Honey is often used as food and medicine. It is especially healthy when used as a sugar substitute. Here are the top 10 health benefits of honey.
1. Honey Contains Nutrients Beneficial To Health
Honey is a sweet liquid created from the flower nectar by a special bee process. The type of flower from which the honey was extracted determines the flavour and colour of the honey.
Regarding nutrition, one tablespoon (21 grams) of honey has 64 calories and 17 grams of sugar (including fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose). Fibre, fat, and protein are almost entirely absent from the composition.
Additionally, it only has 1% of the daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals.
Antioxidants and bioactive plant compounds are abundant in light-coloured kinds of honey. Along with making up a larger portion of darker kinds of honey, these substances.
2. Raw Honey Is Rich In Antioxidants
Numerous significant antioxidants, including phenolic compounds and organic acids, are present in raw honey (flavonoids, …). These elements work together to give honey its antioxidant properties.
It has been demonstrated that buckwheat honey raises the blood oxygenation index, an antioxidant associated with a lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and specific types of cancer. It also supports maintaining
eye health.
3. Using Honey To Replace Table Sugar Helps Improve Diabetes
It has been demonstrated that honey lowers type 2 diabetics’ risk of cardiovascular complications. Inflammation, triglycerides, and bad LDL cholesterol can all be decreased while good HDL cholesterol is increased.
However, honey also increases blood sugar, albeit less significantly than table sugar.
Although honey does not have the same negative effects on blood sugar as table sugar, type 2 diabetics should still use it with caution. People with diabetes should actually limit carb-rich foods to keep their condition to a minimum.
Notably, there are still products on the market that contain both regular syrup and honey. Although it bears the label “honey,” it contains a lot of sugar and falls short of pure honey’s nutritional content.
4. The Antioxidants In Honey Help Lower Blood Pressure
Antioxidant compounds found in honey have the ability to lower blood pressure. Studies on rats and humans have revealed that honey has a modest blood pressure-lowering effect.
5. Honey Helps Improve Cholesterol
The risk of cardiovascular disease is significantly increased by high LDL cholesterol levels. Atherosclerosis, a fatty buildup in the arteries that can result in
heart attacks and strokes, is primarily brought on by it.
By reducing total LDL cholesterol and significantly raising HDL cholesterol, honey has been shown to lower cholesterol levels.
One study compared to honey and table sugar in 55 patients, and the results showed that honey reduced LDL cholesterol by 5.8%, increased HDL cholesterol by 3.3%, and caused a small 1.3% weight loss.
6. Honey Helps Reduce Triglyceride Levels
Another risk factor for cardiovascular disease is increased blood triglycerides. Insulin resistance, a key factor in type 2 diabetes, has also been connected to it. Diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates tend to cause a rise in triglyceride levels.
Regular honey consumption can lower triglyceride levels, particularly as a sugar substitute.
In one study comparing the triglyceride levels in sugar and honey, it was discovered that honey had 11–19% lower levels than those in table sugar.