When you look in your local supermarket for honey, you almost always find it with the other sweeteners like sugar and Xylitol. But, honey actually has a whole heap of additional uses aside from simply sweetening your tea or muffins.
In fact, honey has been used for thousands of years as a therapeutic medicine. Though in our modern culture it’s used more for its sweet flavor, the ability to use it for therapeutic purposes still exists.
4 Ways to Use Honey Therapeutically
There is a laundry list of ways to use honey as more than a sweetener. Here are some of the more popular ones.
A Natural Treatment for Sore Throats
One of the most common ailments for people all over the world is the occasional sore throat. Sore throats are often caused by viruses, like influenza.
While influenza is usually fought off by the body without the need for medicine, you can medicate for the sake of relieving symptoms, a sore throat being one of them. There is of course no lack of over-the-counter and even prescription pharmaceutical sore throat relief options. But, you can skip all of them and opt for a more natural solution.
Honey makes a fantastic sore throat remedy. One of the key reasons for that is because honey, more specifically raw honey, is an: antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory. That means not only can it help fight viral infections, but it can help bacterial ones as well as the inflammation they cause.
Next time you have a sore throat, try a spoonful of raw honey a couple a times a day before running to the local pharmacy.
Help with Healing Burns
While 3rd and 4th degree burns require emergency treatment, most burns do not need a trip to the hospital. That doesn’t mean they don’t need treatment though.
Minor burns caused by the sun or from having skin come in contact with hot surfaces or fluids usually result in red painful skin but will not cause blisters. Though minor, you may still experience swelling, dry peeling skin, and waves of localized pain.
Without any kind of treatment, a minor burn may take on average about ten days to heal. This can be hindered if the burn occurs on an area of skin that’s over a joint like a knee or elbow due to stretching.
There are topical ointments like aloe vera and oral medications like ibuprofen to help relieve some of the pain. But, you can actually replace those with honey.
Honey’s natural antibacterial properties can help prevent infection when you apply a coating of honey directly to the wound. But, it can do more than that. Honey can actually help relieve pain and speed up the healing time.
Next time you suffer a minor burn, give it a try.
Relieve Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
For anyone that suffers seasonal allergies, spring and autumn can be absolutely miserable. Waking up every day with itchy eyes and a splitting headache is extremely debilitating.
Most allergy sufferers rely on a variety of medicines like Claritin and Allegra. While they do help, these medications target the symptoms and not the cause of the discomfort. And, they can cause unpleasant side effects like drying out your sinuses.
What if you could target the cause instead of the symptoms?
While the jury is still out, there are some studies and sources that show eating raw honey from your local area can actually help build up your immune system and reduce seasonal allergy symptoms.
Unlike allergy medicine though you need to consume the honey before allergy season hits.
Get a Boost for Your Workouts
Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body. It can help control your weight, improve your mood and fight depression, and help you sleep better. But, getting a good workout in might be difficult if you’re too tired from work and general life duties like cooking and running errands.
You can try caffeine and energy drinks to help give you a boost, or you can try a natural option that is full of nutrients: honey. It’s actually been shown to increase athletic performance in activities like running and soccer if eaten before starting.
It wasn’t as effective for more anaerobic workouts like weightlifting.
It’s not completely useless for anaerobic workouts though. While honey won’t help you lift heavier weights, it can help in your post-workout recovery. And, the more efficiently you recover from hard workouts, the more time you can spend in the gym.
Next time you go for a run or hit the weights, give honey a try.
In Summary
Honey is not just a sweetener. It’s a wonderful natural gift that is great for easing the pain of a sore throat, speeding up burn recovery, fighting seasonal allergies, and improving your workouts.
There are other ways to use honey too such as aiding in curing acne and cleaning minor cuts. It’s so much more than just a sweet treat.
