The benefits of some foods, such as black seeds, cinnamon, and turmeric, can never be overemphasized.
Honey has always been on that list. For thousands of years, it has been used in many natural remedies for health, beauty, and medicinal purposes.
It has been used as a preventive measure and for treatments for many basic illnesses and diseases, including a few complex ones. A simple teaspoon of honey can do a lot for your health.
Honey can be used for many different purposes. It can be consumed when needed, as needed, and used for many treatments.
However, consuming a tablespoon of honey daily is advised, as it may prevent some illnesses and ailments and improve the body’s general health condition.
Here are some of the benefits of honey:
Skin Care
Clearer Skin
Honey is a great anti-oxidant and is included in some detox recipes. It rids your body of oxidants and free radicals, which cause acne and other skin conditions. Ridding the body of them prevents these conditions from surfacing.
It also has antibacterial properties that will improve the condition of your skin. Consuming a spoonful of honey daily will give you clearer, healthier-looking skin.
Moisturizer
Honey contains humectants, is a great moisturizer, and should be included in your DIY skin care products.
It retains moisture and keeps the skin supple and fresh. To improve the effectiveness of your moisturizing creams, you could add a little.
You could also use it in homemade skin exfoliating scrubs to help moisturize the skin while sloughing off dead cells.
Acne
No one likes acne, but unfortunately, many of us are forced to deal with it. Honey contains humectants that help moisturize your skin and kill the bacteria that cause acne.
Some breakouts are caused by dry skin, which causes the body to produce excess oil to compensate for the lost moisture. This oil can clog pores and lead to breakouts.
Consuming honey and applying it topically to acne-prone areas can help prevent and treat acne. Apply it to the area, leave it for about ten to twenty minutes, and rinse with warm water.
Eczema
Many people with overly dry skin understand how difficult and annoying eczema can be. Even some of us who don’t have dry skin can testify to this.
Eczema is mostly caused by dry, flaky skin. We will likely itch the skin, it becomes raw from scratching, and a bacterial infection may develop.
Some people get eczema due to an overactive immune system, which could be mild, moderate, or severe.
Honey is a good moisturizer that may remedy dry skin and prevent eczema. You could apply honey to the spot a few times daily to relieve itching and reduce eczema.
A home remedy drink made of honey, cinnamon, and lemon juice has also proved helpful.
Pour hot water into a teaspoon of cinnamon powder, add lemon juice and honey, stir, and drink. Do this for some days. Always remember, patience is key.
Disinfection for Scrapes and Burns
When applied topically, honey is a natural antibiotic that helps soothe burns and injuries.
It also disinfects the wound from serious bacteria. In ancient times, before the discovery of penicillin, honey was used as a disinfectant. Honey also heals and fades scars fast.
Body Health
Boosts the Immune System
Your immune system plays a very important role in your well-being, as it prevents diseases and illnesses.
The stronger your immune system, the healthier you are. Many factors, such as stress, weather, fear and worry, location, and what you eat, weaken your immune system.
Honey’s antibacterial and antioxidant properties help boost the immune system.
It detoxifies the body and cleanses important organs such as the liver, kidneys, digestive system, etc., improving their function.
You could make it a habit to take a teaspoon of honey daily or take it with lemon water for an even better result. Add lemon juice to a cup of warm water, add your honey, and stir.
Do this every morning before breakfast and perhaps at night for faster effects. After a few weeks, you feel yourself stronger and generally more relaxed.
Increases Sex Drive
Honey is a natural aphrodisiac and helps to remedy low libido problems. It increases the level of testosterone and the sex hormone in men, as well as estrogen levels in women.
It was used in many ancient cultures and was often presented as a gift to newlyweds.
The famous scholar Hippocrates recommended it to increase sex drive. The Vikings even believed it to boost fertility.
So before opting for different medications that may present themselves with side effects, why not try something as organic and healthy as honey? You may find yourself thanking yourself for it.
Treats Yeast Infection
Yeast infection is a great disturbance that bothers women who have it and is quite common.
It may be as a result of menstruation, sensitivity to soap, reactions to underwear, bad hygiene, etc.
Symptoms generally include itchy vagina, white-coloured discharge, and vaginal odor.
The vagina is normally acidic, and when its natural pH is disturbed and unbalanced, Candida albicans will grow and thrive in such an environment. Honey contains flavonoids that help keep this organism away.
Apply a little amount of honey topically in the area around your vagina and a little bit inside using your fingers once or twice a day.
Leave for about 20 minutes and wash off with clean water. You could also mix the honey with plain yogurt at a 2:1 ratio.
Battles High Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is good for the body and helps digest fat. However, having a higher-than-normal cholesterol level does more harm than good.
It could cause a variety of health problems. Normally, our body produces cholesterol in a healthy quantity.
Therefore, it is important to watch how much cholesterol we add to our bodies through food.
Scientists recommend a daily intake of no more than 1,000mg of cholesterol.
Eating more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains can help maintain an acceptable cholesterol level.
However, if you battle high cholesterol levels, I have good news! Honey contains antioxidants, which help remove free radicals from the body by binding and excreting them.
It is the process that reduces cholesterol levels in the body. Honey has zero cholesterol and contains nutrients such as calcium and potassium.
These constituent components and vitamins contribute to decreasing cholesterol levels in the body.
Good for Hangovers
hangovers are the absolute worst. You can hardly get out of bed and would kill anything that makes the slightest sound.
We pretty much swear not to drink that much ever again. It’s sometimes so bad that you would have to call in sick for work. Well-consuming honey is one of the easiest ways to cure a hangover.
The headache is caused by the liver’s inability to oxidize all the toxins you consume.
Honey accelerates the rate of liver oxidation, allowing the body to get rid of the toxins faster. Drinking lots of water is another way to do this.
Treats Insomnia
Difficulty in falling asleep or staying asleep is a very serious issue. Having a sufficient amount of sleep is important for our general health. Lack of sleep can cause fatigue, crankiness, and illness, among other things.
These things could result in not carrying out our daily tasks well and being prone to mistakes or accidents.
If you are suffering from insomnia, before rushing to those sleep aids, why don’t you try an organic, harmless product—honey? Consuming honey raises the insulin level in our body. The release of insulin causes the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter.
This is then converted to melatonin, the sleep hormone. So go ahead and take that spoon of honey.
You could also try this Ayurveda recipe called the golden milk. Add turmeric, honey, almond milk, and pepper.
Prevents and Treats Allergies
those allergic to pollen are advised to take honey every day for about two months before the allergy season. Honey contains a small amount of pollen and would act as a vaccine.
When you ingest it, the pollen gets in your body, and it builds antibodies against it, forming a defense against the allergen over time.
It’s best to consume local honey because it contains pollen from plants around you that you are more likely to be exposed to.
Honey also has anti-inflammatory properties that could help relieve allergy symptoms.
Energy Booster
ever wake up in the morning after a long rest and still feel tired? Your body is probably deprived of the necessary nutrients to boost your strength.
Honey contains many carbohydrates and is a readily available energy source.
It contains glucose and fructose that are digested quickly and converted to energy units for your utilization.
So, you can take honey when you wake to give you a healthy energy boost before a long exercise session or even during the day to ward off fatigue.
Remember not to take too much, as this may cause you to feel sleepy. You could also make iced tea and add a bit of honey.
Cough Reliever
World Health Organization recognizes honey as a demulcent (irritation or inflammation reliever).
Honey coats the throat, serving as a protective film barrier, and soothes the nerve endings that protect it, keeping it calm and alleviating cough.
Sure, cough syrup is good enough, but why risk ingesting something that may be harmful to you in even the smallest way? Honey alleviates cough and is packed with many good nutrients for your body.
Healthier Stomach
Honey is a strong antiseptic, and ingesting it daily will kill germs in your digestive tract, preventing diseases they may cause.
Because the digestive tract is healthy, it will function properly and ensure difficulty-free digestion. It also helps heal small wounds as it passes through the tract.
It Prevents Heart Diseases
Honey’s anti-oxidants can prevent the arteries from narrowing. Narrowing of the arteries can cause cardiac failure, memory deterioration, and headaches.
Consuming a spoonful of honey daily can prevent these from occurring.
Cancer Prevention
Honey has anti-cancer properties that fight carcinogens and can prevent and combat the growth of tumors.
Although cancer feeds on sugar, honey is not composed of sugar. It has anti-metastatic properties as it contains flavonoids and phenolic compounds that fight tumors.
These phenolic compounds also contribute to the healing of cells in the body. Although this point is not 100% accurate as more research is yet to be done on it, earlier findings prove promising.
Memory Boost
as mentioned earlier, honey contains lots of antioxidants. Anti-oxidants are famous for clearing the body of toxins and keeping the brain sharp.
Honey also contains calcium, which is easily absorbed by the brain and helps with its functioning.
Honey has been found to help postmenopausal women keep their memories sharp. Consuming honey daily as you age can help prevent dementia, which is associated with old age.
Treats Dandruff
Honey has antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties that can help treat dandruff.
Dilute honey with water and massage it into the scalp. Leave it on for about 20 minutes and rinse off.
Aside from treating dandruff, leaving honey in as a conditioner will keep your hair moisturized and give it good conditioning, with or without dandruff.
Prevents Gum Disease
Honey has antimicrobial properties that help prevent plaque growth and fight gum diseases.
Despite its sugar content, it contains an enzyme that creates hydrogen peroxide, which prevents plaque growth and limits the amount of acid that could attack teeth.
Simply dilute honey with water and use it as a mouthwash. You could also use it to make a DIY toothpaste. It’s also rumored to whiten teeth.
How to Make Honey and Lemon?
- Put your honey in a pan and cook it on low heat. Be careful not to overheat, as this may reduce its nutritional value.
- Boil the lemon in another pan for a few minutes to kill any bacteria on it, soften the lemon, and make it easier to extract the juice.
- When the lemon cools, slice it open, extract the juice from the pan with the honey, and simmer for about an hour. Let it cool, and put it in the refrigerator.
Although honey has many health benefits, be careful not to consume too much, as it contains fructose.
A teaspoon of honey contains about 4 grams of fructose, which, when taken in large quantities, can be harmful for diabetics or people with pre-existing insulin-resistant conditions.
The maximum amount of fructose you should consume daily is 25 grams, and it should not exceed that.
Personally, I once battled with acne on my face. I started applying honey to my face before bathing, and within a week, I noticed an improvement.
Since then, it has been included in my homemade soap recipe, and I also use it with a bit of sugar and turmeric as a facial scrub.
Find what works best for you and try it; your skin will thank you.
Good luck!
