Raw honey is a natural powerhouse packed that can supercharge your diet. If you're one to prioritize health in your eating, or if you're looking to infuse your medicine cabinet with more natural remedies, raw honey is a fantastic ally. Unlike processed honey products, raw honey is rich in enzymes, vitamins, and antioxidants, offering a plethora of health benefits. Here are nine health benefits of adding raw honey to your diet.
Health Advantages of Raw Honey
Immune System Boost
Raw honey is one of nature's best defenders against the common cold and flu. It boasts antibacterial and antiviral properties, which can help to boost your immune system. A spoonful of raw honey a day can keep the sniffles away, or at the very least, help you recover quicker if you do get sick.
How it works:
- Healing agents: Honey contains over 200 substances, including amino acids and vitamins, which act as nutrients for the body's good bacteria that fortify your immune system.
- Antioxidants: These fight oxidative stress in your body, a major factor in decreased immune function.
- Antibacterial properties: Raw honey can kill unwanted bacteria in your body thanks to its naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide.
Allergy Relief
Believe it or not, consuming local raw honey every day can also help alleviate seasonal allergies. The theory is that it acts like a natural vaccine by introducing tiny amounts of pollen to your immune system. This is by no means a guarantee, but, at the very least, honey can help keep the sore throat and sniffles that come with hay fever and pollen sensitivity to a minimum.
How it works:
- Local pollen exposure: By introducing a small amount of local pollen into your system, your body can build up a tolerance, thus reducing allergy symptoms.
- Microbial stasis: The beneficial bacteria in honey may bolster your overall health, which in turn can positively impact your immune response to allergens.
Energy Source
Raw honey is an excellent source of natural energy. 80 percent of it is natural sugar, the carbohydrate necessary to fuel your body. It's easy on the digestive system and the perfect way to power up for daily tasks or workouts.
How it works:
- Glucose and fructose: These sugars are easily and quickly absorbed by the body, giving you almost instantaneous energy.
- Healthy carbs: The carbs in raw honey provide a sustained energy release over time, allowing for activities that require endurance.
Skin Care
Applying honey to your skin can combat issues like acne or damage from UV rays. It also acts as an effective humectant, which means it can retain moisture, helping to hydrate your skin.
How it works:
- Acne treatment: The antibacterial properties can help with acne by reducing breakouts.
- Wound treatment: Honey's hygroscopic nature can help heal wounds by drawing moisture out of bacteria cells, which reduces inflammation and leads to cleaner and faster healing.
- Antioxidants: These can protect your skin from damage and premature aging.
Natural Cough Syrup
Perhaps one of the most well-known health benefits of adding raw honey to your diet is its use as a natural, soothing cough remedy. Not only does it provide relief, but it also tastes a lot better than most traditional cough syrups.
How it works:
- Throat coating: The stickiness of honey can soothe a sore throat by coating the irritated tissues.
- Suppression: Honey's sweetness can trigger your salivary glands, which helps to lubricate your airway and alleviate a cough reflex.
Better Sleep
A spoonful of honey before bed can work as a sedative and help you relax, making it easier to drift off. This is due to its serotonin-boosting properties that lead to melatonin production, the compound responsible for regulating sleep.
How it works:
- Serotonin: Raw honey can help raise serotonin levels, which can improve mood and relax the body.
- Melatonin: As a precursor to serotonin, honey can help the body produce more melatonin, encouraging a restful sleep.
Digestive Health
The benefits of raw honey for digestion are twofold: it can alleviate symptoms of diarrhea and help to heal a damaged gut.
How it works:
- Probiotic properties: Some types of honey can promote the growth of 'good' bacteria in the intestines, acting as a prebiotic to feed these microbes.
- Antioxidants: The antioxidants found in raw honey can reduce gastrointestinal inflammation, which may help rebuild a healthy gut microbiome.
Wound Healing
Honey's wound-healing properties have a reputation dating back centuries. It's effective in healing open wounds, reducing infection, and aiding in tissue regeneration.
How it works:
- Hydrogen peroxide: Raw honey naturally contains hydrogen peroxide that works as an antiseptic, which can kill bacteria and prevent infection.
- Acidic pH: Honey's low pH can also promote healing by speeding up the release of oxygen from hemoglobin, enhancing oxygen supply to the wound.
Blood Sugar Regulation
Despite its sweetness, raw honey can play a role in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Unlike refined sugar, it's made up of fructose and glucose, which can help the body regulate blood sugar levels.
How it works:
- Low glycemic index: This means honey's sugars are slowly absorbed, providing gradual energy without the sugar spike and crash.
- Improved insulin sensitivity: Honey may improve insulin sensitivity, which could lower your risk of developing diabetes.
How to Incorporate Raw Honey into Your Diet
One of the best ways to incorporate raw honey into your diet is by adding it to your beverages. A spoonful of honey in your morning tea or coffee can provide many of the advantages listed above. You can also use it in smoothies for a touch of natural sweetness.
Additionally, honey is a versatile ingredient in cooking, used as a glaze for meats or in sauces and dressings. It can also be a natural sweetener in baking. For a simple yet delicious snack, try drizzling honey over fruit or cheese. You can also use it as a spread on toast or as a topping for your morning oatmeal or yogurt.
With so many options, it's easy to incorporate raw honey into a more health-focused and conscientious daily diet. Overall, adding more raw honey to your diet can be as simple as swapping out refined sugars for this natural alternative. Whether you enjoy it in beverages, cooking, or as a topping, making these changes can provide numerous advantages throughout several areas of your life.
Raw honey is so much more than a sweet treat. It's a natural source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that offer a plethora of health benefits. Remember to opt for raw, unfiltered honey to get the most nutritional bang for your buck. Bell Honey offers a series of unflavored and flavored honey sticks, designed for you to add to a drink or eat on the go. They’re a perfect snack for busy individuals and they make sure that getting your daily dose of honey is as simple as opening the tube.
