Honey has many more uses than sweetening your food and drinks

We love honey! A few drops of the sweet liquid brings our tea to the next level. We also like to use it to sweeten dishes or to substitute sugar in cakes. While we love the taste of honey, it turns out to be more than just a sweetener!

Honey has many different uses.

6. Energy

Every day there’s a moment when we’re feeling low on energy. Even though for most people this is the moment to grab a cup of coffee, you could also choose to consume some honey. The natural sugars in honey can give you a true energy boost. A study by the University of Memphis shows that cyclists who consumed honey before a race finished faster than those who hadn’t had any honey.

5. Allergies

Do you suffer from hay fever? Perhaps the solution to your allergies is honey. Many people with hay fever call honey the holy grail in treating their allergy symptoms. They consume a tablespoon of raw honey every day, long before hay fever season starts. It’s important, though, to eat honey from local beekeepers. In order for raw honey to combat yur hay fever, it needs to be made by local bees from local flora. This honey contains the pollen you are allergic to, making you immune to them. You could compare this technique to a flu shot. In order to become immune to the virus, you need to be injected with some of it.

4. Moisturizer

When applying honey to the skin, it will work as a moisturizing agent. For this reason, many skincare brands add honey to their face masks. You could also easily make your own face mask by mixing two tablespoons of raw honey with two teaspoons of turmeric.

3. Boost your immune system

Honey contains many antioxidants that may help in preventing ‘cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory disorders, neurological degeneration, wound healing, infectious diseases and ageing’. Consuming it every now and then has many great health benefits.

2. Shiny hair

Honey is a great moisturizer for your skin, but the same goes for your hair! By using honey as a hair mask your hair will become incredibly soft and shiny. Combine about 170 millilitres of honey with 60 millilitres olive oil. Apply this mixture to your hair, focussing on the length of your hair. Put on a shower cap and let the mask sit for about thirty minutes before rinsing and washing your hair as you usually would.

1. Combat uneven skin

Honey is great at combating uneven skin and acne, due to the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Honey will fight bacteria living on the skin, decreasing irritation and redness. Try dipping a cotton swab in some honey and applying it to a zit. Let the honey sink in for fifteen minutes and rinse with lukewarm water.