More than its sweet taste, honey has long been known for its innumerable health benefits. Here are nine reasons why you should consume honey daily.
1. Prevent cancer and heart disease
Honey contains flavonoids, antioxidants which help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease. In recent studies, honey was found to decrease the oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) or the bad cholestrol. Oxidized LDLs are your heart’s worst enemy.
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2. Reduce ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders
Recent research have shown that honey treatment may help preventing disorders such as ulcers and bacterial gastroenteritis. An enzyme in honey called hydrogen oxidase produces hydrogen peroxide, which kills harmful bacteria in the stomach.
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3. Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal
“All honey is antibacterial, because the bees add an enzyme that makes hydrogen peroxide,” said Peter Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. These positive anti-bacterical qualities are then being used in your mouth, throat, and stomach.
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4. Increase athletic performance
Ancient Olympic athletes were said to eat honey and dried figs to enhance their performance. Well, recent studies have proved ancient wisdom right. Carbs have been singled out as the most important nutrient for exercise, and adding glucose gives the athlete an extra boost. The boost honey provides has been tested to be superior than other sweeteners because of the complex natural sugar variety it holds.
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5. Reduce cough and throat irritation
Honey helps with coughs, particularly buckwheat honey. A study have shown that, for 110 children, a single dose of buckwheat honey was just as effective as a single dose of dextromethorphan in relieving nocturnal cough and allowing proper sleep.
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6. Blood sugar regulation
Even though honey contains simple sugar, it is NOT the same as white sugar or artificial sweeteners. Its exact combination of fructose and glucose actually helps the body regulate blood sugar levels. Some honeys have a low hypoglycemic index, so they don’t jolt your blood sugar.
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7. Heal wounds and burns
External application of honey has been shown to be as effective as conventional treatment with silver sulfadiazene. It is speculated that the drying effect of the simple sugars and honey’s anti-bacterial nature combine to create this effect.
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8. Probiotic
Some varieties of honey possess large amounts of friendly bacteria. This includes up to six species of lactobacilli and four species of bifidobacteria. This may explain many of the “mysterious therapeutic properties of honey.”
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9. Beautiful skin
Its anti-bacterial qualities are particularly useful for the skin, and, when used with other ingredients, can also be moisturising and nourishing!
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