You may be surprised to learn that one of the most effective treatments for a wide variety of ailments is actually sitting on your kitchen shelf. That’s right – honey is one of the oldest natural sweeteners and it has a bountiful bunch of benefits for your wellbeing. Find out why honey should be part of your diet – and your medicine cabinet.

Why Is Honey Important for your Health?

Honey has been popular for thousands of years as a healing agent and a nutritional supplement. The Greeks, Romans, and ancient Egyptians all used honey for wellbeing purposes and there is mention of honey as a healer in the Bible. Honey contains vitamins, amino acids, and minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Honey helps to block the growth of harmful bacteria and helps overall health with its antibacterial properties.

1) Honey Helps You Deal with Allergies

Honey is an anti-inflammatory substance that can help you deal with allergies, specifically because it contains small amounts of pollen that act as a “vaccine” against the pollen reaction. When using honey as an anti-allergy aid it is important to use honey that comes from your local area, as this type of honey will contain the spores of pollen from the flowers that grow in your area. It is also important that you build up your use of honey for a few months before allergies start to hit, as this will allow time for your body to build up your own immunity.

2) Honey Can Help Prevent Heart Disease and Cancer

Honey contains high levels of flavonoids, which act as antioxidants to reduce your risk of suffering from heart disease and some cancers. Honey contains phenolic compounds that are believed to help heal cells in the body. There are many studies that show how honey is helping to prevent and heal cancer cells, and eating raw honey is a good way to boost your immune system and help prevent sickness – whether chronic sickness or minor ailments.

3) Honey Is an Anti-Fungal, Anti-Bacterial Substance

Honey is an important anti-bacterial substance and is therefore used for many circumstances including wound healing. Experts say that applying honey to a wound is a good treatment for aiding healing and minimizing infection.

4) Honey Helps You Get Rid of a Cough

One of the most popular uses for honey is to treat a cough. There are many studies that show honey is more effective at treating cough than a standard cough medicine, plus it comes without any drowsiness side effects. Honey is particularly useful for treating a persistent nighttime cough. Honey acts as a cough suppressant as it forms a film over the irritation in the throat, preventing inflammation which can prevent a cough.

5) Honey Contains Helpful Probiotics

Many varieties of honey contain high levels of healthy bacteria, which is essential for a healthy gut. This may explain why honey is so powerful at treating many different ailments, and also for raising the function of the immune system.

6) Honey Boosts Your Energy

Honey is a good source of carbohydrates so adding this to your cereal or oats in the morning provides a valuable energy boost. You can also add honey to tea in the afternoon and stave off an energy slump after lunch.

7) Honey Helps Your Memory?

As honey is an antioxidant it can actually help your brain function better as it gives the brain cells more nutrients and destroys free radicals before they can damage the brain. In addition, honey aids in the absorption of calcium, and this helps with memory.

8) Eating Honey Can Help You Sleep

Honey is believed to help you sleep and can be used as a natural sleep aid with no side effects. Honey causes the insulin levels in the body to rise, which makes the body release serotonin. This is then converted to melatonin, which assists with healthy sleep. And honey also contains amino acids which help your body produce tryptophan. A good drink for a relaxed night’s sleep is chamomile tea and honey.

9) Honey is an Excellent Skin Moisturizer

Honey is ideal for when you are lacking moisture in the skin and suffering from dry skin or irritated skin. Honey helps to bring moisture back and gives you better skin, and you can use it all over the body. Since it also has anti-bacterial properties it is useful for treating areas of inflammation.

10) Honey Helps Get Rid of Acne

Honey applied direct to your acne helps to kill the bacteria that forms on the skin, which when it builds up can result in acne. Simply applying raw honey to the affected area and then rinsing off with water is a good way to clearer skin. Honey can also be made into a facial scrub which will help to moisturize the skin as well as get rid of dead skin cells and other impurities.