Six Ways Honey Can Support Your Health

By Jasmine Clark, Live Well Enhance You Contributing Writer

The natural world gives us lots of gifts… and the sweetest one is honey. Bees create this fluid using nectar from flowering plants. Maybe someone should tell the bees that September is National Honey Month! Honey is well worth designating an entire month for, because it’s not only fun to eat but good for your body from the inside out.

Amazing antioxidants

This might just be honey’s most powerful benefit. To understand why antioxidants are so amazing, you have to know what free radicals are. Free radicals are basically “unstable molecules looking for a dance partner.” These molecules steal electrons from your body’s cells, causing the cells to be damaged and even die. This contributes to a variety of health problems like premature aging, diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune disease, and cancer. 

Fortunately, antioxidants stabilize free radicals by taking electrons from them. Honey (especially darker-colored honey) contains a variety of antioxidants like phenolic acids and flavonoids. You may have heard that fruits and vegetables are great sources of antioxidants, but there are some types of honey that are just as antioxidant-rich as fruits and vegetables! 

Sweet relief for sore throats and coughs

One study showed that buckwheat honey was able to reduce coughing in children with upper respiratory tract infections, allowing the children (and their grateful parents) to be able to sleep better at night. Three types of honey that are especially effective for coughs are citrus honey, eucalyptus honey, and labiatae honey. Another study found that honey’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties helped people recover quickly from having a sore throat, without side effects.

Benefits for the brain

Did you know that honey can be good for your brain? According to the Mayo Clinic, “studies suggest that honey might offer antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits.” Not only that, but honey may also help protect your hippocampus (a part of the brain that deals with memory) from inflammation, thanks to substances called polyphenols. Honey can help your brain function better… think about that.

Skin-healing superpowers

If you’re suffering from burns or wounds, honey is something your skin will like. Honey has been studied as a topical treatment for wounds and can speed up the healing process. This is probably due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Manuka honey in particular seems to have magic wound-healing powers.

People with psoriasis will be happy to know that honey can help reduce redness, itching, and damaged skin. In one study, honey was mixed with beeswax and olive oil to create a topical skin treatment that reduced symptoms of psoriasis. The same treatment helped with hemorrhoids as well. Honey provides relief from a bunch of painful skin conditions, so whether it’s psoriasis, hemorrhoids, herpes lesions, or diabetic foot ulcers, honey is there to come to the rescue.

Good for gastrointestinal issues

Ever heard of Helicobacter pylori? You may have had this bacteria inside you without knowing it. The good news is, most people don’t get sick from it. However, some people develop stomach ulcers from it. But a study found that consuming honey and green/black tea lowered the prevalence of H. pylori infections. 

What’s more, there are prebiotics in honey that provide nourishment to beneficial gut bacteria, keeping your gut healthy (which makes your whole body healthier). Not to mention honey’s ability to fight back against acid reflux. There are promising studies that show that a teaspoon of honey can help keep acids from coming back up to your esophagus after eating. (This also works if you mix the honey with water or tea.)

Satisfying sugar substitute

Should honey be thought of as a substitute for sugar to sweeten up your foods and beverages? Sort of. Honey itself largely consists of sugar. Yet it’s often thought of as a sugar substitute because it’s not the typical type of sugar you think of. Still, it does cause your blood sugar levels to rise just like regular sugar.

But one advantage honey has is that it’s sweeter than regular sugar, so you need less of it to get a great sweet taste. And consider the other substances in honey that are good for you. For example, Healthline points out that “honey may increase levels of adiponectin, a hormone that reduces inflammation and improves blood sugar regulation.” Honey also helps protect you against metabolic syndrome, which is actually a group of conditions: diabetes, high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Keep in mind that just because honey can be used as an alternative to regular sugar, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to consume excessive amounts of it. Be sure to have only a moderate amount and talk to your doctor about any nutrition concerns. And remember, honey is not safe for babies under one year old or anyone with bee pollen allergies.

Now you know about plenty of reasons to celebrate honey this month. It truly is a natural treasure. One way you can celebrate is by trying a new type of honey you’ve never tried before – and there are a lot of different types to choose from. So if you like honey, be thankful to the bees for all their hard work.

Jasmine Clark is a freelance writer from North Carolina. She enjoys writing about topics such as stress relief and positive thinking. She likes to encourage others to find ways to calm down and relax. In her spare time, she loves to write fiction stories and watch TV and YouTube. You can find her on Instagram @cozysachi.