The Health Benefits of Eating Honey

Honey is one of the most commonly appreciated and valued natural products. By switching from refined sugar to pure, raw honey, you’ll not only eat better but experience better health.

Commercial Honey vs. Raw Honey, What’s the Difference?

Commercial honey is heavily processed, likely to have been chemically refined. Because of the excessive exposure to heat, many of the natural enzymes, vitamins and minerals are destroyed.

Raw honey, on the other hand, is a crude form of honey that is immediately taken out of the honey comb.  Raw honey cannot be heated above 95 F (the normal temperature of the bee hive).  It is strained, but never filtered or pasteurized and does not contain additives. Below are a few benefits of eating raw honey:

1. Counteract Seasonal Allergies

As bees collect pollen from local flowers, that same pollen makes its way into our honey. When allergy sufferers consume it over a period of time, they can become less sensitive to the same pollen that previously caused their symptoms.

2. Better for Diabetics

Raw honey can reduce the risk of developing diabetes because it does not raise the glycemic index as much as refined sugars do. Bonus tip: if you add cinnamon to the honey, the insulin boosting properties of cinnamon can counteract the natural glucose elevation that occurs with honey, resulting in a low-glycemic sweetener.

3. Burns and Wounds 

The antibacterial properties and anti-inflammatory effects of honey placed directly on the skin provide excellent support to burns and wounds.

4. Natural Cough Suppressant

Raw honey is as beneficial in combating coughs as over-the-counter cough medicine. It just takes a teaspoon of honey at bedtime to meet the recommended dosage. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that honey not be given to infants under one year of age because of the rare possibility of being infected with the germ that causes botulism).

5. Antioxidant Powerhouse

Raw honey raises the levels of health-promoting antioxidants in the body, which block free radicals that cause disease. Simultaneously it boosts the immune system, serving as prevention from disease.