Top 9 Unique Benefits of Raw Honey For Your Health – Hey guys!. In this post, I’ll be discussing a list of Top 9 Unique Benefits of Raw Honey For Your Health. Did you know that raw honey is a superfood that is a staple in many kitchens across the world? Raw honey offers a plethora of health benefits, and to make the most out of honey, it is important to distinguish it from processed honey.
Raw honey comes straight from a honeycomb and isn’t pasteurized, unlike regular honey. Although the pasteurization process makes honey more attractive, the heat destroys many of the beneficial elements of raw honey. Today we will share with you 9 benefits of raw honey that will make you want to eat it every day. Alright, lets get right into it!
1. Medical Benefits
The first benefit of eating raw honey is its healing power. Ancient Egyptians used raw honey to heal burns and wounds, and this practice is still pretty common today. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, honey is an effective way to treat foot ulcers and certain skin conditions like psoriasis and herpes lesions. Honey helps in killing germs and aids in the regeneration of tissue.
A research study shows that raw honey has healed 97% of the foot ulcers in diabetic patients. This impressive number shows that raw honey is an effective medical treatment for serious foot ulcers that can risk amputations. In addition to this, manuka honey is considered particularly beneficial for treating burns. Manuka honey leads to rapid healing and reduces the likelihood of patients developing an infection.
Therefore, medical-grade manuka honey dressings are used in hospitals to treat burn victims. These are not the only medical benefits of honey. Raw honey is also beneficial for the lungs. The World Health Organization has endorsed using honey as a natural treatment for coughs. Coughing is common in people with respiratory infections.
Honey helps suppress coughing as it contains dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant, which is also present in cough syrups, lozenges, and other over-the-counter cough medicines. Honey is a healthier and cheaper alternative to cough medicines as it does not have any side effects.
2. Benefits to Heart Health
Yes, you heard it right. Raw honey can help improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart diseases. Multiple studies have shown that honey improves fat levels in the blood, lowers blood pressure, prevents the death of healthy cells, and regulates heartbeat. A study of 4,500 women over 40 years old showed that eating honey every day reduced the risk of blood pressure.
Honey also has a positive effect on cholesterol in the body. Raw honey contains propolis which helps keep cholesterol in check. Research shows that consumption of honey raises the level of HDL (good cholesterol) by 2%, while it lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) by 6 to 11%. Nutrients in honey also improve arterial function and blood viscosity. This reduces the chances of blood pressure and blood clots.
Moreover, a successful study on rats showed that raw honey, owing to the presence of antioxidants, can help protect the heart from oxidative stress, which can damage cells. This promising study suggests that honey can protect and improve heart function and health all the more reason to dive into the honey jar today.
3. Regulation of Blood Sugar Level
Another unique and surprising health benefit of eating raw honey is that it aids in blood sugar management. This makes raw honey beneficial for people with diabetes. Even though honey is sweet and raises the blood sugar level, research has found that consumption of honey increases the levels of adiponectin. This hormone lowers inflammation and aids in the regulation of blood sugar levels.
Moreover, daily intake of raw honey can improve fasting blood sugar levels. Raw honey is also very rich in antioxidants, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. It has a glycemic index of 58 which means it has a small effect on blood sugar levels compared to refined sugar. While refined sugar contains 50% glucose and 50% fructose, raw honey contains 40% fructose and 30% glucose.
This makes raw honey a healthier alternative to refined sugar. So, if you have a sweet tooth and cant resist sweet food, choose raw honey over refined sugar.
4. Nutrition
Now lets talk a little about raw honey nutrition. Did you know raw honey contains a number of essential amino acids, vitamins, and other healthy minerals? Researchers have found that raw honey contains vital nutrients such as calcium, potassium, zinc, pantothenic acid, and manganese. Moreover, it is fat-free and a healthier alternative for sugar during weight loss.
It is also important to note that raw honey contains polyphenols, plant compounds that boosts brain function and digestion. Twenty grams of honey contains about 1% of the daily recommended value of riboflavin, or vitamin B, essential to the formation of two important coenzymes. Although honey doesn’t supply large amounts of these nutrients, it provides more than just empty calories.
5. Antioxidants
As mentioned before, raw honey is enriched with antioxidants, and these antioxidants contribute to many of the benefits of raw honey. Unprocessed darker varieties of raw honey are richer in antioxidants as compared to lighter varieties of pasteurized honey.
Antioxidants such as flavonoids and phenolic acids neutralize highly reactive chemicals formed from oxygen and help prevent DNA damage, oxidative inactivation of specific enzymes, and premature aging. The benefits of raw honey are not just limited to a healthy body. Raw honey offers many dermatological benefits as well.
Raw honey, high in antioxidants, is particularly beneficial for the skin. Antioxidants contribute to vibrant and younger-looking skin by removing fine lines and wrinkles, stimulating blood flow, encouraging the growth of new cells, and by moisturizing the skin.
6. Benefits For Hair
If you are worried about hair breakage and want shinier and longer hair, raw honey is exactly what you need. A research study conducted in 2013 showed that raw honey encourages the growth of epithelial cells. Our scalp is full of these cells that make up the hair follicles. Hence, raw honey is essential for hair growth. In order to avoid dry hair, it is necessary to moisturize the hair properly.
Many moisturizing treatments contain vitamins, amino acids, and minerals, and raw honey is already loaded with all these ingredients. This makes raw honey a perfect conditioner for your hair. Honey can also play an essential role in preventing hair breakage and strengthening hair. A protein known as Keratin that makes up hair, skin, and nails. This protein also strengthens our hair.
Since honey contains about 0.5% of protein, it can help prevent breakage. Believe it or not, another unique benefit of honey is that it lightens hair, much like bleach. Honey contains the enzyme hydrogen peroxide, which is a bleaching agent. This enzyme lightens hair by bleaching the natural pigment of the hair.
You can also incorporate honey into your hair care and use it to clean your scalp thoroughly. This will help you get rid of dirt, build-up, and dandruff. All in all, honey is very beneficial for hair.
7. Benefits to Men
Some benefits of honey are specific to men. Honey can serve as an aphrodisiac. It is known for increasing sperm count and is a natural fertility booster. Any substance that increases sexual desire or performance is known as an aphrodisiac. Boron present in honey aids in building muscles and bones and increases testosterone levels, a hormone responsible for normal male sexual functions.
Honey also contains chrysin, a short-term testosterone booster owing to its ability to stop the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. Furthermore, honey is an excellent source of nitric oxide, which plays an important role in erectile function. For this reason, honey and ginger are used as a remedy for erectile dysfunction.
Nitric oxide also aids in maintaining glucose levels and increasing blood flow, significantly boosting stamina in high-intensity activities like coitus.
8. Improved Gut Health
Raw honey contributes to a healthy gut and digestive system. Honey is a potent prebiotic and has a stimulative effect on colon probiotic bacteria. Prebiotics are made up of indigestible fiber. However, probiotics (living gut bacteria) digest prebiotics. This means probiotics feed on prebiotics.
In order to have a balanced gut microbiome, it is essential that we consume prebiotics to feed good bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Raw honey contains oligosaccharides, a carbohydrate that reaches the large intestine intact, where good bacteria feed on it to produce nutrients.
Moreover, since most probiotics and prebiotics are obtained from dairy products like yogurts, honey is an excellent probiotic for lactose-intolerant people. Raw, unfiltered honey, in this way, protects the digestive system against pathogen infections.
However, raw honey only encourages the growth of a specific type of good bacteria: bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. Therefore, adding other foods to your diet that serve as potent probiotics like onions and bananas is important.
9. Alleviates Insomnia
Did you know that raw honey can help you sleep better at night? Eating raw honey every night before hitting the sack helps restore the liver’s glycogen and stops the body from sending hunger signals to the brain. To enjoy sound sleep, it is important only to consume raw honey as it produces 22% more liver glycogen as compared to pasteurized honey.
In addition to this, raw honey also allows tryptophan, an amino acid, to enter brain cells easily. This amino acid aids in the production of serotonin which helps with good quality sleep. Drinking raw honey with warm milk every night is an excellent way to treat insomnia naturally.
Have you tried raw honey before, or have you been eating regular store-bought honey this entire time? Which benefit of raw honey is most appealing to you? Please share your thoughts with us.
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Chandan is the writer of “Top 9 Unique Benefits of Raw Honey For Your Health”. Also, Connect with me on Instagram.
