10 Health Benefits of Honey

Honey. Succulent and flavorful, full of nutrients and benefits, honey has so many wonderful uses and properties. Because of this, I wanted to share a few of the great things about honey and different ways you can use it to improve your health, your skin, and even how well you sleep at night.

The earliest recorded use of honey as a curative comes from Sumerian clay tablets, which convey that honey was used in 30% of prescriptions at the time. The ancient Egyptians used honey regularly to treat skin and eye problems, as did the Greeks, Romans, and a number of other cultures. 

The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashana is celebrated with honey on apples, and the “land of milk and honey” is referenced in the Bible. Honey has a long history of human consumption for thousands of years.

Honey has numerous health benefits. So many that I don’t think I could begin to include them all in this article. I am going to focus on ten of the best qualities of this liquid gold.

The vitamins and minerals in honey include niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. That means that although you are adding additional calories, they are full of nutrients that your body needs to thrive.

Many people swear by honey’s ability to lessen symptoms of seasonal allergy. Honey does have anti-inflammatory effects and is known to soothe coughs, although no scientific evidence has proven its effectiveness in treating allergies. It is best to buy local, raw honey to treat the allergies in your environment.

Honey is naturally antimicrobial (that’s why it literally lasts forever; it has been found in tombs and such). So slather a bit on scrapes, minor cuts and basic burns, always using a clean implement, of course. Lightly cover the wound — basically you can use honey like a natural antibiotic cream.  In general, the darker the honey, the better its antibacterial and antioxidant power.

Spoilage by bacteria and mold is prevented by the hygroscopic nature of honey. It absorbs water, including the water in bacteria and mold! This effectively neutralizes them and prevents spoilage.

Just mix a small dollop of honey with a bit of warm water in the palm of your hand, then massage over face, working up and out.

Add 1 teaspoon honey to a quart of warm water, dilute, then soak your hair in the mixture post-shampoo (no, you don’t need to rinse it, since it’s already diluted). You can also use straight honey on the ends of your do to calm frizz.

Whether mixed in with a calming tea (try chamomile, fennel or lavender, or a mix thereof), on its own, or added to oatmeal at the start of the day, honey has long been used in India to quell nervousness, especially the kind associated with the stomach.  Dr. Oz recommends a mixture of honey, lemon, and ginger.

Plastic surgeons have been known to use honey to minimize scar tissue following surgery and speed up healing time dramatically.

In clinical studies, honey has been shown to be as effective at calming coughs as over-the-counter cough medicines. Take it straight, or mix honey with coconut oil and lemon juice for additional benefits.

One of the many soothing properties of raw honey is its ability to help provide sleep relief. Honey may help facilitate the action of tryptophan, which helps make people sleepy.  Use just a small amount of honey with a touch of salt to help with nighttime hot flashes.  It helps to regulate your hormones and give you a restful night’s sleep.

All the numerous health benefits doesn’t mean honey is not caloric; one tablespoon yields 64 calories. Also, it’s crucial to remember that honey is not appropriate for children younger than 12 months because it can contain the bacteria that causes infant botulism.

There are so many ways to use honey; add it to your favorite beverage, put it on toast with Honeyville’s Powdered Peanut Butter. (Hint: mix the powder straight into the honey.  Tell me what that reminds you of.  I say fudge).  Use it as syrup on your pancakes or waffles, biscuits, etc.  I like it in my tea, chai tea to be more specific.  It is also good mixed with cinnamon and eaten to improve digestion and circulation. Cinnamon also helps your body metabolize the carbohydrates in the honey and keep your blood sugar stable. Try our new Pure Mountain Wildflower Honeyand our Raw Mountain Wildflower Honey today!