5 Ways Raw Canadian Honey Can Improve Your Health

When it comes to honey, many people think of it simply as a way to sweeten some foods and beverages, but it can do so much more than that. Raw honey, specifically, has many healing abilities and health benefits, aside from just tasting great. That has inspired scientists to research it as an alternative for antibiotic-resistant infections, among other things. In studies, a variety of honey types demonstrated significant antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities.

“Indeed, medicinal importance of honey has been documented in the world’s oldest medical literatures, and since the ancient times,” says the study, Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. “It has been known to possess antimicrobial property as well as wound-healing activity. The healing property of honey is due to the fact that it offers antibacterial activity, maintains a moist wound condition, and its high viscosity helps to provide a protective barrier to prevent infection. Its immunomodulatory property is relevant to wound repair too.”

The more processed the honey is, the less natural health benefits will remain. When you use raw honey, it is typically not heated and completely unprocessed. For maximum benefits, seek out organic, non-GMO, sustainably-made honey from a single Canadian source, like Peace River Organic Honey.

How Raw Canadian Honey Can Improve Your Health

Natural Allergy Relief

It’s been noted though local folk knowledge and historical record that honey is a great remedy for allergies, if you eat the honey that is produced in the area where you are having allergic reactions to pollen. Honey contains bee pollen, and in this form can help you to fight off infections and support immunity. There has been some debate on the effectiveness of honey for anything but floral allergies, but many still swear by it. Luckily, the production of natural honey is spread across Canada, so you should be able to find one that’s close to you.

Treating Wounds and Ulcers

Treating wounds and stomach ulcers is one of the most ancient uses of raw Canadian honey for healing. It has proven to be an effective treatment for a broad range of wounds, including burns, fistulas, varicose ulcers, amputations, leprosy, incisions, nursing cracks, and stubborn wounds associated with diabetes.

Source of Antioxidants

Honey is an amazing source of antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenols. You can greatly influence your health and boost your immune system, just by adding a few spoonfuls of it to your coffee or tea in the morning. This is because raw honey increases the amount of polyphenols in your system, which are useful for fighting various types of disease. It also contains a chemical agent known as pinocembrin, which has the ability to signal cellular death called apoptosis in cancerous cells.

Natural Sleep Aid

Raw honey is a very sweet substance, so who would have ever thought that it could help you get more rest? Scientists have discovered that honey can stock the liver’s glycogen reserve. This is important because some people wake up at night when their brain believes that its going to starve, or have difficulty supporting processes that it needs to carry out, so it triggers a desire to snack. Honey can also kickstart the process that ends in the production of melatonin, which also helps you to stay asleep. That’s important because many diseases have been linked to the lack of sleep. Improving your sleep quality with raw honey may lower the risk of health issues like hypertension, heart disease and obesity.

Gentle Acne Treatment

Honey is effective as a cleanser for acne prevention, and it’s cheaper than many of the products that produce similar results. It’s also more natural and can be used on all different types of skin, which is great news for people who have sensitive skin. You can even add things like coarse, raw sea salt to it, so you can use honey as an exfoliator to help reduce dead skin and dirt buildup that can clog pores and cause a host of other issues.

Scientific Evidence of Honey Healing Properties

“According to modern scientific literature, honey may be useful and has protective effects for the treatment of various disease conditions such as diabetes mellitus, respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems, even it is useful in cancer treatment because many types of antioxidant are present in honey,” states the study, Honey and Health: A Review of Recent Clinical Research. “In conclusion, honey could be considered as a natural therapeutic agent for various medicinal purposes. Sufficient evidence exists recommending the use of honey in the management of disease conditions. Based on these facts, the use of honey in clinical wards is highly recommended.”

Helping Canadian Bees

It’s only fair (and critical) that we help the buzzing creatures that are so helpful to us in a multitude of ways.

Consider creating bee-friendly habitats and plant their favourite flowers.
Don’t use pesticides! Health Canada banned three neonicotinoid pesticides in 2018, clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam.
Please support Canadian beekeepers.

Warning

Raw honey should not be fed to infants under one year of age, due to the risk of botulism.

References:
Mandal MD, Mandal S. Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2011;1(2):154–160. doi:10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60016-6
Almasaudi SB, Abbas AT, Al-Hindi RR, et al. Manuka Honey Exerts Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities That Promote Healing of Acetic Acid-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:5413917. doi:10.1155/2017/5413917
Masalha M, Abu-Lafi S, Abu-Farich B, et al. A New Approach for Indexing Honey for Its Heath/Medicinal Benefits: Visualization of the Concept by Indexing Based on Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities. Medicines (Basel). 2018;5(4):135. Published 2018 Dec 17. doi:10.3390/medicines5040135

✔ You may also be interested in reading:
10 Natural Remedies for Spring Allergies
Natural Flu Remedies and Prevention
Clever Recipe Substitutions and Switches for Healthier Summer Eating

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