5 Benefits of Raw Honey

Honey is a natural compound produced by honey bees, by collecting nectar from flowers. Raw honey is an excellent source of nutrients and vitamins. The benefits of honey can be estimated from its use which is approximately 555.1 million pounds per year. Honey has many health benefits as it promotes digestion and used as a wound healer. Honey is also used to treat upper respiratory tract infections (URI). Honey is used to control acne and oily skin problems.

let us discuss some of the important uses of raw honey.

Excellent Antioxidant:
Raw honey is an excellent source of many antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic acids. The antioxidants present in raw honey combine with free radicals in the body and destroy them. Free radicals in the human cause ionization at the cellular level causing serious diseases like cancer and cataract.

The value of antioxidants in raw honey vary depending upon the type of honey. On average antioxidants constitute 60–460mg/100mg of raw honey. The pasteurized honey, available in the market doesn't have antioxidant properties.

Nutritional importance:
Raw honey is a natural source of sugar and vitamins. The nutritional value of one tbs of honey is
Calories: 64
Total fat: 0g
Sodium: 0g
carbs: 17g
Sugar:16g
Protein: 0g

As we can see raw honey is an excellent source of natural carbohydrates and sugar. It is a great alternative to white sugar especially in diabetic patients as it doesn't elevate the blood sugar level vigorously.

Improves cholesterol level:
Researchers compared honey to table sugar in 55 patients and found a 5.8% reduction in LDL (bad fats)and a 3.3% increase in HDL(good fats)cholesterol level. Weight loss of 1.3% was also observed in these patients. Thus the use of honey can prevent atherosclerosis and various cardiovascular diseases.

Researches have shown the use of honey in lukewarm water improves digestion and reduces obesity.

Rich in phytonutrients
Raw honey is an excellent source of phytonutrients, so it acts as antibacterial and antimicrobial. Phytonutrients are chemical compounds produced by plants to fight against pathogens.

Wound and burn healing
Honey keeps wounds and burns moist and provides a protective layer to boost the healing mechanism. The presence of hydrogen peroxide in the raw honey makes it antimicrobial keeping the wound germ-free. The heating and pasteurization of raw honey destroy the antimicrobial property as well as healing property. Manuka honey is used for healing purposes.

Try to use honey once a week or daily. The use of honey proves excellent health benefits as discussed. Make sure you buy the best quality honey from trusted buyers. Honey is not beneficial to infants as it contains bacteria like Clostridium botulinum that causes poisoning.