Is Honey Healthy?

by Megan O. Steintrager
on 09/05/13 at 01:00 PM


If you've been eating honey to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, you might be happy to learn that this gift from the bees could carry benefits beyond ensuring a sweet new year. Our sister site, Self, shares 7 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Honey, including its power to possibly fight cancer (and hangovers). WebMd takes a cautious approach when it comes to the touted health benefits, explaining in an article about Medicinal Uses of Honey that many claims about honey's healthfulness, including its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, are unproven outside of the laboratory. But, the article says, there is some research supporting honey's use for suppressing coughs and, used topically, for treating wounds.

Moderation is key when it comes to honey, since it actually has more calories per teaspoon than table sugar (though it is sweeter, so you can use less). In the end, it might be how you use honey that accounts for how healthy it is, so slice up some apples (a proven superfood) and start dipping!

05:20:35 PM on

I've never understood why local honey cures allergies; allergies are caused by wind-blown pollen - the kind bees aren't collecting - thus that kind of pollen won't be in the honey.

02:28:43 PM on

Buy local, raw honey when possible. We enjoy it during allergy season, and it keeps the sneezing and itchy eyes at bay.

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