Make your life, meals, and drinks sweet with these awesome 8 sweet health benefits of honey!
Let’s talk about the thick and sweet liquid bees make from flowers – honey. It has a rich golden color and a floral, smoky, fruity aroma that can take your diet to the next level.
Honey has been used by people as early as 2100 B.C. It has numerous variants, like acacia, eucalyptus, and macadamia honey. When using natural sweeteners, honey is a good choice.
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Honey is used as a flavoring agent for drinks, baked goods, desserts, and more. As a matter of fact, it is also used as a marinade to infuse dishes with sweet goodness.
You probably already know what honey tastes like, but what about its health benefits? It’s a good thing you’re here because you get to learn how good honey is for you!
Nutrition Facts
Even if it is commonly used in small amounts, honey has essential nutrients to boast. When you regularly use them for your meals, you can supply your body with these nutrients.
Here are the nutrients in 100 grams of honey, as suggested by the Food Data Central:
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Water | 17.1 grams |
| Energy | 304 kcal |
| Protein | 0.3 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 82.4 grams |
| Sugars | 82.1 grams |
| Fiber | 0.2 grams |
| Calcium | 6 milligrams |
| Magnesium | 2 milligrams |
| Potassium | 52 milligrams |
| Phosphorus | 4 milligrams |
| Fluoride | 7 micrograms |
| Vitamin C | 0.5 milligrams |
| Folate | 2 micrograms |
| Choline | 2.2 milligrams |
| Glucose | 35.8 grams |
| Fructose | 40.9 grams |
Calories
Did you know that honey has more calories than sugar? A tablespoon of honey has 64 calories, most of which come from sugar. Now, it’ll be easier for you to count your calories.
Carbohydrates
Much of the carbohydrates in honey are sugar. Honey is especially rich in glucose and fructose. One tablespoon is about 17 grams of carbohydrates and a relatively high glycemic index of 58.
Fiber
Honey is not the best source of fiber because it only has traces of fiber. However, you can pair it with high-fiber foods to get a balanced meal while still enjoying the flavor of honey.
Now you know what goes into honey, it’ll be easy for you to track the nutrients that you get!
Vitamins and Minerals
Honey has a lot of vitamins and minerals that can help you meet your daily nutrition needs. Despite the small amount of honey you use, these supplements are still good for your health.
- Copper
- Phosphorus
- Folate
- Selenium
- Sodium
- Thiamine
- Manganese
- Niacin
- Iron
- Betaine
- Vitamin C
- Chromium
- Potassium
- Pyridoxine
- Choline
- Folic acid
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Calcium
Imagine how each of these vitamins and minerals can affect your health. Indeed, a little goes a long way!
Plant Compounds
Can honey get any healthier? With its compounds, it definitely gets better! Honey has apigenin, quercetin, caffeic acid, and kaempferol for more health benefits.
- Apigenin: It is a kind of flavonoid that has powerful benefits for your health. It boosts brain function, improves sleep quality, prevents cancer, and supports heart health.
- Caffeic acid: With the antioxidant potential of caffeic acid, it will surely work wonders for your health. It relieves inflammation, fights diabetes, and promotes weight loss.
- Quercetin: It is a type of flavonol that has powerful anti-inflammatory potential. Quercetin helps fight free radicals, relieve allergies, and reduce the risk of infections.
- Kaempferol: Flavonols like kaempferol have numerous benefits for the body. Kaempferol can prevent different types of cancer, such as ovarian cancer and leukemia.
You can certainly trust that these compounds will add to honey’s incredible health benefits!
Health Benefits of Honey
What can honey do for your health?
Improves heart health
Take better care of your heart with the help of honey. It has been linked to different benefits that can make your heart function optimally while protecting you from heart diseases.
The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that honey can regulate your blood pressure and blood fat to improve your heart.
Treats coughs
Coughs are some of the most common respiratory conditions for kids and adults. Thanks to honey, you can relieve yourself from the effects of coughs to breathe and function better.
According to Cochrane Library, honey can be an effective remedy for acute cough in children. It can shorten your recovery time from coughs.
Fights depression
Depression is a serious mental condition that affects how you feel, think, and act. Its symptoms include feeling sad, changes in appetite, and loss of energy.
CarePlus Vietnam shared that honey is one of the home remedies that can boost your mood. It has tryptophan to promote sleep and better mental health.
Heals wounds
Can you believe that honey has powerful wound-healing effects? It’s rich in antioxidants with anti-bacterial properties to promote healing. Honey can surely help you recover faster.
A study in Healthline shared that honey is good for healing wounds because of its acidic PH levels. The honey can inhibit substances that can prolong and impair the healing process.
Reduces inflammation
Since honey has many antioxidants, you can expect it to have amazing anti-inflammatory effects. It can protect you from different health problems.
WebMD suggested that eating honey increases antioxidant activity to protect you from heart problems, cancer, and other health concerns.
Prevents acid reflux
Acid reflux is the flow of stomach acid into the esophagus. It results in a burning sensation or heartburn. Fortunately, honey can help you stop acid reflux and its painful symptoms.
Research in Medical News Today mentioned that while honey does not directly affect acid reflux, it can reduce the inflammation that occurs in the esophagus.
Boosts immunity
The numerous nutrients of honey are evidence of how it can boost immunity. It has vitamins, minerals, compounds, amino acids, and antioxidants for overall health.
An article in Just Bee Honey shared that using honey daily can strengthen immunity. Honey also has anti-inflammatory effects to help your body fight against diseases.
Supports gut health
Keeping your gut healthy is an important part of improving your overall health. The gut is responsible for digesting nutrients and releasing toxins for your organs to function.
Honey can help by acting as a prebiotic to increase the good bacteria in the gut. It also treats bacteria that can cause stomach ulcers to keep your gut healthy.
Don’t you feel happy knowing that you get more chances of experiencing these health benefits every time you use honey?
Ripening Process
Now that you can readily buy honey in grocery stores, you don’t need to process your honey.
Honey-making begins when the bees collect the nectar. The bees have enzymes that enrich the quality of the nectar. Then, the bees will deposit the nectar into the honeycomb to ripen.
The bees seal the honeycomb with a wax lid once the honey is ripe. Then, the beekeeper will collect the fully ripe honey. For the next step, the honey extractor is used to harvest the honey.
Once the honey is extracted, it is sieved to get rid of pollen and impurities. Finally, the honey is stored in containers to let the foam rise so it can be removed easily for crystal-clear honey!
Side Effects
No matter how heavenly honey tastes, it has side effects, especially when you use it too much too often. What will happen if you have too much honey?
- Weight gain – an increase in body weight
- Allergies – intolerance towards certain food
- Infant botulism – baby ingests toxins and bacteria
- Diabetes – high blood sugar levels
- Tooth decay – damage on the surface of the tooth
- Diarrhea – loose and watery stools
- Cardiovascular diseases – heart problems
- Chest pain – burning or tight feeling in the chest
Remember to use honey in the same manner as you use other sweeteners – in moderation and with caution.
An article in The Washington Post suggests up to nine teaspoons for men and six for women and children. Note that one teaspoon of honey has six grams of sugar.
Conclusion
Get one step closer to being healthy with the fantastic health benefits of honey!
Don’t you just love how thick, sweet, and satisfying honey is? From the taste to the aroma, it is truly one of the best natural sweeteners you can use for your dishes and drinks.
Aside from the quality that honey brings, it also has positive effects on your body:
- Improves heart health
- Treats coughs and heartburn
- Relieves gastrointestinal diseases
- Fights depression
- Heals wounds
- Reduces inflammation
- Prevents acid reflux
- Boosts immunity
- Supports gut health
As long as you use honey in moderation, you are on the right track. Share everything you learned with your family and friends to get them to enjoy honey, too!
Suggested Recipes
Honey is commonly used as a substitute for honey. It’s great for making drinks, juices, and smoothies for a sweet yet healthy touch. Here are some of my favorite ways of using honey at home:
- Banana Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Granola Bars
- Overnight Oats
- Weight Loss Granola Bars
- Iced Tea
- Chocolate Granola Bars
- Iced Coffee
- Granola
You can also use honey as a drizzle for breakfast meals like cereal, French Toast, Pancakes, and more! Make the most out of honey to get the best meals and health benefits!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a spoonful of honey a day good for you?
Yes, a spoonful of honey a day is good for you. It can satisfy your sweet cravings while adding to your daily dietary needs. Once you use it for your daily diet, you can experience more of its health benefits.
What are the five benefits of honey?
Honey has numerous health benefits to offer. It’s good for your heart, mental health, gut, and immunity. In fact, honey can treat coughs, wounds, and inflammation, too.
What are the benefits of taking honey in warm water?
Adding honey to your water is a good way of getting its nutrients in your body. It helps detoxify your body, lose weight, nourish the skin, and boost immunity.
What is the best time to eat honey?
One of the best times to eat honey is early in the morning and on an empty stomach. You can mix it in your morning water for a good level of energy.
