Looking for a natural alternative to common over-the-counter medications? The cure may be closer than you think. Learn more about natural remedies using honey!
Honey, that wonderfully sticky elixir, could be the key to righting what ails you. Before you go rushing to the kitchen though, keep in mind that most supermarket honey is processed and devoid of any nutritional or medicinal value. Local, raw, unprocessed honey is the golden ticket.
Is Honey Good for You?
At 64 calories per tablespoon, it isn’t exactly low-cal. But the benefits far outweigh the high sugar content. Packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants, honey’s nutritional values vary based on the nectar source. Generally, the darker the honey, the greater the antioxidant punch. It’s antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties make it a must-have natural remedy for any household.
Honey Natural Remedies
Quell the Cough
A spoonful of honey to ease nighttime cough proved more effective than dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) and diphenhydraminein (an antihistamine) in a study involving 139 children. It coats the throat and soothes irritated nerve endings.
Muscle Fuel
Sports dieticians have advised their athletes to incorporate honey into a pre-workout snack for a great carb load. Dissolve one to two tablespoons in water or add it to nut butter.
Get Some Zzzz
A spoonful of honey before bed could have you counting sheep sooner than later. Honey causes a rise in insulin which triggers the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to mood and happiness. Serotonin is converted to melatonin, a chemical that regulates sleep.
Shake the Flakes
Scalp got you scratching? Lather up with a bit of honey. Participants in a 2001 study published by the European Journal of Medical Research applied a solution of honey and warm water to flaky or itchy areas of the scalp then left it for three hours before rinsing. After just one week of every-other-day applications, dandruff sufferers reported a reduction in itching and scaling. Within a few weeks of the regimen, skin lesions had completely healed and hair loss was significantly reduced.
Speedy Recovery
Apply a coating of the sweet stuff to wounds and burns, then bandage. Change the dressing daily until the wound has closed. “Honey dressings” for burns, scrapes and surgical wounds have proven effective in speeding up the healing process. The antibacterial properties of honey, coupled with naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide, offer up an effective healing cocktail. Studies on Manuka honey found that it treated over 250 clinical strains of bacteria, but any raw unprocessed honey will help.
Hangover Helper
A spoonful of honey taken after one-to-many drinks may be just what your liver needs. Sugars in honey help to speed up alcohol oxidation, ridding toxins from your body faster. Drinking lots of water, in addition to the honey, helps too.
Soothe A Breakout
Raw, unprocessed honey applied as a mask to acne prone areas and allowed to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing may help reduce inflammation and redness. While unproven to kill P. acnes, the bacteria that causes acne, honey’s antibacterial properties can improve the skin’s appearance.
Insect Bite Relief
Honey’s anti-inflammatory properties may help with itch relief. Try a drop on an irritating bite.
Note: The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions parents of children under the age of 12 months. Their underdeveloped immune systems leave them vulnerable to botulism, a serious form of food poisoning. Dirt and dust containing botulism bacteria spores can creep into honey and wreak havoc on little tummies. Best to steer clear until their first birthday.
Nothing is better than local honey. If interested, see what’s involved in raising your own honeybees!
Reader Comments
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post surgical wound dressing
A friend's raw honey saved my sled dog from having to travel 350 miles to get a skin graft after a tumor removal just below the hock on his hind leg. All the stitches pulled out on day five, leaving a three inch long open wound. I poured honey onto the wound daily and applied fresh dressings. Captain became very good about holding still for this and not chewing off the bandages, tho at first it was a terrific struggle with nobody to hold him. After one week the speed in which that open wound drew together was phenomenal. I would highly recommend raw honey for any open wound. I carry it in my wilderness survival kit.
Honey and Diabetics
We keep (local) honey on hand in case my husband's blood sugar plummets quickly, like if he does not eat a meal on schedule or if he does not eat enough at a meal to make it to the next meal. Otherwise, he rarely indulges. Honey will raise your blood sugar level quickly. I love sour wood honey on toast with peanut butter. Yum!
"Know it Alls"
It's too bad that a dose of honey can't raise some people's I.Q. Not everyone is diabetic and those that are have enough sense to understand their particular problem with sugar. They don't need the "Diabetic Police". If you just have to correct something---- but a dog!
Honey for diabetics
Very true. My husband is diabetic. Honey does the same to his blood sugar that white sugar does.
HONEY FOR DIABETICS????
I KNOW I WON'T RECEIVE AN ANSWER BUT A DIABETIC PERSON SHOULD NOT INTAKE 1 TABLESPOON FOR COUGH OR FOR SLEEP!!!!!! THAT COMPROMISE YOUR LEVEL OF SUGAR IN THE BLOODSTREAM!!!!!! NOT EVEN A TEASPOON!!!!!! THAT IS A DANGEROUS METHOD!!!!!!!!!!
Diabetics and honey
Hello Jenny, yes, ingesting honey when you're a diabetic could be a recipe for disaster. I suspect most diabetics know this, but for those who do not, I appreciate you making the point. Thank you!
Honey
My Dr said that she would rather me eat honey than other sweeteners I'm diabetic your bodie will process it better then sugar