Get to know the health benefits of honey!

Honey is a syrupy golden liquid that honeybees make from plant nectar. There are about 320 varieties of honey that vary in color and flavor. Besides being a natural sweetener, honey is also rich in nutrients and antioxidants, offering various health benefits.

Honey consists of mostly natural sugar, along with a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. One tablespoon of honey (20g) contains about 60 calories and 17g of carbs. The vitamins found in honey include B varieties, calcium, copper, iron, zinc, and others which are mostly derived from the soil and nectar-producing plants. One of the most nutritious parts of honey is its antioxidant component, which is high in flavonoids and phenolic acids. Antioxidants help fight free radicals which prevents harmful disease-causing damage to our bodies.

There are also many holistic medicine uses for honey. The first is that it has antibacterial and antiseptic properties which helps fight off germs. Honey is also often offered as a cough syrup alternative. This means that your mom telling you take a spoonful of honey when you start to feel that sniffle in your nose, or tickle in your throat is not just some home remedy, but actually proven to help fight off that sickness and ease your throat soreness. Not to mention honey’s antioxidant power which boosts your immune system.

Besides its immune strengthening power, honey also can be used in wound treatment, such as treating burns and decreasing the risk of infection. Lastly, honey also has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar. This means that when digested it causes a slightly smaller and slower rise in blood sugar than most regular sugar products. The antioxidants in honey may also help protect against metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Now that we know about the health benefits of honey, it is important to also know how to make sure your honey has these added benefits. To make sure that you are getting the most health benefits from your honey, it is recommended to get it from a beekeeper to make sure your honey is raw and unfiltered, local honey. When honey is heated or pasteurized (which most honey in the store is to prolong shelf life), you are killing off the enzymes and antioxidants in honey.

The best way to get natural, raw honey is to look for a honey distributor at your local farmers market. If you are unable to go to the market, try to look for these types of honey in your grocery store which are raw and unfiltered products.

• Manuka Honey: From New Zealand and thought to improve health and enhance beauty, mostly used for its skin-healing properties.
• Clover Honey: A unique type of honey produced from various species of the genus Trifolium. This honey is formed from bees pollinating different species of clover. Used mostly as a source for pasture honey which has a strong nectar flavor and aroma.
• Cream Honey: A different way to utilize honey that involves the storage of raw honey that tends to clump up from the large sugar particles. Farmers then cream the honey into smaller sugar crystals. Cream honey has the same health benefits of whatever type of honey is being creamed, since the process does not take away any nutritional value of the honey or any of the benefits.
• Royal Jelly: Secretion made by worker bees that is used for nutrition for the queen bee. Royal jelly has been found to aid in the symptoms of menopause and PMS due to its high content of bioactive compounds.
• Bee Pollen: Combination of plant pollen and honeybee secretions and nectar. It is considered a functional food because of its high nutritional value and bioactive compounds including proteins, simple sugars, essential amino acids, and omega fatty acids. These features strengthen immunity and help the body
  to fight bacteria, which will keep the body healthy, provided the body can
  perform a quality tissue repair
• Buckwheat Honey: Also known as “black honey” for its dark color. This honey has a taste described as sweet, delicious, and unique most likely due to its darker hue and malt flavor. Buckwheat honey has the benefits of other natural honey products, as well as increased iron content.

So next time you are at the farmers market or grocery store take a second to explore the available local honey products and find one that works for you. Try adding a spoonful of honey to either your breakfast, snack or tea at nighttime. You just might see the effects of some of the may health benefits honey has to offer.