Honey is nature’s gift to mankind! A luscious liquid with a golden hue and bitter-sweet taste, it brings numerous health benefits in a small amount.
Honey has been praised in the Ayurveda scriptures, Ashtanga Hridayam and Charak Samhita, for its versatile medicinal properties and usage. Several shlokas explain the benefits of consuming honey, like lekhan (fat burner), shodhana (purification/detox), ropana (healing), laxative, yogavahi (drug carrier), and so on.
Today, we will closely look at – what are the benefits of eating honey regularly, its uses, and how to consume it in the right way.
Alright, let’s begin the journey of understanding honey and its benefits.
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Five Incredible Benefits of Honey
Honey, Shahad, or Madhu has incredible health benefits. You can call it a sweet medicine for copious health issues. Here are five ways in which honey promotes a healthy, hearty way of living.
Psychological Effects of Consuming Honey
Honey, or Shahad, has a relaxing effect on our minds. It helps in relieving anxiety, restlessness, and high blood pressure. Honey also improves sleeping disorders like insomnia. Taking a glass of milk with honey aids in better sleep.
A study shows that polyphenol constituents of honey possess nootropic effects, such as memory-enhancing effects, and neuropharmacological activities, such as anxiolytic, antinociceptive, anticonvulsant, and antidepressant activities.
Immunological Benefits of Consuming Honey
Honey has ample antioxidants in the form of flavonoids and phenols. These compounds help in the cell repair mechanism and have antibacterial and antiseptic activity.
Consuming honey helps in relieving cough and cold, sore throat, excessive mucus, relief from asthma, sinusitis, and other mucus-congestive disorders.
Effects of Honey on the Body’s Metabolism
Honey has “anupaan” properties, meaning it improves the processes of digestion and absorption. Proper assimilation of food provides the essential vitamins and minerals needed for several metabolic pathways.
It also enhances the appetite in Kapha disorders like cold and cough and helps in faster recovery. Moreover, honey also helps in increasing sperm count and semen quality.
Honey also improves heart health by strengthening and relaxing the heart muscles. It also helps in maintaining healthy bones.
Benefits of Honey in Weight Management
Honey has antilipidemic properties because of its astringent nature. It helps remove fat from the body and lowers the chances of obesity. Ayurveda mentions the use of old honey to scrape off (chhedana) fat from the body.
Consuming honey in lukewarm water and lemon is an effective remedy for weight loss.
Topical Benefits of Applying Honey
Honey is a perfect emollient. It nourishes the skin with its moisturising properties. Honey is also a great exfoliating agent that gently removes dead skin. Honey also has anti-acne and anti-scarring effects.
Honey combined with curd and lemon is an effective remedy for dandruff. Honey also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which makes it an ideal anti-ageing agent.
So, we broadly covered the benefits of honey. Let’s quickly see its uses.
Five Quick Ways of Using of Honey to Get All Its Benefits
Just learning about the benefits of honey isn’t fruitful without knowing how to use it, right? No worries; here are quick ways to use honey for various purposes.
For Weight Loss:
You can consume honey in lukewarm water and lemon on an empty stomach in the morning.
Read more about How To Use Honey For Weight Loss? here.
For Skincare: Honey Curd De-Tan Face Mask
Mix a teaspoon of honey and a few drops of lemon with two tablespoons of curd. Apply it to the face and let it dry. Scrub it off with lukewarm water. Moisturize as needed.
Honey For Your Eyes
Ayurveda says the application of pure honey on lower eyelids as Anjana (Kajal) keeps the eyes healthy and lashes strong.
Honey as a Drug Carrier, or Yogavahi
Honey has been used as a carrier for several medicinal herbs. It improves circulation and the efficacy of the treatment.
A teaspoon of honey mixed with sitopaladi churna helps in treating cough and cold. Similarly, honey mixed with ginger juice helps in relieving cough, and honey with roasted garlic is good for heart health.
Honey as Laxative
New honey can be consumed with water on an empty stomach to soften stool and relieve constipation.
Alright!
Do you know that honey has different effects on the body when consumed at different times? Yes! Let’s see how it can help you!
What Is The Best Time To Have Honey?
Honey is commonly consumed in the morning for its weight-loss properties. But, there’s more to honey than just weight loss, and it all depends on when and how you consume it.
Let’s see what are the benefits of honey consumption in the morning and at night.
Benefits of Eating Honey At Night
Consuming honey at night improves sleep patterns, which helps in curing anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
How to Consume Honey at Night For Better Sleep?
It is very easy!
You can mix a tablespoon of honey in warm milk and drink it before bedtime at night. Or, you can include it in your dessert or salad and have it with your dinner.
Benefits of Eating Honey in the Morning
Consuming honey in the morning has several benefits. It prepares the body for better digestion and absorption of food. It improves immunity and keeps the mind and body agile throughout the day.
How to Consume Honey in the Morning:
Honey can be consumed in the morning in two ways: with warm or cold water.
For weight loss: mix a spoonful of old honey in a glass of warm water. Add cinnamon powder and lemon, and sip it on an empty stomach in the morning.
For weight gain: mix a spoonful of new honey in a glass of water and sip it.
If you do heavy exercise in the morning, it’s best to have honey with lemon after the workout. Taking it before a workout can cause exhaustion.
FAQs: What are the benefits of eating honey? - Everything you need to know about honey!
Is honey good for women with PCOS?
Honey balances testosterone levels, which is essential for reproductive health, hormone balance, and regulating mood swings in women. Also, it is an antidepressant and rich in nutrients (boron, magnesium, and nitric oxide), which reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep patterns, improve heart and bone health, and improve metabolism. So, consuming honey has positive effects on the day-to-day lives of women with PCOS.
How many spoons of honey can be eaten per day?
As recommended by the American Heart Association, an active and healthy man can consume nine teaspoons of honey in a day. An active and healthy woman can consume only six teaspoons of honey a day.
Is honey good for the brain?
Studies done on honey have shown that it improves memory and helps treat dementia and cognitive deterioration. Also, Ayurveda says that honey is “Sukshammarganusari”, which means honey can enter the tiniest part of the cells, including the brain blood barrier, and help improve brain function.
Conclusion
Honey is the simplest way to improve your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being!
It is amazing how just a teaspoon of honey rewards the body with so many benefits.
However, don’t forget that all of its benefits lie in using it in balance.
We hope that “What are the benefits of eating honey?” has filled you with all the information you need to start using honey.
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Read more : What Are The Different Types Of Honey And Their Benefits?
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