Raw honey is an excellent ingredient to add to your diet. The health benefits of consuming pure raw honey include strengthening your immunity, improving digestive health, and preventing heart disease. Honey can also benefit your health if you regularly drink honey water.
The healing power of honey can also be applied to your skin. The antimicrobial properties of pure honey help wounds and burns to heal quicker. You can also use honey as a natural healing remedy in a moisturizing healing face mask.
Studies about honey have shown it has antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor properties.
Another reason to consume pure natural honey is that it is a healthy and natural sweetener. Consuming honey in drinks or food benefits your health because it gives you energy while reducing your consumption of processed sugar.
In this article, you will learn about all the reasons why raw and unfiltered honey is good for you. You will also find out how many calories are in a teaspoon of honey and if honey is fattening.
At the end of the article you’ll find a recipe for turmeric golden honey which has a powerful healing potential.
Raw honey is a thick, sticky substance made by bees. Raw honey is a type of honey that has not been filtered, pasteurized, or processed in any way.
The International Journal of Food Properties says that raw honey is collected from beehives and is strained to remove impurities. (1)
For example, the Utah State Legislature states that raw honey has to be the type of honey that exists in the beehive. This is obtained by straining, settling, or extracting the sweet substance produced by honey bees.
Honey in its “raw” state contains minerals, proteins, vitamins, and organic acids that have a multitude of health benefits.
The reason why raw honey is good for you is that minimal processing retains all of its beneficial properties.
Commercially produced honey is usually heated and filtered which destroys many of the natural properties in honey. Researchers say that thermal processing in commercial honey results in a poorer quality of honey.
Honey is being filtered and processed in order to please the average shopper who wants his or her honey to look clean and clear. But, what looks prettier and more appealing is not necessarily better for you.
Raw honey can be filtered to remove bits of dead bees, wings, beeswax and other impurities. When raw honey is strained, the mesh must allow the pollen, minerals, and enzymes to get through.
When using honey for its health benefits, you should always choose raw, and unprocessed honey. If possible, look for organic honey because then you can be sure raw honey doesn’t contain any pesticides.
Studies into the benefits of raw, natural honey say it has high nutritional value and immense health benefits.
Pure honey is a highly nutritious food that is packed with goodness that can strengthen your body’s immune system.
Studies into the nutritional value of raw honey show that it contains fructose, small amounts of amino acids, enzymes, proteins, vitamins, minerals, aroma compounds and antioxidants (polyphenols). Depending on the type of flora that the bees have pollinated, there may be variations in the nutritional value of pure honey.
One tablespoon of raw honey, or 21 grams, contains 64 calories which account for 3% of your recommended daily intake. The main types of carbohydrates in honey are fructose and glucose.
Although it’s a high carbohydrate food, the glycemic index of honey is between 32 and 85.
The greatest nutritional benefits of raw honey come from its plant compounds, polyphenols and flavonoids that give honey its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
Let’s look in more detail at the many benefits of raw honey and see why honey is good for you.
Honey can boost your health because of its high levels of antioxidants.
Scientific research into the properties of unprocessed honey has found that it contains potent antioxidants. The antioxidant properties of honey could to be a result of the combined activity of a wide range of compounds including phenolics (aromatic compounds), peptides (proteins), organic acids, and enzymes.
One study on the effect of drinking honey water found that regular consumption increased antioxidant levels. Volunteers consumed 1.2g/kg body weight of good quality honey in 250 ml water. Scientists found that after 2 weeks, there was a marked increase in antioxidant agents, improved blood indices, and liver enzymes.
Another study showed that buckwheat honey in water has antioxidant-related health benefits.
Research showed a correlation between color and antioxidant capacity. Darker honeys provide higher levels of antioxidants than light colored honey.
One reason why raw, unfiltered honey is good for you is that honey has strong antibacterial activity.
A review of the benefits of using honey to treat bacterial infections found that it has wide medicinal uses. Honey has an antimicrobial effect that promotes wound healing when used topically. Also, honey has an antibacterial effect on strains of bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella enterica, and Staphylococcus aureus.
A traditional drink for cold or flu is hot water with honey, lemon, cinnamon and ginger. It is recommended to drink it every two hours. See my recipe for cleansing ginger lemon tea. Find more natural ways to stay free from cold and flu here.
Manuka honey is one of the best types of honey with medicinal properties. A study from 2017 found that that Manuka honey has unique antibacterial properties when compared to other types of honey. Manuka honey with 20 UMF was the most effective at helping to eliminate various types of bacterial infections.
Taking natural Manuka honey can help treat the H. pylori strain of bacteria.
The majority of peptic ulcers are caused by this bacteria.
A study published in 2016 found that natural Manuka honey helps to inhibit H. pylori infections.
Check out my other article to learn about the medicinal properties of Manuka honey.
Consumption of raw honey can also do wonders for your digestion because it can improve your gut microflora.
Research has found that honey contains over 180 beneficial compounds, some of which improve gastrointestinal health. For example, honey helps to stimulate colonic probiotic bacteria and can help eliminate toxins in the gut. Consuming honey or drinking honey water can also help to prevent chronic diseases related to poor diet.
Apart from drinking honey mixed with water, there are other ways to improve your digestion. You can also learn how to use apple cider vinegar and honey for a healthy digestive system.
Taking raw unfiltered honey in your diet can help lose weight and it’s also a great natural alternative to unhealthy sweeteners.
Honey can help you lose weight because enzymes in honey act as an appetite suppressant. Researchers found that honey can inhibit the “hunger” hormone ghrelin. The study suggested that honey has an “obesity protective” effect.
Even though honey is a type of sugar, the beneficial compounds in pure honey have many benefits for your health. One study found that by just substituting natural honey for sugar, people experienced mild weight loss. At the same time, there was a significant reduction in blood fat and cholesterol levels.
Please read my article to find out about 12 simple tweaks for weight loss.
Related: Delicious Honey & Cinnamon Weight Loss Drink
Taking honey regularly can help boost your cognitive power and benefit brain health.
Research into the antioxidants in raw honey has found that they have a neurological protective effect. In one study, scientists found that honey limits the effect of oxidative stress in the brain.
Other benefits to your mental health of consuming honey include improving memory, protecting against tissue damage, and helping to prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
Taking a spoon or two a day of pure, natural honey can help to improve the health of your cardiovascular system and prevent heart disease.
A review of many studies on the effect of honey in preventing cardiovascular disease found that its natural antioxidants have a heart-protective effect. Researchers reported that compounds in honey help to prevent bad cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, and helps blood flow better.
Studies have shown that the beneficial effect of raw honey on the cardiovascular system helps protect against stroke, heart attacks, and blood clots.
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