6 Health Benefits of Honey

honey on spoon

A spoonful of honey helps the medicine go down.

For a hive to produce a kilo of honey, bees must gather the pollen of five million flowers. Hence, the medicinal properties contained in these flowers are concentrated and preserved in the honey. For this reason, the world has used honey as medicine since the time of the ancient Egyptians. On the other hand, its nutritional value is nominal. You must consume many kilos to receive your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. Ultimately, the area where honey shines is in its bioactive plant compounds. These transform honey from simply a delicious confection to a powerful health aid. 

honey on spoon

The secret life of Skyterra

As scores of beehives are erected by Killer Bees Honey on the slopes of Skyterra Wellness Retreat, bees prepare to move in and begin their hard work. As a result, staff and guests alike look forward to reaping the many pleasures and health benefits of the new honey.

It's safe to say that honey's taste alone makes the stuff worthy of celebration. Yet, its healing potential elevates it to another status completely. That is to say, not all delicious foods contain at least six qualities that significantly serve healing and recovery. Therefore, we've listed them below to spread the word. We hope you learn something new!

 

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1. Honey is loaded with antioxidants and phenols.

High-quality honey, like that produced at Skyterra, contains antioxidants that include flavonoids, organic acids, and phenolic compounds. These properties help fight off illness and disease in the body. Interestingly, darker types tend to be even higher in these compounds than lighter types. Studies show that buckwheat honey increases the antioxidant richness of a person’s blood. 

2. Honey lowers blood pressure.

High blood pressure indicates a significant risk in the development of heart disease. For this reason, it's important to keep blood pressure in check. In other words, there are specific actions one can take to lower blood pressure. These include exercising and eating low-sodium foods. Additionally, honey consumption is linked to  lowering blood pressure. For example, studies in both rats and humans show modest reductions in blood pressure from consuming honey. 

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3. Honey improves cholesterol levels.

High LDH cholesterol plays a major role in atherosclerosis; the fatty buildup in arteries that sometimes leads to stroke and heart attack. Studies show that honey consumption reduces “bad” cholesterol while elevating levels of “good” cholesterol. For instance, in a study of 55 patients comparing honey and sugar consumption, results revealed that honey caused a 5.8% reduction in “bad” cholesterol while promoting a 3.3% increase in “good” cholesterol. Mild weight loss was also found to occur at a rate of 1.3% among the honey users.

4. Honey can lower triglyceride levels.

Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. High levels of triglycerides may raise the risk of coronary artery disease, especially in women. Additionally, insulin resistance is another side effect of high levels of triglycerides. This condition contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes. Interestingly, several studies found a link between regular honey consumption and lower triglyceride levels, primarily when it was used instead of refined sugar. For example, in a study comparing a group of honey users vs sugar users, the results showed 11-19% lower triglyceride levels among the people who used honey.

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5. Honey heals wounds and burns.

Honey’s efficacy in healing wounds comes from its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Additionally, researchers believe that it helps heal skin by nourishing the surrounding tissue of a burn or wound. What’s more, the application of honey alleviates conditions such as herpes, acne, and psoriasis.

Since ancient times, honey was used to treat burns and heal wounds. The use is still prevalent today. For instance, in 26 studies, topical honey salves healed injuries that had become infected after surgery. Likewise, honey is an effective treatment for foot ulcers that are complications of diabetes. In fact, a study showed that an impressive 97% of patients’ foot ulcers were successfully healed with honey. 

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6. Honey supresses coughs and soothes throats.

Honey effectively soothes upper respiratory infections that culminate in a cough. For this reason, it’s likely that you have tried a cup of hot tea with honey when you’ve had a cough or cold. Surprisingly, honey is sometimes a better choice even than over-the-counter cough medications. For instance, one study found that it did a better job than several popular cough medications. This may be because cough medications sometimes have unpleasant side effects, like dizziness. On the other hand, honey just helps you sleep better naturally.  

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“We lived for honey. We swallowed a spoonful in the morning to wake us up and one at night to put us to sleep. We took it with every meal to calm the mind, give us stamina, and prevent fatal disease. We swabbed ourselves in it to disinfect cuts or heal chapped lips. It went in our baths, our skin cream, our raspberry tea, and biscuits. Nothing was safe from honey...honey was the ambrosia of the gods and the shampoo of the goddesses.”

—Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

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