Honey has been referred to as the “nectar of the Gods” and for good reason. It is credited with multiple healing properties that have been used for treating a variety of ailments and promoting good health since time immemorial. (1)
This article will delve into the lesser-known health benefits of honey so that you can make the most of this multipurpose ingredient. (2)(3)
Surprising and Unbelievable Uses of Honey
Here are some ways honey can improve your health.
Disclaimer: It is recommended that you use raw, organic, locally produced honey for these remedies since it contains maximum nutrients and will deliver the best results. If it is not available, medical-grade honey is your next best choice.
1. Increases exercise performance
Honey is rich in glucose and fructose, which are natural sugars that help boost your energy levels and reduce fatigue during athletic activities.
Glucose is readily absorbed in the body and provides an instant spurt of energy, whereas fructose is absorbed gradually and therefore sustains your energy levels over an extended period.
Another good thing is that this natural sweetener falls relatively low on the glycemic index than normal sugar, which means it does not raise your blood glucose as quickly as normal sugar. (4)
Thus, you don’t have to worry about drastic spikes in blood sugar levels with honey intake, provided it is done in moderation. In fact, consuming honey before, during, or after exercise can keep you from running out of steam without damaging your health. (5)
However, more rigorous and broad-based studies are needed to properly analyze the role of honey in a food-first approach to exercise nutrition. (5)
How to use:
- Use honey instead of regular sugar or artificial sweeteners in your tea, confectionaries, and normal cooking.
- Eat a spoonful of honey before going for your workout or any other physically demanding activity.
2. Treats minor cuts, burns, and wounds
Honey has long been used as a natural antiseptic for cleaning and treating a variety of skin injuries including minor cuts, abrasions, burns, and open wounds.
It is credited with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity that prevents the wound from getting infected. (6)(7) Plus, it forms a thick layer over the wound to protect it from germs and external irritants that can further damage the skin.
Lastly, the rich water, nutrient, and antioxidant content of honey helps soothe the skin and makes it heal faster.
How to use:
- Wash the wound with water and mild soap.
- Let it air-dry.
- Use a clean piece of cotton to gently dab raw honey onto the wound.
Note: This remedy is not recommended for major or deep wounds that require professional medical attention.
3. To soothe coughs
Honey serves as a natural and safer alternative to regular cough medicine for treating upper respiratory tract infections, especially in kids. (8)(9)
It is cheap, is readily available at home, and does not have any adverse side effects. Also, its sweet taste is palatable, which makes it suitable for children who might otherwise complain about gulping down a bitter syrup.
Honey is loaded with antioxidants that help curb inflammation in the respiratory airways and dilute the mucus to relieve congestion and cough.
Note: It is not safe to feed raw honey to babies younger than 1 year of age as it can cause botulism. (10)
How to use honey for cough:
- Consume 1 teaspoon of honey directly.
- Mix honey in warm water/tea.
4. Promotes better sleep at night
Getting enough hours of restful sleep regularly is essential for your mental and physical health. This is the time when your brain can take a little breather while your body can properly repair and rejuvenate itself after the daily grind.
Inadequate sleep, on the other hand, can leave you tired, irritable, and disoriented and can trigger a variety of other health issues. (11)
Sadly, a lot of people suffer from sleeping difficulties or disorders and have to rely on sedatives to get proper shut-eye, which can lead to adverse side effects after long-time use.
A safer way to improve your sleep quality and duration is to consume honey before bedtime. (12) Honey triggers the release of a feel-good chemical called serotonin, which is then converted into another chemical compound called melatonin.
Melatonin is known as the sleep hormone as it plays a critical role in regulating the body’s sleep-wake cycle. More melatonin means you will be able to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep throughout the night. (13)
How to use:
Dissolve 1 spoonful of honey in 200 ml of warm milk, and drink it an hour before bedtime every night or whenever sleep evades you.
5. Prevents heart disease
Heart disease accounts for a large part of the global health burden.
Honey protects the heart and blood vessels through various biological mechanisms. It improves lipid metabolism to lower cholesterol levels, increases polyphonic antioxidants in the blood to fight free radical damage, and provides better regulation of blood pressure and heartbeat, among other cardioprotective effects. (14)
How to use:
Use honey instead of sugar to sweeten your coffee and tea.
6. Improves mood and boosts memory
Honey is great for your neurological health. It is full of polyphenolic compounds that exert strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
These compounds neutralize reactive oxygen molecules called free radicals, which can damage your brain cells through oxidative stress and thereby pave the way for mood disorders (depression, anxiety, stress, etc.), memory loss, and cognitive decline.
Thus, honey can help protect, preserve, and promote your mental health. (15)(13)
How to use:
Dissolve 1 spoonful of honey in 200 ml of warm milk, and drink it every night before going to bed.
7. Cures hangover
Honey can help you get rid of a hangover by decreasing the concentration of alcohol in the blood. This effect can be attributed to the presence of fructose in it. (16)
Moreover, honey helps relieve vomiting and diarrhea, which are commonly associated with a hangover. (17)
How to use:
- Mix ½ cup of yogurt with equal amounts of orange juice.
- Add 10 ml of bee’s honey and stir to blend all the ingredients together.
- Drink this tonic to make your hangover go away faster. (17)
8. Promotes acne-free, healthy, and glowing skin
Honey has many skin benefits and is often used for treating a wide range of dermatological problems including acne, eczema, sunburn, premature skin aging, dermatitis, and even melanoma. (3)
It is a natural humectant, which means it deeply lubricates the skin and seals in moisture, providing long-lasting hydration. Moreover, it contains skin-friendly vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, and amino acids along with other phenolic compounds that together exert antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. (18)
Honey can moisturize and nourish dry skin to improve its texture and elasticity, soothe skin irritation, curb skin inflammation, fight skin infections, reduce free-radical-induced skin damage, and promote skin repair.
No wonder it is a common ingredient in many skin products and beauty remedies. (3)
How to use:
- Apply raw honey to dry skin and let it sit for half an hour before rinsing it off. This will help deeply moisturize the skin, leaving it soft and supple.
- Apply honey to dry, cracked, or ruptured skin to prevent it from getting infected.
- If you have acne, use a cotton bud to apply a tiny amount of raw honey to the affected area. You can also mix 1–2 drops of tea tree oil into the honey for extra antibacterial effects. This will help shrink and heal your acne lesions faster while also reducing the risk of future breakouts.
9. Resolves dandruff
Dandruff is mostly caused by a fungal infection and is characterized by scalp inflammation that leads to itching, redness, scaling, and flaking.
Honey works as an antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agent that can help treat the root cause of this common scalp infection while also relieving its symptoms. When used on a weekly basis, this topical remedy can prevent dandruff from coming back. (19)
How to use:
- Make a mixture of honey diluted with 10% warm water and apply it to your scalp.
- Let it sit for three hours before rinsing with normal water.
- Use this remedy once a week until the dandruff goes away.
10. Leads to healthy, shiny, and lustrous hair
Honey is a natural lubricant that can help nourish, condition, and repair dry, damaged, dull hair. It also moisturizes and soothes the scalp, providing a healthy base for speedy hair growth.
For these reasons, honey is often added to commercial hair products such as shampoos and conditioners. (3)
How to use:
- Mix 1 teaspoon of honey in 1 quart of water.
- Use the solution to rinse your hair.
- Let your hair air-dry rather than use a towel.
11. Moisturizes your lips
Lip balm formulations often contain honey for its moisturizing and healing properties. (19)
But you can also use it directly to lubricate and repair your dry, chapped lips or mix it with other skin-healing ingredients to make your own all-natural lip balm.
How to use:
- Apply a thin layer of honey to your cracked lips.
- Mix honey with cocoa butter, almond oil, and coconut oil and apply the mixture to your lips to provide more intensive hydration.
12. Aids in weight loss
Honey provides a healthier alternative to regular sugar for managing blood sugar levels and preventing undue weight gain.
It helps bring down your total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or bad cholesterol) levels while increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL or good cholesterol) levels (20) This improved lipid metabolism helps increase insulin sensitivity, leading to more stable blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, honey reduces hypertension, cardiovascular risk, and excess body fat. However, bear in mind that honey is only relatively better than sugar on the glycemic index and can prove counterproductive if consumed in excess.
How to use:
- Mix 1 teaspoon of honey in 1 glass full of warm water, and squeeze some lemon in it.
- Drink this tonic first thing in the morning.
- Do this on a daily basis to speed up your metabolism and burn excess fat or cellulite.
Final Word
The medicinal effects of honey have widely been used in folk medicine and are now corroborated by scientific evidence as well. Numerous studies have been conducted on the antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, and wound-healing potential of this natural sweetener. (21)(18)
Honey’s healing goodness can be attributed to its rich variety of nutrients, peptides, organic acids, phenolic compounds, and enzymes. (22)
A major plus with using the above-listed natural remedies is that they address the problem without causing adverse side effects, adding to your toxic load, or creating any risk of overdose. Plus, honey is cheap and easily available.
- Was this article helpful?
- YES, THANKS!NOT REALLY
