Who doesn't love honey? Everyone loves spreading honey on their bread, stirring into their tea, or adding it as a natural sweetener to almost anything. Honey adds that perfect bit of sweetness to anything. Even if you don't plan on adding it to anything, it's still impressive on its own when it's not being used to sweeten and enhance other flavors. Some even use honey for their beauty needs for skin problems and dandruff. It seems as if there's almost nothing honey can't do. However, in this case, we'll take a look at the top 5 health benefits of honey when eating it.
The Heart-Healthy Benefits Of Honey
Honey is delicious and healthy for the heart because it lowers the levels of triglycerides in the blood, which, in turn, reduces heart disease risk. This is especially important for those who are trying to naturally lower their blood sugar by cutting out refined carbohydrates and diets high in sugar. While honey does contain natural sugars, it's a good alternative for those trying to cut down on sugar in general while not sacrificing too much of their sweet tooth.
The Antioxidants In Honey
When you think of antioxidants, you think of the immune system. The combination of the antibacterial and antioxidant effects of honey helps combat the free radical damage in the body. There is no way to steer clear of free radicals but consuming a healthy amount of antioxidants can help keep the cells balanced and healthy. That’s because the antioxidants play a role in keeping the cells from degenerating due to damage from the free radicals.
The Throat-Soothing Effects Of Honey
When you’re suffering from a sore throat, one of the first remedies anyone will suggest is to take honey. One of the reasons why people suggest honey for sore throats is because it offers immediate relief due to honey’s anti-inflammatory properties. Honey also helps against viral infections by killing off bacteria and taking care of the sore throat at its source. Mixing lemon with honey makes a potent sore throat relief mixture that breaks up any mucus while providing relief from the pain.
The Relaxing Benefits Of Honey
If you're not suffering from any type of physical pain but need to find time to wind down and relax, then honey is the perfect way to calm the mind. The end of the day is when the mind is racing, and this racing mind can lead to stress and anxiety symptoms. Sometimes all you need to do is pop a product with soothing honey and chamomile into your mouth and let your mind slowly go into relaxation mode.
The Stomach Soothing Effects Of Honey
On its own, honey is soothing for the stomach. Mixing peppermint and chamomile with honey makes a potent supplement that can keep the stomach calm. Honey aids the process of digestion by helping to break down sugars and carbohydrates. It even goes as far as to help solidify and pass waste for those suffering from diarrhea.
Honey is the reason we’re protecting the delicate honey bee to help them keep us afloat with the myriad of health benefits only their delicate product can provide.
References:
Pham-Huy, Lien Ai et al. “Free radicals, antioxidants in disease and health.” International journal of biomedical science : IJBS vol. 4,2 (2008): 89-96. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614697/
Samarghandian, Saeed et al. “Honey and Health: A Review of Recent Clinical Research.” Pharmacognosy research vol. 9,2 (2017): 121-127. doi:10.4103/0974-8490.204647. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28539734/
Mijanur Rahman, Mohammad et al. “Neurological effects of honey: current and future prospects.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM vol. 2014 (2014): 958721. doi:10.1155/2014/958721. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2014/958721/
Fazalda, Annuar et al. “Antiulcer Effect of Honey in Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Induced Gastric Ulcer Model in Rats: A Systematic Review.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM vol. 2018 7515692. 15 Jul. 2018, doi:10.1155/2018/7515692. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6076929/pdf/ECAM2018-7515692.pdf
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