Honey Benefits: A natural way to best your health Did you know that honey can provide several health benefits? In the following article wri...
Honey Benefits: A natural way to best your health
Did you know that honey can provide several health benefits? In the following article written, we’ll be discussing how honey helps with allergies, weight loss, and even oral care.
Read on to learn more about how you can increase your health by using honey!
Studies on honey benefits
Honey is a delicious, natural sweetener that can also help improve your overall health. Studies have shown that honey reduces bad cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Honey also contains antioxidants that may help reduce the risk of some cancers as well as slow down aging by preventing oxidative damage in cells. In addition, honey has been shown to help relieve coughs due to its anti-bacterial properties.
In short, honey's benefits are far-reaching and you should definitely include it in your diet! What's better than honey? Raw honey! To reap all of these benefits, try using raw honey in place of processed sugar or artificial sweeteners.
There are many different brands available online and in stores, but just make sure that you choose one with no additives or processing.
It’s best to stick with local farmers who sell their products at farmer’s markets for the best quality—and taste! If buying locally isn’t an option, consider joining a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program.
These programs provide fresh food from local farms directly to consumers through boxes or shares delivered seasonally throughout the year.
They allow members to support local farmers while receiving fresh produce every week throughout harvest season—without ever having to step foot into a grocery store.
And don't forget about bees! Keeping bees in your backyard is a great way to give back to nature and ensure that there will be plenty of pollinators around for generations to come.
Just remember that you'll need proper protection when handling them, so check out our guide on how to start beekeeping before jumping right in.
Treats Allergies honey benefits
According to research, consuming a spoonful of honey before bedtime helps reduce nighttime asthma and allergy symptoms.
These benefits might be due in part to honey's anti-inflammatory properties, which can help reduce swelling. In addition, because honey is so viscous, it may coat and soothe a dry or irritated throat.
One study also found that children who ate two daily doses of manuka honey for 12 weeks had a reduction in ear pain compared with those who took no treatment at all.
And when researchers from Australia gave people suffering from seasonal allergies either a placebo or one tablespoon of local honey every day for three months, they discovered that participants who got real honey experienced fewer allergic reactions than those on placebo.
The sweet stuff has even been shown to help relieve seasonal allergies.
Honey contains oligosaccharides, which are chains of sugar molecules that feed good bacteria in our gut (the same bacteria responsible for regulating immunity).
Some evidence suggests these sugars can actually change our immune response by changing how we interact with allergens like pollen.
Athletes use honey as an energy booster—and not just because it tastes good! Research shows that eating carbohydrates during exercise (especially after strenuous activity) boosts performance and replenishes glycogen stores more effectively than drinking water alone does.
The Perfect Breakfast honey benefits
While most of us enjoy eating breakfast, few of us take much time to consider what we’re actually eating.
Luckily, there are plenty of great foods out there that will give you a healthy morning kick-start while still tasting great.
Breakfast isn’t just important for jumpstarting your day—it’s one of our most important meals! Studies show that those who eat a good breakfast tend to have more energy and be in better moods.
It also helps keep hunger at bay until lunchtime, curbing overeating later in the day.
These benefits make it easy to see why breakfast is such an important meal—and why not having time isn’t a legitimate excuse for skipping it!
So if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to up your daily nutrition, check out these five fantastic breakfasts that taste as good as they are for you.
Your body will thank you! Oatmeal is a great source of fiber, which keeps you feeling full longer than other carbs do. In fact, studies show that people who eat oatmeal report fewer feelings of hunger throughout the day than those who don’t.
And oats contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which help prevent high cholesterol and heart disease by lowering blood pressure and improving blood sugar control.
They also promote digestive health by helping food move through your system quickly without causing gas or bloating.
Lowers Stress Levels honey benefits
Consuming a small amount of honey can be effective at helping reduce stress.
The fructose in honey, which is also contained in fruits, slows down digestion and provides energy over a longer period.
Consuming too much fructose, however, can cause unpleasant side effects like bloating or gas, so limit yourself to about a teaspoon per day if you choose honey as an anti-stress aid.
If too much fructose isn't an issue for you then choose raw honey because it contains several antioxidants that are healthy for your body.
When consumed regularly, these antioxidants have been shown to have positive effects on your brain and may help improve memory.
These properties make honey a wonderful alternative sweetener for people who suffer from allergies. Additionally, those who have trouble with blood sugar levels should also consider using honey instead of processed sugar.
Many nutritionists believe that it's healthier than regular sugar due to its low glycemic index rating and high nutritional value; it’s certainly better than artificial sweeteners! For best results, use local honey when possible.
Local varieties contain pollen that has been collected by bees from local flowers and plants. This means they will have more nutrients than commercially produced varieties since they haven't had to travel far to get there.
Local honey has been shown to contain higher amounts of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins such as vitamin C than commercial varieties.
Antioxidant Properties honey benefits
Antioxidants are known for helping fight and prevent many diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, cancer, cataracts, and even aging.
Raw honey is rich in a variety of antioxidants that protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. With its antioxidant properties, raw honey has been used as an ingredient in beauty products that work to combat skin problems such as age spots and acne.
Several studies have also shown raw honey may help lower blood pressure.
As a powerful healing agent with unique antibacterial properties that kill harmful bacteria without destroying good flora, raw honey can fight infections like throat infections or chest congestion.
Its ability to draw moisture helps soothe wounds or burns by keeping them from drying out too quickly. In addition, it has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce swelling.
If you suffer from seasonal allergies, try adding a teaspoon of local raw honey to some warm water before bedtime.
The next morning you should notice fewer allergy symptoms.
If you are allergic to bee stings, taking a spoonful of local raw honey every 15 minutes can help relieve stinging sensations associated with an allergic reaction due to bee stings.
Fights Bacteria honey benefits
Honey contains a compound called dihydroxyacetone, which slows bacterial growth.
This makes it an effective remedy for everything from sore throats and wounds to urinary tract infections.
Honey even inhibits MRSA, a particularly nasty strain of bacteria that’s resistant to many conventional antibiotics.
In one study, researchers found that when they treated wound infections with honey, they were able to use less antibiotic cream than they did when treating with plain ointment.
While you should never ditch your doctor in favor of honey (or any other home remedies), in some cases it can be an effective addition to treatment plans.
You should also note that darker honey tends to have more anti-bacterial properties than lighter ones. For example, Manuka honey has been shown to kill both drug-resistant strains of staphylococcus as well as fungi like Candida albicans.
Some studies have also shown that raw honey may have greater antibacterial effects than processed varieties.
Regardless of color or flavor, though, all honey will help soothe a sore throat—just make sure you don’t feed it to children under 1-year old without first consulting your pediatrician.
And remember that honey is not recommended for infants younger than 12 months because of its risk of botulism.
It's important to remember that eating too much honey can cause gastrointestinal upset, including nausea and vomiting.
If you're taking medication or have allergies, check with your doctor before adding honey to your diet.
And while no serious side effects are associated with moderate consumption (about 4 grams per day), large amounts could potentially cause blood sugar spikes in people who are predisposed to diabetes.
As long as you stick within those guidelines, however, consuming about 2 tablespoons daily shouldn't pose any major risks for most adults.
Boosts Energy Levels honey benefits
Honey is a great source of energy, thanks to its fructose content.
Fructose occurs naturally in foods, including honey, and offers many benefits. Fructose does not require insulin for absorption, which means that it’s immediately available for use by your body.
This makes it a valuable choice for those with diabetes or other conditions that involve insulin resistance.
If you are looking for an energy boost without caffeine, try incorporating more honey into your diet. Remember that too much can cause stomach discomfort and even diarrhea in some people; start out with a tablespoon daily and work up from there until you find what works best for you.
For best results, choose raw honey over pasteurized varieties. Raw honey contains all of its original nutrients and enzymes intact while pasteurized varieties have been heated during processing.
Heating these nutrients destroys them, making them less beneficial to your body. Make sure you are buying organic honey as well.
The healthiest honey comes from bees that feed on wildflowers and plants growing in unpolluted areas, but even mass-produced honey isn’t always safe to eat.
Pesticides used on crops often make their way into our food supply, so it is important to purchase only organic products when possible.
Most grocery stores now carry organic honey if you want something quick and easy to add to your morning smoothie or tea.
You can also check local farmers' markets for locally produced varieties or seek out sources online if there isn’t anything nearby.
As long as you buy honey that has been certified organic, you will be getting one of nature’s most nutritious sweeteners.
It is delicious straight off the spoon or drizzled over fresh fruit, but don’t stop there!
There are countless ways to incorporate honey into your diet.
Add it to hot tea for a soothing treat after dinner or mix it with lemon juice and cayenne pepper for a spicy marinade on chicken wings before grilling them outdoors.
Experimenting with different recipes using honey will help keep things interesting!
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