogenic aid and helps in boosting athletic performance. Honey aids in maintaining stable blood sugar levels facilitates muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout and also regulates the amount of insulin in the body.

• Natural antiseptic: When applied topically, honey releases slowly hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antiseptic compound produced from an enzyme, disinfecting the wound, killing the germs and healing the broken skin. Scientific evidence shows that most strains of harmful bacteria die in the presence of oxygen or hydrogen peroxide.

• Wound and skin ailment healing: The healing property of honey is due to the fact that it offers antibacterial activity, maintains a moist wound condition, and its high viscosity helps to provide a protective barrier to prevent infection. Today, clinical observations have documented honey’s effectiveness in treating cuts, burns, insect bites, yeast infections, various skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, and fungal infections from athlete’s foot to ringworm.

• Remove free radicals from the body and boosts the immune system: Because honey contains nutraceuticals, it is a great source for binding to free radicals and toxins in the body and eliminating them. For these same reasons and its anti-microbial properties, it is excellent at boosting the body’s natural immune system.

• May aid in healthy weight management: In moderation, honey can help digest stored fat within the body. If consumed with lemon and/or cinnamon, improved weight loss can be noted (with a healthy diet and exercise!)

• Sleep Aid: Honey can be a health aid for sleepless nights. Honey releases serotonin in the body — a neurotransmitter that improves mood and happiness. The body then converts serotonin into melatonin, a chemical compound that regulates the length and the quality of sleep.

• Memory Booster: Honey is chock-full of antioxidants that may help prevent cellular damage and loss in the brain. A 2011 study published in Menopause found that when postmenopausal women took a daily spoonful (20 g) of Malaysian honey, they had boosted memory, which could be used as an alternative therapy for the hormone-related intellectual decline. After four months of the study, the women were more likely to have better short-term memory than their counterparts who took hormone pills.