Honey and Your Health

The health benefits of honey and how to incorporate it into your diet

Raw honey is a food that comes straight from the beehive, made by the bees and for the bees but humans use it as well from the ancient times. Honey was used in many medicines due to its incredible health benefits. However, many of its important compounds are only found in raw or unpasteurized honey. Nowadays, the honey we are most likely to find in our local grocery shop is pasteurized.

Different types of honey

As far as we know, there are more than 300 different types of honey depending on the plant which bees took the nectar from and the level of process it has pass until it comes to us. All types fall into two main categories: raw and pasteurized honey.

Raw honey comes straight from the hive, it is the least processed form and the most nutrient dense. On the other hand, pasteurized honey has been processed in order to have a better texture and a longer shelf life, but it has less nutrients.

Honey is a source of antioxidants

Raw honey has as many antioxidants as fruit and vegetables, and it helps you protect your body from cell damage due to free radicals that contribute to the process of aging and in various chronic diseases as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties

Honey contains hydrogen peroxide, which is natural antiseptic, and thanks to that it is proven that it can kill bacteria and fungus. Honey is a common ingredient in home remedies against infections even through it seems that some honey varieties have greater effectiveness. Manuka honey for example, is used as a natural medicine to treat wounds since it can kill germ and aid in the regeneration of the tissues.

Honey can relieve sore through

Adding a tablespoon of honey and squeezing a little bit of lemon to your tea is a popular homemade remedy for cough and sore through. However, if your cold is stronger and it cannot be relieved by honey and hot tea, you should visit your doctor and not rely only on natural remedies.

How to introduce honey into your diet

Honey is a natural sweetener with amazing health benefits in comparison to sugar and syrups, but you still need to consume it in moderation. Women shouldn’t consume more than 6 teaspoons of added sugars per day and men shouldn’t consume more than 9 teaspoons.

Honey can be used as a substitute for sugar in bakery and pastries, but you could also add it in your morning coffee, in your smoothies and yogurt.

How to choose the best honey

The little plastic teddy bear might look cute, but it is not the best honey option you have in the market. The clear honey pots that you will find in your supermarket shelfs are probably the most processed ones with very poor nutritional value. When you are searching for honey try to find written in the package where that honey came from, who produced it and weather it is raw or pasteurized.

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