Why eating and drinking honey is good for your health?
Honey has been used as a magical healing potion for thousands of years. This delicious and sticky treat is a nutritional product and one of the most popular home remedies. Armed with superpowers, honey has been healing wounds and ailing afflictions since ancient times. Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, and Mayans, all discovered the miraculous potion created by hard-working honeybees from the nectar of flowers.
According to a Honey and Health study, honey is used “as an alternative treatment for clinical conditions ranging from wound healing to cancer treatment.” The only insect-derived natural product, honey is the gift that keeps on giving. So, why not take advantage of its miraculous powers and include this fat-free and sodium-free nature’s sweet nectar into your daily regimen. It might do wonders for your health! Here is how:
Fights free radicals
Nowadays, we’re all trying to include in our diet as many antioxidants as possible for a healthier immune system. Antioxidants are the knights in white armor that fight off free radicals and protect our cells. Many know that fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants but not as many know that raw honey can be their ally against free radicals. Raw honey contains a type of antioxidants called polyphenols believed to play an important role in preventing heart disease. Also, honey’s antioxidants can contribute to slowing down the aging process and who doesn’t want to be forever young!
Lowers your cholesterol
The whole world is rallied up against our old pal cholesterol. And for good reasons! High cholesterol foods increase our chances to suffer from heart diseases and speed up the course of many other diseases. Honey comes in to save the day! While it can’t cure high cholesterol, it sure helps to keep it at a lower level and contributes to your health. New studies encourage honey consumption for a better management of cholesterol levels, so add honey to your daily diet as a secret weapon against cholesterol.
Boosts up your energy level
Forget about energy drinks and even coffee! Honey will give you the boost of energy you need every morning. Add honey in your tea or on a baked treat or you can even pour it on a slice of bread with butter and its natural sugars will spark up the fire you need for a great day. While the glucose in honey is assimilated fast by your body, the fructose makes sure your energy level is kept at a steady level. Unlike other types of sugar, honey stabilizes your blood sugar level and helps you avoid the unhealthy fluctuations of blood glucose.
Helps you sleep better
The legendary milk and honey remedy for sleepless nights is not just a myth. It actually works! Honey releases the beloved serotonin, a neurotransmitter that contributes to a better mood. The body takes the serotonin and transforms it into melatonin that influences the quality and length of our sleep. Even though serotonin appears in the brain, where it does its magic, 90% of our serotonin supply is based in the digestive tract. And honey is one of its sources! If you’re not a big fan of milk, tea works too, especially the calming and gentle chamomile tea.
Contributes to weight loss
The weight loss industry amounts up to billions of dollars and honey is not usually part of it. Rich in sugar and carbs, honey seems more like the enemy of shedding pounds than an ally. However, it has been proven that participants to a diabetes study “showed a significant weight reduction in honey condition and a significant difference in waist circumference changes between the two conditions.” In simpler words, it works! Honey can help you lose weight due to its antioxidant effects and lipid-lowering power. Moreover, according to a 2010 study, honey also helps control your appetite. You can consume honey with warm water in the morning for a boost of your body metabolism or in the evening to burn more fat while you sleep.
