For pre & post workout fuel, diabetes & disease prevention, and even good sleep- honey can't be bee-t!

7 Astounding Health Benefits of Honey

Honey is a natural food source produced by bees after they collect nectar from flowers. Besides sweetening your tea and toast, honey has a number of health benefits!

The following benefits of honey are not found in processed and pasteurized "honey". They can only be found in raw and unprocessed honey. Buy local!

Natural fuel
Honey is one of the most effective natural sources of carbohydrates to supply fuel for the body. It does not cause spikes and crashes like refined white sugars so it helps to prevent fatigue during exercise. Glucose in honey provides your instant energy, and fructose enables endurance because it's absorbed slow by the body. It even helps muscle recovery. As a before and after workout snack, honey is a healthy choice!

Anti Aging and Anti Disease
Honey contains as many antioxidants as found in spinach, apples, strawberries and oranges. Antioxidants block free radicals within the body that are the cause of disease. They boost the immune system as well, as a preventative against numerous debilitating diseases. Honey also contains polyphenols- powerful antioxidants known to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. These antioxidants have a wondrous number of preventative effects against not only cancer and cardiovascular diseases, but infectious diseases, inflammatory disorders, neurological degeneration, and aging as well!

Sick of Mama Telling You to Eat Your Spinach? Swap it for Honey!

More Anti Aging
Honey is a natural humectant which means it seals in moisture. After washing your face apply a thin layer of honey and let sit 15 minutes to overnight, then rinse. You can do this for your entire body for a softness and brightening glow that lasts for hours. It's also antibacterial so leaving honey on the skin will cleanse pores, exfoliate and prevent acne and fine lines.

Wound Healing and Sunburns
Honey's anti inflammatory agents absorb deep to soothe sunburned skin. And honey reacts with with body fluids to make hydrogen peroxide which creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria so apply it to wounds twice a day for the antibacterial infection preventing powers and to lessen the future scar with the hydration benefits.
Natural Weight Loss
Research has found that replacing all refined sugar with honey promotes weight loss due to the fact that the amino acids in honey aid in digestion and are a pure food- unlike processed and refined sugars. Switching to honey for all your sweetening needs also lowers blood sugar levels.
Natural Allergy "Shot"
Forget Benadryl and Dr visits for that dreaded allergy shot! Take a shot of honey daily to desensitize your body against seasonal allergy attacks.

Sleep Well with Honey
Honey promotes the deep, restorative sleep in two ways. When you consume honey before bed, it restocks your liver’s glycogen supply and prevents your brain from triggering a crisis search for fuel- which is why you wake up in the middle of the night hungry or craving sweets.

Also by eating honey before bed you trigger the release of melatonin from your brain which then stimulates the release of tryptophan in the brain. Tryptophan converts to serotonin, which is the relaxing hormone.

In addition to helping you sleep, melatonin boosts your immunity and helps your body rebuild tissue while you rest.

This is why our elders always drank a cup of tea with honey before bed.

But why did they give us tea with honey when we were sick?

Honey is a Natural Couch Suppressant
Research studies have proven honey to be as effective in cough suppression as over the counter cough medicines. It also lessens mucus creation.
Prevent Diabetes
Researchers in Dubai and Stanford medical are heavily noting the benefits honey, especially when combined with cinnamon, in reducing the risk of developing diabetes, blood sugar management, and helping in aiding medication used to treat diabetes.

Adding natural, unprocessed honey to your daily diet is one of the best things you can do for your health!

Honey may be the world's perfect food. Archaeologists have found jars of honey in Egyptian tombs dating over 3000 years old! And after testing it is just as tasty and healthy as honey produced today.

Talk about anti aging!

What is your favorite use for honey?

Images via Creative Commons and Giphy.

DISCLAIMER: Do NOT give honey to infants 1 year and under.
Also, DO NOT eat unprocessed or raw honey if you are allergic to bees without consulting your doctor first!