{"id":13067,"date":"2020-04-28T03:15:11","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T03:15:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=13067"},"modified":"2021-07-06T12:53:49","modified_gmt":"2021-07-06T12:53:49","slug":"14-health-benefits-of-honey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/14-health-benefits-of-honey\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Health Benefits of Honey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Honey is a wonderfully sweet concoction that is made by tiny bees. The bees create honey using nectar that they obtain from different flowers. There are many forms of honey available in your local supermarket. However, if you are looking to get the most health benefits, it is recommended that you find honey from a local beekeeper. The color of honey ranges from being a bright golden color to a darker brown. Honey with lighter tones typically will have a much milder taste. The darker colored honey will have a flavor that is a bit more pungent and tangier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both processed and unprocessed honey is readily available. Typically, raw or unprocessed honey provides the most benefits. This golden treat has a lot to offer when it comes to your health, and the best part is, you can easily add this sweet treat to your regular diet. Here are 14 health benefits of honey to consider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Antibacterial and Antiseptic Properties<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Honey has a wonderfully rich natural sugar content. Also, it contains properties that can help fight off bacteria and other germs. The antibacterial <\/a>properties of honey make it an excellent choice to consume if you are fighting off any type of bacterial infection. Honey has long been used as a form of medicine for many kinds of ailments. In addition to the antibacterial agents, honey also has antiseptic properties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The antiseptic properties of honey can help fight off germs as well. If you are suffering from a cold or allergies, adding a tablespoon of honey to your morning routine each day can go a long way when it comes to fighting off the infection. It is best to choose raw, unfiltered honey whenever possible. You should also try to get honey from a local source if you can, as this will be the best option when it comes to helping with symptoms of allergies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Wound Treatment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are suffering from a wound and you cannot get medical attention right away, one option is to use honey to treat the injury. Honey <\/a>can help with burns and other injuries that you might be suffering from. There have been several studies that show that placing honey on a burn can provide effective treatment for the burn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, using honey as a topical treatment is often a much cheaper alternative than purchasing oral antibiotic medications that are prescribed by your doctor. The antibacterial properties of honey can help wounds heal more quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, it can help to keep the wound from getting infected. It is important to note that you should not apply honey or give honey to a child that is under the age of one as it might result in a food poisoning known as botulism, which can be quite dangerous for children that young. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Fighting Infections<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, honey can be a great way to help fight off any type of infection that you might be suffering from. Consuming honey regularly can go a long way when it comes to boosting your immunity. One study that was conducted by a group of health care professionals found that adding honey to your diet can help prevent bacteria from settling in your body. It should be noted that there are good and bad bacteria <\/a>in our bodies naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping the bacteria in check is an important part of staying healthy. Eating yogurt and other foods that have probiotics is another way to keep bacteria in check. If you are suffering from any type of illness, adding honey along with probiotics to your diet can go a long way to make you feel better. If you do not like yogurt or other foods that contain probiotics, there are supplements available over the counter that you can take instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Diarrhea<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are suffering from diarrhea<\/a>, you may be willing to do just about anything to make it stop. After all, having diarrhea is exceptionally unpleasant. You feel like you cannot go anywhere for fear that you will need to go to the bathroom quickly while you are out. Diarrhea is often caused by bacterial build up in the digestive system. Your body is trying to get rid of whatever is causing the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another issue that some people face when they are suffering from severe bouts of diarrhea is that they often will become dehydrated. This is because the body is getting rid of excess fluids. If you have diarrhea, eating honey could help alleviate your symptoms, as well as the duration of this uncomfortable issue. Not only can honey help alleviate your symptoms, but it also can increase your fluid intake as well as your potassium levels. These factors are helpful for those suffering from diarrhea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Heart Disease<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are suffering from a severe cough<\/a>, your first thoughts might be to turn to an over the counter cough medication. These cough medications can help alleviate your cough for a short amount of time. However, many cough syrups come with unwanted side-effects such as drowsiness. If you have a cough that you cannot seem to get rid of, taking a spoonful of honey can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, honey is so helpful for alleviating coughs that it is recommended by the World Health Organization. Other health professionals have recognized honey as one of the best remedies for a cough as well. There are no side effects for using honey for your cough. In addition to soothing your sore throat and cough, honey also has antibacterial qualities that can help fight off the bacteria that is the likely cause of your cough in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Heart Disease and Diabetes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who have high levels of triglycerides <\/a>are at a higher risk of developing heart disease. Trading out sugar for honey is a good way to help lower triglycerides, and thus reducing your risk of developing heart disease. If you are overweight, are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, or if you are suffering from diabetes or heart disease, switching out refined sugars for honey can go a long way to help you overcome these diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating honey can actually lower your levels of fatty lipids. Since honey is natural sugar, it is less bad for your body. This means that it provides your body with a good source of sugar, which can ultimately lower your blood glucose levels. If you are struggling with a diabetic diet because you are missing sugary foods, try using honey as an alternative. Honey provides a great alternative and can help with that sweetness that you might be missing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Immunity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The immune system is always working. This system is the part of the body that helps fight off any disease that might be trying to invade the body. Keeping your immune system healthy and working at its optimum level is essential to your overall health. One of the ways that you can help support your immune system and all the work that it is doing is to add some honey to your diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honey is full of antioxidants<\/a>. Antioxidants help to fight off free radicals in the body. When free radicals are left unchecked, they can cause all sorts of health issues, including cancer. Adding some honey to your diet each day can actually help boost your immune system, thus decreasing your risk of developing certain diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. You can add honey to tea, take a spoonful by itself, or use it as a sweetener on cereal.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Blood Pressure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

High blood pressure can be detrimental to your health<\/a>. When your blood pressure is high, it can cause all types of health issues. If you leave your blood pressure unchecked, you run the risk of developing heart disease and possibly having a heart attack or a stroke. High blood pressure occurs when your heart is having to work extra hard to get blood pumped through the body. If you suffer from high blood pressure, honey can be a great thing to add to your regular diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The antioxidants that are found in honey can actually help keep your blood pressure in check. If you suffer from high blood pressure, try adding a spoonful of honey to your diet each day. Local, naturally processed honey will provide you with the most benefits. It is also important to make sure you discuss your high blood pressure with your doctor, as there is a possibility that you might need medications as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Strokes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, honey can help to lower your blood pressure. Since high blood pressure is one of the main causes of a stroke<\/a>, eating honey can also help reduce your risk of having a stroke. When you suffer from high blood pressure, it can create clots in your blood. When these clots travel through the body, it can become quite dangerous. As blood flow is decreased because of the blockages, a stroke might occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The high amounts of antioxidants found in honey can help to reduce the risk of these clots developing. This reduction in clots can help ensure that blood keeps flowing through the body as it should. Eating honey on a regular basis is one of the best things that you can do when it comes to preventing strokes. Use honey instead of white sugar in items, and your body will thank you for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Cholesterol Levels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

High cholesterol <\/a>can be quite dangerous. When your body has high levels of low-density lipoproteins, it can increase your risk of developing heart disease. The build-up of these bad fatty lipids in the arteries can cause high blood pressure, strokes, and heart disease. The reason for this is because cholesterol will build up in the veins and cause blockages. On the other hand, high-density lipoproteins are actually good for the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only will honey help to lower the levels of bad cholesterol, but at the same time, it increases the amounts of good cholesterol. If you are suffering from high cholesterol levels, you might want to try adding some honey to your diet. This can help improve your cholesterol levels and your health in general. Talk to your doctor about other things that you should add to your diet in order to improve your cholesterol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11. Weight Loss<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Almost everyone can stand to lose a little bit of weight<\/a>. After all, our diets are typically not the best, and because of this, many people are overweight. Even people who eat a healthy diet most of the time will find that losing weight as they age can be quite difficult. Another great benefit of adding honey to your diet is that it can actually help to promote weight loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only can honey help reduce bad cholesterol and increase your good cholesterol, but it also has a lower sugar content than regular processed white sugars. This means that simply by switching out processed sugar for honey can help you achieve moderate weight loss goals. The best way to lose weight is small amounts at a time, and honey can help you achieve this goal. Honey is actually very healthy and something that everyone should have as a part of their diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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12. Bad Breath<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you suffer from bad breath, chances are you are embarrassed about it. After all, talking to someone and having them look away because of the smell coming out of your mouth can be quite difficult to take. If you are suffering from bad breath, there is a chance that you have tried many remedies to try to solve this problem. One thing that you might not have thought about was mixing honey <\/a>with some of the other home remedies that are out there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mixing a tsp of honey and a tsp of baking soda in some water is a great way to help make your breath smell better. You can drink this mix once a day until your bad breath is a thing of the past. This simple remedy is something that anyone can do and offers a great way to keep your breath smelling great no matter what you eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13. Skin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Everyone wants to keep their skin looking young and healthy. If you go into any drug store, you are going to see an entire aisle devoted to skin health. If you have tried expensive beauty products to try to keep your skin healthy and are simply tired of spending the money on these products that may or may not work, reach into your cabinet and grab your bottle of honey instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honey has a ton of essential nutrients<\/a>, all of which can help keep your immune system healthy and working at optimal levels. It can also help fight oxidative stress within the body and repair cells that are damaged by the unnecessary and excessive release of free radicals. All of this means that honey can help promote healthy skin as it combats physical and emotional tensions that you might be going through that cause weakness in your body.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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14. Sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do you suffer from insomnia<\/a>? Perhaps you just have trouble getting enough sleep each night. Almost everyone suffers from sleeping issues of some kind. If you are struggling with your sleep, adding honey to your diet might just be the solution that you are looking for. Honey can help you relax and alleviate stress. By eating honey, you are helping your immune system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since your immune system needs you to rest so that it has time to work on healing your body, honey is the perfect choice to help you sleep at night. Try adding some honey to some warm decaffeinated tea in the evening. This can be the perfect relaxing cocktail to help you get that shut-eye that your body needs in order to remain healthy and strong. You can also add some honey to a warm glass of milk to help you get to sleep at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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