Since ancient times, honey has been used as both a food and a medicine.
Here are the top 10 health benefits of honey.
It’s very high in beneficial plant compounds and offers several health benefits. Honey is particularly healthy when used instead of refined sugar, which is 100% empty calories.
1. Honey Contains Some Nutrients
Honey is a sweet, thick liquid made by honeybees.
The bees collect sugar — mainly the sugar-rich nectar of flowers — from their environment (1).
Once inside the beehive, they repeatedly consume, digest and regurgitate the nectar.
The end product is honey, a liquid that serves as stored food for bees. The smell, color and taste depend on the types of flowers visited.
Nutritionally, 1 tablespoon of honey (21 grams) contains 64 calories and 17 grams of sugar, including fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose.
It contains virtually no fiber, fat or protein (2).
It also contains trace amounts — under 1% of the RDI — of several vitamins and minerals, but you would have to eat many pounds to fulfill your daily requirements.
Where honey shines is in its content of bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants. Darker types tend to be even higher in these compounds than lighter types (3Trusted Source, 4).
Summary
Honey is thick, sweet liquid made by
honeybees. It is low in vitamins and minerals but may be
high in some plant compounds.
2. High-Quality Honey Is Rich in Antioxidants
High-quality honey contains many important antioxidants. These include organic acids and phenolic compounds like flavonoids (5Trusted Source).
Scientists believe that the combination of these compounds gives honey its antioxidant power (5Trusted Source).
Interestingly, two studies have shown that buckwheat honey increases the antioxidant value of your blood (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
Antioxidants have been linked to reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes and some types of cancer. They may also promote eye health (8Trusted Source).
Summary Honey contains a number of antioxidants, including phenolic
compounds like flavonoids.
3. Honey Is “Less Bad” Than Sugar for Diabetics
The evidence on honey and diabetes is mixed.
On one hand, it can reduce several risk factors for heart disease common in people with type 2 diabetes.
For example, it may lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and inflammation while raising “good” HDL cholesterol (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
However, some studies have found that it can also increase blood sugar levels — just not as much as refined sugar (10Trusted Source).
While honey may be slightly better than refined sugar for people with diabetes, it should still be consumed with caution.
In fact, people with diabetes may do best by minimizing all high-carb foods (12Trusted Source).
Keep in mind, too, that certain types of honey may be adulterated with plain syrup. Although honey adulteration is illegal in most countries, it remains a widespread problem (13Trusted Source).
Summary
Some studies show that honey improves heart
disease risk factors in people with diabetes. However, it also raises blood
sugar levels — so it cannot be considered
healthy for people with diabetes.
4. The Antioxidants in It Can Help Lower Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is an important risk factor for heart disease, and honey may help lower it.
This is because it contains antioxidant compounds that have been linked to lower blood pressure (14Trusted Source).
Studies in both rats and humans have shown modest reductions in blood pressure from consuming honey (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).
Summary
Eating honey may lead to modest reductions in
blood pressure, an important risk factor for heart disease.
5. Honey Also Helps Improve Cholesterol
High LDL cholesterol levels is a strong risk factor for heart disease.
This type of cholesterol plays a major role in atherosclerosis, the fatty buildup in your arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Interestingly, several studies show that honey may improve your cholesterol levels.
It reduces total and “bad” LDL cholesterol while significantly raising “good” HDL cholesterol (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
For example, one study in 55 patients compared honey to table sugar and found that honey caused a 5.8% reduction in LDL and a 3.3% increase in HDL cholesterol. It also led to modest weight loss of 1.3% (18Trusted Source).
Summary
Honey seems to have a positive effect on
cholesterol levels. It leads to modest reductions in total and “bad” LDL
cholesterol while raising “good” HDL cholesterol.
6. Honey Can Lower Triglycerides
Elevated blood triglycerides are another risk factor for heart disease.
They are also associated with insulin resistance, a major driver of type 2 diabetes.
Triglyceride levels tend to increase on a diet high in sugar and refined carbs.
Interestingly, multiple studies have linked regular honey consumption with lower triglyceride levels, especially when it is used to replace sugar (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
For example, one study comparing honey and sugar found 11–19% lower triglyceride levels in the honey group (18Trusted Source).
Summary
Elevated triglycerides are a risk factor for
heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Several studies show that honey can lower
triglyceride levels, especially when used as a sugar substitute.
7. The Antioxidants in It Are Linked to Other Beneficial Effects on Heart Health
Again, honey is a rich source of phenols and other antioxidant compounds. Many of these have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease (8Trusted Source).
They may help the arteries in your heart dilate, increasing blood flow to your heart. They may also help prevent blood clot formation, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes (8Trusted Source).
Furthermore, one study in rats showed that honey protected the heart from oxidative stress (19Trusted Source).
All told, there is no long-term human study available on honey and heart health. Take these results with a grain of salt.
Summary
The antioxidants in honey have been linked to
beneficial effects on heart health, including increased blood flow to your
heart and a reduced risk of blood clot formation.
8. Honey Promotes Burn and Wound Healing
Topical honey treatment has been used to heal wounds and burns since ancient Egypt and is still common today.
SOURCE: HEALTHLINE