We all know honey is made by bees using pollen from plants and most of us know it to be sweet and an ingredient used in a lot of sweet dishes and condiments. Honey is a natural product, rich in fructose and glucose as well as minerals such as magnesium, calcium and potassium, in addition to natural sugars. Its richness in sugar has led to it being proposed as an almost direct replacement for sugar in some peoples diets due to the range of other health benefits it brings along with it. The plant compounds contribute to some of the many benefits of honey. Here we are going to focus in a bit more detail on the benefits of honey and how these benefits can boost both your health and help support a range of conditions and ailments.

One of the first benefits of honey we’re going to look at is how it is rich in antioxidants. Organic acids and flavonoids found in honey give honey it’s antioxidant characteristics and consuming honey has proven to increase the antioxidant level in your bloodstream. These properties are good for your health as it allows your body to cleanse itself naturally. It should also be worth mentioning that antioxidants have played a role in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. These antioxidant compounds found in honey also contribute towards lowering your blood pressure. If you suffer from high blood pressure this can help in regulating it and taking the strain/pressure off your body and your vital organs.

Studies have also found that another of the benefits of honey is that it helps in regulating and reducing your cholesterol level. Having a high cholesterol level can lead to increased risks of heart failure and can even increase your risk of cancer. Two forms of cholesterol can be found in our bodies. There is ‘good’ cholesterol and ‘bad’ cholesterol and honey is found to increase the levels of the good form while at the same time decreasing the levels of the ‘bad’ forms of cholesterol as well as, in some cases, contributing towards weight loss as part of a healthy diet.

If you’ve incurred a wound or a burn, consuming honey (as well as applying it to the wound), can help speed up the healing process. Ever since the age of the Egyptians, honey has been used to speed up and aid the healing process of wounds. Over two dozen studies have found evidence that for partial burns and wounds, the healing process has been visibly sped up. Its healing properties are thought to be thanks due to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nature of honey. Its healing properties are well-known and well-documented.

Although it’s not proven to always be the case, Some people have reported that they’ve found that honey helps them with digestive related issues too. It’s also known to be a probiotic which essentially means it cleans up the bacteria that it comes into contact with and so this would go some way to explaining why it has helped certain individuals with their digestion.

Another of the benefits of honey that have been recommended throughout the years is to have a teaspoon of honey whenever you’re suffering from a cough as it’s known to be a cough suppressant – soothing the throat and reducing inflammation. It’s one of the oldest and most proven remedies so if you find you have a cough this coming winter why not see if a bit of honey helps?

Consuming honey can be beneficial for your health, however, it’s always important to remember that honey can be very high in sugar, albeit natural. You should always go for high-quality honey that is rich in all of the positive elements and not mainly sugar. Here at The Fine Harvest, we have the finest, high quality and raw honey that can offer all of the above health benefits and great value prices. We also specialise in honey gift sets should you want to surprise someone who loves their honey.