1.
Healthy Weight Management
Research
studies have linked honey consumption with weight loss. A San Diego State
University study found that replacing sugar with honey can actually help
prevent packing on extra pounds and also lower blood sugar. The results also
suggest that in comparison to sugar, honey may lower serum triglycerides.
Another
study from the University of Wyoming found that raw honey can activate hormones
that suppress the appetite. In the double-blind randomly assigned study,
appetite hormones and glycemic responses were measured in 14 healthy non-obese
women after consuming a breakfast containing either honey or sugar. Overall,
researchers concluded that honey consumption offers potential obesity protective
effects.
2.
Counters Pollen Allergies
Raw
honey contains bee pollen, which is known to ward off infections, provide
natural allergy relief and boost overall immunity. Honey’s ability to prevent
allergies is based on a concept called immunotherapy. How so? The bees in your
neighborhood go from flower to flower collecting pollen that causes you to
suffer, but when a you consume local raw honey, you also consume that same
offending local pollen. After some time, an allergy sufferer may become less
sensitive to this pollen that previously caused problems and experience less
seasonal allergy symptoms. Many seasonal allergy sufferers have found local,
raw honey to be helpful because it desensitizes them to the fauna triggering
their allergic reaction.
A
2013 study found that eating honey at a high dose (one gram per kilogram of
body weight of honey daily) can improve allergy symptoms over a period of eight
weeks. Researchers absorbed that the honey consumption improved overall and
individual symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis is an allergic
response that causes itchy, watery eyes, sneezing and other similar symptoms.
Some
people say that a daily tablespoon of honey can actually act like an allergy
shot. The type of honey is key though since pasteurized honey does not contain
any pollen. For possible seasonal allergy relief, you need to consume raw honey
with pollen in it.
3.
Natural Energy Source
Raw
honey contains natural sugars (80 percent), water (18 percent), and minerals,
vitamins, pollen and protein (2 percent). It’s not surprising that honey has
been called “the perfect running fuel.” It provides an easily absorbed supply
of energy in the form of liver glycogen, making it ideal for energetic morning
starts and as a pre- and post-exercise energy source.
Studies
at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sports Nutrition Laboratory have
shown honey to be one of the best choices of carbohydrate to consume right
before exercising. Additionally, studies have revealed that as a sporting fuel,
honey performs on a par with glucose, which is the sugar used in most
commercial energy gels.
When
it comes to raw honey’s use in athletic endeavors, I highly recommend raw honey
for both fueling and recovery. That’s why raw honey is included in some of the
best pre-workout snacks and post-workout meals.
4.
Antioxidant Powerhouse
Studies
have shown that a daily dose of raw honey raises levels of health-promoting
antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants help block free radicals in the body
that cause disease. It also boosts the immune system, acting as a preventative
against any number of debilitating diseases. Honey contains polyphenols, which
are powerful antioxidants that have been shown to reduce the risk of heart
disease and cancer.
One
study fed 25 subjects about four tablespoons of honey per day for 29 days in
addition to their regular diets. When blood samples were taken at the start and
end of the study, researchers found a clear, direct link between honey
consumption and an increased level of disease-fighting polyphenols in the
blood.
Studies
have shown that honey contains the disease-fighting antioxidant flavonoids
pinocembrin, pinostrobin and chrysin. Pinocembrin supports enzyme activity, and
many studies have shown that pinocembrin induces apoptosis (programmed cell
death) of many types of cancer cells. Laboratory research suggests that chrysin
may increase the male hormone testosterone and improve bodybuilding results,
but human research hasn’t found any effect on testosterone levels.
5.
Sleep Promoter
Raw
honey promotes restorative sleep in two ways. By consuming honey before
bedtime, it restocks the liver’s glycogen supply and prevents the brain from
triggering a crisis search for fuel, which can wake you up. Secondly, eating
raw honey fosters the release of melatonin in the brain by creating a small
spike in insulin levels, which stimulates the release of tryptophan in the
brain. Tryptophan converts to serotonin, which is then converted to melatonin.
Melatonin
also boosts immunity and helps rebuild tissue during periods of rest. Poor
sleep, by comparison, has been shown to be a risk factor for hypertension,
obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and arthritis. As honey is a
proven natural sleep aid, it naturally lowers the risk of all these health
problems.
6.
Wound and Ulcer Healer
Honey-infused
bandages are known to aid healing. Peter Charles Molan at the University of
Waikato, New Zealand, has found in multiple studies that honey is a natural
antibacterial with wound-healing effects. He also found that honey reacts with
the body’s fluids to make hydrogen peroxide, creating an inhospitable
environment for bacteria.
For
the treatment of burns and wounds, honey is typically applied directly to the
problem area or in a dressing that’s changed every 24 to 48 hours. Sometimes
the dressing is left in place for up to 25 days. (13) A combination of honey
and ghee has also been advocated and used as dressing for infected wounds since
1991 in four Mumbai hospitals.
Honey
has been studied for its use in effectively treating various types of ulcers as
well. Honey may reduce the size, pain and odor of problematic skin ulcers.
7.
Diabetes Aid
Consumption
of raw honey can reduce the risk of developing diabetes and help aid medication
used to treat diabetes. The combination of raw honey and cinnamon can be
especially beneficial to healthy blood sugar management, as well as many other
health concerns like gingivitis and acne.
According
to a study out of Dubai, honey has been observed to cause a lower elevation of
plasma glucose levels in diabetics compared to dextrose and sucrose. Some
suggest that the insulin-boosting power of cinnamon can counteract this glucose
elevation in honey, which would make your honey and cinnamon mixture a low
glycemic index food combination.
Raw
honey increases insulin and decreases hyperglycemia. Try consuming a little at
a time and see how your blood sugar reacts to it, and add both raw honey and
cinnamon to your diabetic diet plan.
8.
Natural Cough Syrup
Raw
honey has been shown to be as effective in treating coughs as over-the-counter
commercial cough syrups. Increasing scientific evidence shows that a single
dose of honey can reduce mucus secretion and coughs. In one study, honey was
just as effective as diphenhydramine and dextromethorphan, common ingredients
found in over-the counter cough medicines.
For
a cough, a half teaspoon to two teaspoons of honey at bedtime is a studied and
recommended dosage for anyone over the age of one.
