Nature’s Golden Treasure: 5 Incredible Health Benefits of Honey

The miraculous health benefits of honey include anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Victoria Kondysenko/Shutterstock
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Honey, sometimes known as “liquid gold,” is a naturally sweet food with unique healing properties said to enhance beauty, strengthen immunity, relieve cough and pain, lubricate the throat, reduce inflammation, and heal wounds. Indeed, honey is a powerful healing food and in this article, we introduce five of its especially healthful benefits, as well as how to best choose and consume it.

1. Honey Fights Inflammation and Aging

Research suggests that honey’s flavonoids and phenolic compounds have highly effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and play a critical role in human health.

Honey contains approximately 180 compounds, including water, fructose, free amino acids, proteins, enzymes, essential minerals, vitamins, and plant polyphenols.

Regular consumption of honey can reduce fatigue, and help maintain vitality. Many people consider honey a secret to their beauty regimen due to its potent antioxidant properties that combat free radicals and slow skin aging. Eating honey moisturizes the skin, helps prevent wrinkles, and promotes a youthful appearance. Moreover, a tablespoon (about 21 grams) of honey contains just 64 calories.

2. Honey Soothes Coughs and Relieves Sore Throats

At times, a persistent cough can affect sleep and work quality. Doctors sometimes prescribe steroids to treat persistent coughs, but such drugs can have side effects and are unsuitable for long-term use.
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Honey, on the other hand, can be used as a safe and effective cough syrup. It can lubricate the throat, reduce irritation, and suppress inflammation. A cup of warm water with honey is especially effective in cases of prolonged coughing.

I once had a cough while giving a speech in Singapore—one of the presenters brought me a cup of pure honey water and after drinking it, my throat was no longer sore, and I was able to complete my speech without further coughing.

3. Honey Soothes Stomach Pain and Reduces Inflammation

Many people experience stomach discomfort—including stomachaches, excessive acidity, or gastric ulcers—often due to irregular eating habits, high stress levels, or Helicobacter pylori infections.
Drinking honey water can help heal the stomach because it’s rich in enzymes that promote digestion, reduce gastric acid secretion, and suppress inflammatory responses. It can also alleviate constipation and aid in detoxification.

4. Honey Mitigates Chemotherapy Side Effects

In addition to easing stomach issues, honey can help minimize the side effects of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can harm the body significantly, causing problems like oral mucositis, leukopenia (reduced white blood cell count), and compromised immunity.
Applying honey topically can reduce the severity and pain of oral mucositis while drinking honey water can prevent a continual decrease in white blood cell count, thereby boosting resistance. Honey is indeed a treasure bestowed by nature, with many benefits for the body.

5. Honey as a Natural Wound Healer

Honey can also be used topically. It has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties that expedite wound healing, reduce infection, and prevent scarring.
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Whether it’s a burn, scald, abrasion, cut, or oral mucositis, honey can be used for treatment. You can witness its healing effects by applying honey to the affected area twice daily and covering it with gauze. Research has shown that honey can disinfect wounds, stimulate tissue regeneration, reduce edema, and prevent scar formation.

One of the viewers of my show had suffered a burn from a motorcycle exhaust pipe, and after two weeks, the wound showed no improvement. Following my advice, they used honey as a treatment. Remarkably, just one week later, the wound had completely healed.

The use of honey to heal wounds was discovered over a thousand years ago. The renowned ancient Chinese physician Li Shizhen referenced a Sui Dynasty monk, Mei Shi’s prescription in his work, the “Compendium of Materia Medica,”—“For burns by hot oil: apply white honey,” indicating that Mei Shi knew about the wound-healing properties of honey long ago.

How to Select Quality Honey

The market offers a wide variety of honey, some pure and natural, while others may have additives. Here are four tips to distinguish genuine honey from low-quality or adulterated options:

1. Examine Appearance

Natural honey comes in various colors due to different floral sources but generally appears opaque with a cloudy texture. It may have been adulterated with water or other substances if it looks clear.

2. Smell

Natural honey carries a delicate floral scent with multi-layered nuances. If you only detect a sweet smell of fructose, it may be synthetic or lower quality.

3. Test Bubbling

Mix pure honey with water and shake it. The bubbles formed on top should be fine and last for one to two hours before dissipating. In contrast, fake or synthetic honey will produce coarser bubbles that vanish quickly.

4. Check for Crystallization in Fridge

Natural honey can crystallize below 57.2 degrees Fahrenheit (14 degrees Celsius) due to the bonding of glucose molecules. (However, longan honey doesn’t crystallize because it contains less glucose.)

Best Ways to Consume Honey

Once you’ve selected a quality honey, what is the best way to consume it to maximize its benefits? Here are two considerations:

1. Mix With Warm Water

To retain the honey’s nutritional value, it’s recommended to mix it with warm water at temperatures below 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). Hot water can degrade honey’s enzymes and vitamins, reducing its effectiveness.

2. Use as a Natural Sweetener

Honey can be used in place of sugar or artificial sweeteners to sweeten a multitude of foods. Stir into yogurt, drizzle over toast or pancakes, mix into oatmeal, use in dressings and marinades, or even in a good old-fashioned peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich.
Note: Children under one year old should not consume honey as their digestive systems are not fully developed, and there is a risk of botulism poisoning—a rare but severe foodborne illness. Additionally, if children experience diarrhea due to nervousness, it’s advisable not to give them honey water, as it may exacerbate their discomfort.

Recipe: Homemade Iced Honey Lemonade

This refreshing, beauty-enhancing, cold-preventing, and digestion-aiding beverage from The Prairie Homestead is a great way to get your honey.

Honey Lemonade Recipe

  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup honey (raw is the best)
  • 5 cups cold water
  • Lemon or lime slices—to garnish (optional)
If you’re using fresh lemons or limes, be sure to wash them well so any dirt or residue doesn’t end up in your juice.
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Mix the lemon juice and honey together in the pitcher until thoroughly combined.

Add the cold water and briskly stir.

Chill and serve over ice. You can garnish with a lemon slice if you’re feeling extra fancy.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
Naiwen Hu
Naiwen Hu
Naiwen Hu is a traditional Chinese medicine physician at the Shanghai Tong Te Tang in Taipei, Taiwan, and a professor at the Nine Star University of Health Sciences in Sunnyvale, California. He also worked as a researcher of life science at the Standford Research Institute. In his over 20 years of practice, he has treated more than 140,000 patients. He was known for successfully curing the fifth melanoma patient in the world by using traditional Chinese medicine. Hu currently hosts a YouTube health program that has over 700,000 subscribers. He is also known for his popular road show on health and wellness held in various cities in Australia and North America.
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