Page 34 - Robeson Living Spring 2018

Health Benefits of Honey

By Ryan N. Beck, DC, QNCP

Spring is here! The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming promoter of restorative sleep. When a person consumes
and bees are getting to work making a delicious and healthy honey before bedtime, it facilitates the release of mela-
food for us to eat. The health benefits of honey can be dated tonin in the brain by creating a small spike in insulin lev-
back as far as the Ancient Egyptians and current research els. Melatonin is the body’s natural sleep hormone and
is backing these claims. Raw honey has many surprising helps control your sleep and wake cycles. Melatonin also
health benefits including being a natural cough syrup, sleep boosts immunity and helps your body rebuild tissue during
promoter, and energy source, while also helping manage times of rest.
weight and countering pollen allergies.

Natural Energy Booster Raw honey has been re-
Honey is low cost and widely available. When ingesting ferred to as “the perfect running fuel”. A recent study
honey for health benefits it is important to get the right shows honey to be one of the best choices of carbohydrates
kind. Raw honey is totally unheated, unpasteurized, and to consume right before exercising. This is because it is
unprocessed. Try to avoid commercial honey which is made up of 80% sugar, 18% water and 2% minerals, vita-
heavily processed and excessively heated, destroying the mins, pollen and protein and provides an easily absorbed
natural enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Raw honey can supply of energy in the form of liver glycogen.
be found at most local supermarkets and farmers markets.
Natural Weight Management Raw honey may also
Natural Cough Suppressant Raw honey has been help with weight management. A study from the Univer-
shown to be nearly as effective in treating coughs as over sity of Wyoming found that raw honey can activate hor-
the counter commercial cough syrups with one study show- mones that suppress the appetite. Appetite hormones and
ing it was just as effective as diphenhydramine and dextro- glycemic responses were measured and researchers con-
methorphan, which are common ingredients found in many cluded that honey consumption offers potential obesity
OTC medicines. protective effects. Try using raw honey as a substitute to
sugar and you may be pleasantly surprised with the effects
Natural Sleep Promoter Raw honey is also a natural and also how much better it tastes.

Page 34 Robeson Living ~ Spring 2018