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18 Health Benefits Of Honey For Cough, Cold, And More

The liquid glows like gold and has a rich sweet taste. The health benefits of honey are innumerable. It is loaded with essential nutrients that enrich the health and prevent a hundred diseases, check out below the Benefits of Honey.

Honey Nutrition Facts:

The health benefits of honey owe to its rich nutritional composition. A 100 grams serving of honey contains 304 calories.  The nutritional composition of raw and natural honey is rich and impressive.

It consists of 22 varieties of amino acids, 5000 enzymes and 27 different minerals that include zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, selenium and magnesium. The vitamins in honey are thiamin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, niacin, and riboflavin.

Raw Honey VS Pure Honey:

Pure Honey-

  • Does not contain any flower pollens.
  • The primary ingredient of pure honey is corn syrup that is rich in fructose.
  • The high fructose corn syrup is extracted from genetically modified corn that is linked to diseases like obesity, diabetes(1), liver problems and hypertension.
  • The high fructose corn syrup contained in pure honey causes deposition of plaque in blood vessels and deteriorates cardiac health.

Raw Honey-

  • The composition of vitamins, minerals, and essential enzymes remains intact.
  • It is rich in antifungal and antiviral properties.
  • Contains potent antioxidants.
  • Raw honey does not trigger any allergic reactions.
  • It keeps blood pressure and blood glucose levels stabilized.
  • Boosts body immunity.
  • Heal’s skin ailments.
  • Maintains the health of the digestive system.

To derive the maximum medicinal uses of honey, choose raw and organic honey over processed and pure honey.

Sour Honey Health Benefits:

A few health benefits of sour honey are enlisted below-

  • Natural treatment of low level of gastric acid in the stomach.
  • Helps to get rid of eczema(2), acne, and spots.
  • Combat of staph infection.
  • Treatment of ulcer burns and wounds.
  • Prevention of tooth erosion and gingivitis.
  • Cure of a sore throat and the common cold.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon and Honey:

Mix a teaspoon of raw honey with half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder. Have it twice daily, once before going to bed and the next on an empty stomach after waking up.

  • Maintenance of cardiac health.
  • Improvement of body immunity.
  • Treatment of skin problems.
  • Treatment of arthritis and inflammation and more.

Health Benefits of Garlic and Honey

Crush a few cloves of garlic and mix it with honey. Have a teaspoon once a day for the following health benefits

  • Lowering of high blood pressure(3) and cholesterol.
  • Detoxification of the body.
  • Enhancement of body immunity.
  • Relief from a cough and cold and more.

Health benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey:

Mix a teaspoon each of apple cider vinegar and honey in a glass of water. Have it twice a day for the following benefits.

    • Regulation of diabetes.
    • Aid in weight loss.
    • Reduction of cholesterol.
    • Relief from acid reflux.
    • Improvement of digestive health and more.

Clover Honey Health Benefits:

Clover honey is richly loaded with minerals like calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, and potassium. It is packed with vitamins B and C, antioxidants and hydrogen peroxide.

  • Clover honey protects against oxidative damage.
  • Boosts body immunity.
  • Protects the heart.
  • Improves the strength of bones and more.

18 Proven Health Benefits of Raw Honey:

1. Lowering of Cholesterol

Honey has the ability to regulate cholesterol levels. It is rich in magnesium. This mineral aids in the prevention of cardiac diseases by ensuring healthy circulation of blood throughout the body.

It is magnesium that is highly effective in the prevention of deposition of cholesterol in blood vessels. This protects the individual from atherosclerosis. Regular consumption of honey helps to lower cholesterol naturally and prevent cardiac disorders.

2. Treatment of Cough and Cold

Honey is one of the best natural remedies for a cough and cold.

  • Take a glass of water and add 2 tablespoons of honey
  • Add a few drops of lemon juice to it
  • Stir well and then drink the warm water with slow sips and feel the warmth flow down your irritated throat.

Consumption of a cup of tulsi tea with honey twice or thrice a day can instantly relieve you of the symptoms, the constant dry coughing, and running nose. Honey is antitussive in nature which helps to suppress coughing while its expectorant property assists the riddance of unhealthy phlegm and does away with congestion of nasal passage and chest.

3. Healing of Burns and Wounds

Raw honey protects the wounds from spreading infection by inhibiting microbial growth. Apply a small amount of honey directly to the wound for quicker healing. Honey is used to sterilize the wound and enhance healthy blood circulation. It acts as a coagulant to check the loss of blood from the wound.

The antioxidant nature of honey destroys free radicals and its anti-infectious nature prevents the wound from deteriorating to septicemia. Ingestion of honey oil can heal internal wounds and ulcers.

Get More: Home Remedies To Heal Burns Fast

4. Lowers Blood Sugar Level

Consumption of honey increases the level of insulin secretion which in turn lowers excessive blood glucose level.

5. Cures Oral Problems

The antimicrobial properties of natural honey help to fight the bacteria and germs that work inside the mouth and attack the gums, roots, and enamel of the teeth. Honey cures toothaches and helps to protect the mouth from dental disorders like pyorrhea, gum boils and mouth ulcers. Regular consumption of honey keeps the mouth fresh and prevents staleness of breath.

6. Fight against Cancer

Honey has a significant effect on cancerous cells and is highly anti-inflammatory in nature which prevents the multiplication of cancer cells in the body. Honey is rich in phenolic compounds that are highly anti-carcinogenic in nature.

Raw honey strengthens body immunity and is rich in anti-proliferative properties that prevent metastasis of cancerous cells. It is especially effective in fighting against skin cancer.

Smear the affected spot on the skin with a teaspoon of natural honey and the skin cancer will heal quickly.

More Resources: Natural Cures For Skin Cancer

7. Relief from Acidity

Acidity or acid reflux is caused by the oxidative damage of free radicals. Honey being packed with antioxidants can destroy free radicals and fight against oxidative stress and acid reflux.

Ingestion of honey creates a thin film on the mucilaginous membrane of the esophagus. This prevents inflammation of the throat lining by acidity. Raw honey can be used as a natural treatment of oral mucositis and esophagitis.

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8. Fights against Infection

Honey has a high viscosity along with rich anti-bacterial properties. When applied to wounds, honey forms a protective viscous barrier and prevents the entry of harmful bacteria. Besides, honey contains helpful bacteria that accelerate the healing of the wound and protects it against infection.

9. Health Benefits Of Honey For Tonsillitis

Research has suggested that manuka honey is a promising natural remedy of tonsillitis. The reason being that manuka honey is rich in methylglyoxal compounds that destroy the Streptococcus bacteria which are the root of tonsillitis. Regular ingestion of the warm mixture of water and honey can cure you of tonsillitis.

10. Health Benefits of Honey for Enhancement of Sleep

Sound sleep gets disrupted when glycogen stores in the liver get broken down into proteins and fats to form glucose that energizes the body and prevents one from feeling drowsy and sleepy.

Honey has the ability to induce sound sleep by keeping the liver filled with glycogen, so that whenever the liver breaks down the glycogen its stores get easily replenished. A tablespoon of honey before going to bed is the perfect antidote for insomnia.

Know More: Home Remedies For Insomnia

11. Honey as an Anti-Aging Agent

Being a humectant in nature, honey helps to keep the skin moisturized. The natural and long-lasting hydration prevents dryness of the skin and keeps wrinkles at bay. Honey is rich in antioxidants that delay the degeneration and detoxifies the skin. Prepare a honey mask at home to keep your skin nourished and wrinkle-free.

  • Mix a tablespoon each of mashed ripe papaya, yogurt, and honey.
  • Smear your face, throat, and neck with the mixture and keep it for about half an hour.
  • Apply the mask with gentle massaging.
  • Remove the mask with lukewarm water and pat your face dry.
  • Do this thrice a week to improve blood circulation, keep the skin from sagging and for natural and nourishing hydration.

Get More: Natural cure for Skin Rashes

12. Prevention of Dandruff

Dandruff is irritating and hard to get rid of. Your scalp starts to feel itchy and peels off as dry flakes. What is needed is exfoliation of the dry scalp followed by its natural and nourishing hydration. Honey is one of the best solutions for getting rid of dandruff and lice. For the exfoliation-

  • Mix 2 tablespoons of honey with a tablespoon of granulated sugar to form a nice scrub.
  • Use this to scrub your dry scalp and exfoliate the flakes.
  • Now mix 2 tablespoons of honey with a tablespoon of water.
  • Apply this mixture to the exfoliated scalp with gentle rubbing
  • Do this in every alternate day for a permanent cure

Read More: Natural Remedies for Dandruff

13. Honey for Weight Loss

Honey is an ideal food for weight loss because of its unique blend of natural sugar. A dose of raw honey keeps your sugar craving under control. If honey is substituted for white sugar, then the number of calories consumed gets reduced by about 63%.

A mixture of honey, lemon and warm water consumed in the morning can work wonders for your body. It helps to break down the food, eliminate toxins and boosts body metabolism.

14. Health Benefits of Honey for Enhancement of the Immune System

The methylglyoxal compounds of manuka honey help to inhibit the toxic bacterial activity and thereby enhance body immunity.

It stimulates the generation of cytokinins in the body. Cytokinins are messengers that are produced by the cells of the immune system to organize immunity responses and fight against foreign bodies and antigens to protect the body.

15. Natural Retention of Gastric Juices

Unlike the other varieties of honey, it is manuka honey that is highly beneficial for the treatment of gastric juices. The manuka honey contains methylglyoxal that is powerful enough to retain its helpful bacteria when dissolved in the acidic gastric juices.

A tablespoon of raw honey twice a day prevents flatulence, inhibits the detrimental effects of mycotoxins and improves the thriving of beneficial intestinal bacteria. The anti-inflammatory properties of honey heal stomach ulcers and take care of the lining of the stomach.

16. Effective against Arthritis

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of honey make it highly effective in curing aching joints, which is the major symptom of arthritis. If you are suffering from painful arthritis, then regular consumption of a cup of hot tulsi tea with honey twice or thrice a day will help to cure the inflammation of the joints most effectively thus getting rid of the throbbing pain naturally.

17. Natural Lip Balm

Pure honey makes for a primary ingredient of natural lip balms. Or you can just smear your lips with a teaspoon of honey before going to bed at night for nourished and naturally hydrated lips. If your lips are chapped and peeling then all that you need to do is exfoliate the flaky skin and then moisturize it.

  • Prepare a honey and sugar scrub for the exfoliation.
  • Smear your exfoliated lips with some raw honey to make them soft and supple.

18. Cure of Headaches:

A Headache is an ailment that affects everyone these days owing to the deprivation of sleep, hectic schedules, and long hours at work, wrong food habits and the like. Stress is one of the major causes of painful headaches. Nothing beats fatigue, stress, and headaches arising from them, like a cup of hot honey water with a few drops of lemon juice in it.

FAQs

1. Is eating honey daily good for health?

Response: Yes. The health benefits of honey are numerous and are renowned for stabilizing the health of general physiology, skin, and hair.

2. Is honey better for you than sugar?

Response: Yes, honey is way better and more beneficial for health than sugar because of its low calorific content.

3. Is it good to eat honey before bed?

Response: Yes. Honey induces a natural sleepy effect, does away with exhaustion, cures migraines and makes one sleep sound and deep.

4. How much honey can be consumed per day?

Response: About 25 grams of honey can be taken on a daily basis for the enrichment of general health.

5. What happens if you eat a lot of honey?

Response: Overdosage of honey causes abdominal cramps, diarrhea and bloating.

6. What are the side effects of eating honey?

Response: Side effects of eating raw honey include nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, and fatigue.