Honey Can Sweeten the Aging Process: Honey and Anti-Aging Benefits

Research into ways to age healthier have turned up a surprise natural ingredient for enjoying a more successful old age – Honey!

According to studies on how raw honey that hasn't been processed can make us healthier, just about every part of the body can enjoy a benefit from this sweet concoction.

Key Takeaways

• Honey is a natural medicine that's been used for centuries to heal everything from wounds to the heart.
• Honey is a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial that offers the body a wealth of anti-aging benefits.
• To get the most out of honey's healing power, choose raw, unpasteurized honey.

Honey's Anti-Aging Power

Honey's antioxidant properties and their role in preventing signs of aging. In a bee hive, raw honey offers bees a non-perishable food supply that can be stored and consumed when nectar and pollen aren’t available from flowers for feeding.

For us humans, according to scientists who have studied honey, this bee product possesses a “potential therapeutic role in the treatment of disease by phytochemical, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties.”

Of course, just because honey has these benefits, doesn’t mean you can go whole hog and scarf down as much honey as you can. A very high honey-filled diet won’t do your body good! But, as we’ll show you, judicious use of honey as a sweetener -- and in other ways-- can produce impressive anti-aging results.

Honey – Ancient Ayurvedic Medicine Used by Millions

Stone age paintings show that people have been using honey for at least 8,000 years – and probably a lot longer than that.

Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, considers honey to be one of nature’s supreme gifts to humans. In that healing tradition, honey has been used to treat the teeth and gums as well as to ease insomnia, for skin disorders, heart palpitations, lung health and for a longer life. It’s even been used to prevent cataracts. And ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans employed honey for wounds and diseases of the intestine.

Meanwhile, modern scientific researchers have focused on these benefits from honey and many others. In fact, they've been exploring how honey can positively impact the body to promote a longer, healthier life.

Modern Day Science: Live Longer With Honey

One study of Malaysian beekeepers shows that consuming honey and other bee products like propolis and bee pollen may help you live longer with fewer age-related maladies. In this investigation, an analysis of the genetic material of the beekeepers shows that they possess longer telomeres than other people. And those longer telomeres are scientifically linked to a better likelihood of living longer. Telomeres, by the way, are the endcap sections of DNA strands that limit genetic damage when cells divide. Over time, and thousands of cell divisions, those telomeres begin to shorten.

Honey's impact on telomeres is only the beginning. Consider that when British scientists looked at the mortality of a group of more than 600 men in England over a 25-year period, they found that the honey consumers were “considerably” less likely to die during the years of the study.

Researchers attribute honey's anti-aging benefits to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which help protect the body from free-radical damage and reduce inflammation.

Honey's Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Properties

Honey is a nutritional anomaly. It's essentially pure sugar, without any fat and only trace amounts of protein-- amino acid composition-- and fiber. Yet, what honey lacks in traditional nutrition, it more than makes up for in health-boosting plant based antioxidant flavonoids called polyphenols.

These polyphenols decrease oxidative stress levels in the body and result in a wealth of health benefits.

In a review of forty-eight clinical trials conducted between 1985 and 2022, involving a total of 3655 participants, the findings suggest predominantly positive effects of honey on various health conditions. The beneficial outcomes are largely attributed to honey's antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, which are thought to result from its phenolic compounds content.

When researchers at the University of Toronto looked at honey’s effects on the body in a review study, they found it lowered inflammation linked to heart problems and also lowered blood sugar.

“These results are surprising, because honey is about 80 per cent sugar,” says researcher Tauseef Khan, PhD. “But honey is also a complex composition of common and rare sugars, proteins, organic acids and other bioactive compounds that very likely have health benefits.”

Honey Helps Your Heart

Regular intake of flavonoids, a group of phenolic compounds found abundantly in honey, is linked with a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). These compounds in honey exhibit several protective effects against coronary heart disease (CHD), including antithrombotic (preventing blood clots), anti-ischemic (preventing tissue damage due to lack of blood and oxygen), antioxidant, and vasorelaxant (relaxing blood vessels) actions.

Flavonoids are suggested to reduce the risk of CHD through three primary mechanisms: enhancing coronary vasodilation (widening of the coronary arteries), reducing platelet aggregation (thus preventing blood clots), and inhibiting the oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), which is a key factor in the development of atherosclerosis.

In a study involving 38 overweight individuals, the consumption of 70 grams of natural honey for 30 days led to significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride, and C-reactive protein (CRP), all of which are risk factors for CVD. This study concluded that natural honey could lower cardiovascular risk factors, especially in subjects with elevated risk factors, without increasing body weight in overweight or obese individuals.

Honey is also known to contain nitric oxide (NO) metabolites. Elevated levels of NO in honey might provide a protective function in cardiovascular diseases due to NO's role in vasodilation and blood flow regulation. These findings suggest the potential of honey as a natural therapeutic agent in managing and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Honey Sharpens Memory

A review study that looked at about three dozen published articles about honey’s benefits for the brain found that “honey was found to exhibit memory booster effects in both experimental rats and humans.”

These researchers believe that honey helps support better brain health as you age by improving the networking of neurons in the hippocampus (an important memory center), increasing the amount of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain (BDNF encourages the growth of neurons) and decreasing the brain’s oxidative stress.

They add that these benefits are made possible by honey’s concentrated content of phytochemicals that bees acquire from the flowers and plants they visit while foraging.

Honey Heals Wounds

One of the most studied and most effective uses of honey is found in healing of wounds.

Honey has been used as a wound dressing and natural healing agent for centuries. The Russians used honey in World War I to prevent wound infection and to accelerate wound healing. The Germans combined cod liver oil and honey to treat ulcers, burns, and boils. In fact, in a review of the traditional and modern uses of honey, researchers report that nearly all types of wounds are found to be responsive to honey therapy.

They go on to say that "Application of honey as wound dressing leads to stimulation of healing process and rapidly clears the infection. Honey has cleansing action on wounds, stimulates tissue regeneration and reduces inflammation. Honey impregnated pads act as non adhesive tissue dressing."

Researchers believe that honey may help in wound healing due to its antibacterial properties, not to mention it's an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.

Honey Promotes Younger-Looking Skin

Honey offers several benefits for skin health, making it a valuable ingredient in natural skincare. Some of the key benefits of honey for the skin include its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties, as well as its ability to promote skin cell regeneration and healing.

Honey's anti-inflammatory effect makes it useful for various inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and atopic dermatitis. Additionally, honey's antimicrobial and antibacterial properties enable it to fight skin infections, making it beneficial for overall skin health.

Furthermore, honey acts as a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the air into the skin and helps retain it, providing long-lasting hydration. This property makes honey an effective moisturizer, deeply hydrating the skin and leaving it plumper, softer, and with a natural radiant glow. Honey also contains antioxidants, enzymes, and other nutrients that nourish and cleanse the skin, making it a natural anti-aging compound that can help prevent wrinkles and promote a youthful complexion.

In addition to its moisturizing and anti-aging properties, honey has mild exfoliating properties due to the presence of organic acids like gluconic acid so it can wash away dead skin cells. This allows honey to gently remove dead skin cells, resulting in a fresher and brighter complexion. Its potential to reduce scarring and hyperpigmentation further highlights its significance in promoting overall skin health

Overall, honey's multifaceted benefits for skin health, including its moisturizing, anti-aging, and healing properties, make it a versatile and valuable ingredient in skincare. Its natural antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties contribute to healthier skin, making it a popular choice for various skincare routines and products.

These findings suggest that honey's antioxidant, exfoliating, and hydrating properties, along with its synergistic effects with other natural ingredients, contribute to its effectiveness in anti-aging and wrinkle prevention.

Bioactive Compounds in Honey

The active compounds in honey that provide anti-aging benefits include a variety of bioactive molecules and antioxidants. Some of the key compounds are:

• Phenolic Compounds: Honey contains phenolic compounds such as gallic acid, syringic acid, ellagic acid, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and others, which contribute to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Flavonoids: Flavonoids like quercetin, kaempferol, apigenin, and naringenin are present in honey and have been associated with various health benefits, including anti-aging effects.
• Other Bioactive Molecules: Honey also contains bioactive molecules like p-coumaric acid, eugenol, ferulic acid, pinobanksin, pinocembrin, and chrysin, which contribute to its overall antioxidant and anti-aging properties.

The use of honey in skin care products and its potential anti-aging effects. The presence of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols in honey and their contribution to its anti-aging benefits.

These compounds work together to provide honey with its anti-aging benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and skin-protective effects. When combined with other natural ingredients like turmeric, honey can offer significant anti-aging benefits

Taking Advantage of Honey's Anti-Aging Benefits

Honey is easy to find at any grocery store, but when it comes to healing you'll want to use only unprocessed raw honey.

Raw Honey

Raw honey is honey that has not been pasteurized, processed, or filtered. It is collected straight from the honeycombs and then strained to remove any debris such as dead bees, wax, and other particles. Raw honey is known for its array of health benefits, including being a good source of antioxidants. It contains various plant chemicals that act as antioxidants, making it a valuable addition to a healthy diet.

Raw honey is the kind that has historically been used to heal wounds, aid digestion, and soothe sore throats. It is also used in some hospitals as a treatment for wounds due to its potential antibacterial properties.

Raw honey is available in many grocery stores, health food stores, farmer’s markets, and online stores. It is important to look for a label that specifically says "raw" and to ensure that the honey is sourced from a trusted producer.Raw honey is believed to have more health benefits compared to regular honey due to its unprocessed nature. It contains healthful bee pollen, bee propolis, and plenty of antioxidants.

Raw honey has become increasingly popular in recent years, and people can now buy it from various sources, including grocery and health food stores, farmers’ markets, and online stores. It is important to note that raw honey may crystallize after a few months of storage, but this is a natural process and does not affect its quality or safety. Raw honey is also available from family-owned farms and can be purchased online from various retailers.

Raw Honey vs. Processed Honey

If you're curious about just how much better raw honey is at healing when compared with processed honey, here's just one study to ponder.

When comparing the effects of ingesting 75 grams of natural honey with the same amount of artificial honey (a mixture of fructose and glucose in a study on cholesterol and blood sugar levels the results were clear: they showed that natural honey consumption resulted in a significantly lower increase in insulin and C-reactive protein levels compared to artificial honey.

Moreover, natural honey reduced cholesterol, LDL-C, and triglycerides (TG) while slightly increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). In patients with high cholesterol, artificial honey raised triglyceride levels, whereas natural honey lowered them.

Similarly, artificial honey increased bad LDL cholesterol levels, whereas natural honey decreased them. In diabetic patients, honey caused a significantly lower rise in plasma glucose levels compared to table sugar.

Manuka Honey's Healing Benefits

Manuka honey is a type of raw honey that is native to New Zealand and is produced by bees that pollinate the flower Leptospermum scoparium, commonly known as the Manuka bush. It is known for its unique antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, which set it apart from traditional honey.

Manuka honey contains a bioactive compound called methylglyoxal (MGO), which is believed to be responsible for its antibacterial effects. This honey has been used since ancient times for wound healing, soothing sore throats, preventing tooth decay, and improving digestive issues. It has been widely researched and its antibacterial potential is renowned worldwide, making it a promising functional food for the treatment of wounds or stomach ulcers.

The main medical use for Manuka honey is for wound and burn healing. It has been reported to exhibit antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, making it a very promising topical antimicrobial agent against infections that do not respond to antibiotics. Manuka honey has also been used as a method of accelerating wound healing and has demonstrated potential in the treatment of ulcers, bed sores, and other skin infections resulting from burns and wounds. Its potency against microorganisms suggests its potential to be used as an alternative therapeutic agent in wound infections

In addition to its wound healing properties, Manuka honey has been found to be effective in inhibiting the growth of harmful oral bacteria that can cause gingivitis and tooth decay. It has also been used to soothe coughs and sore throats, improve digestive health, and has potential applications in treating skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis. However, the evidence is limited on whether it works for these conditions, and no major studies have looked at the effect of Manuka honey on cancer, diabetes, or fungal infections.

Summary

Honey, a natural product produced by honey bees, has been valued since ancient times not only for its nutritional qualities but also for its therapeutic benefits. Traditionally used in treating a wide range of health issues including eye diseases, asthma, infections, and even as a nutritional supplement, honey's medicinal properties are attributed to its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antimetastatic effects. These effects are largely due to honey's composition, rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, which act as powerful antioxidants. Research suggests honey's potential therapeutic roles in managing wounds, diabetes, cancer, asthma, cardiovascular, neurological, and gastrointestinal diseases. Its bioactive molecules, particularly flavonoids and polyphenols, contribute to these health benefits by enhancing antioxidant capacity, promoting wound healing, and offering protection against various diseases. Despite the high sugar content, the positive impact of honey in disease management, supported by both traditional use and scientific evidence, underscores its potential as a natural therapeutic agent to fight aging and promote longevity.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does honey help anti-aging?

A review analyzes the impact of honey consumption on human aging based on forty-eight clinical trials conducted between 1985 and 2022, involving a total of 3655 participants. The findings suggest predominantly positive effects of honey on various health conditions, including cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, glucose tolerance, mucositis from chemo-radiotherapy, cough in children, and wound healing. The beneficial outcomes are largely attributed to honey's antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, which are thought to result from its antioxidant phenolic compounds content.

How does honey tighten skin?

Honey is known for its potential to promote skin cell regeneration and healing, as well as its mild exfoliating properties due to the presence of organic acids like gluconic acid. When used as a face mask, honey can be left on for 10 minutes to 30 minutes, depending on the specific application. This duration allows the honey to work its magic, potentially improving blood circulation and tightening the skin. Additionally, honey's natural humectant properties enable it to draw moisture into the skin, contributing to improved skin hydration, which can make the skin appear more firm or "tight."

How long does it take honey to improve the look of your skin?

Honey's potential to reduce acne scars, hyperpigmentation and even help fine lines and wrinkles over time has been noted in research. However, there is not a time period for improvement that researchers have consistently reported in their studies.

What kind of honey should I buy?

Raw honey is unprocessed and contains a wide variety of nutrients and antioxidants. It is believed to have more health benefits compared to regular honey, which undergoes processing that may reduce its nutritional content. Raw honey is available from various sources and is a popular choice for individuals seeking a natural and unprocessed sweetener with potential health benefits. Plus, if you decide to start consuming some honey daily, the researchers say that raw, unfiltered honey is your best bet. Not the pasteurized honey you’ll mostly find on supermarket shelves

Is there anyone who shouldn't eat honey?

Honey is safe for virtually everyone. However, you should avoid feeding honey of any kind to babies under the age of one year. That's because a type of bacteria (called Clostridium) that causes infant botulism can be found in honey. Infant botulism can cause muscle weakness, with signs like poor sucking, a weak cry, constipation, and decreased muscle tone.

Is there any research on honey's role in allergies and immunity?

The role of honey in allergies and immunity has been a topic of interest and discussion. While some sources and studies have suggested potential benefits, the overall consensus is that there is limited scientific evidence to support the use of honey for allergies or immunity. Several reputable sources, including WebMD, Healthline, and a review published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), have indicated that honey, including local or raw honey, has not been scientifically proven to reduce allergies. One study mentioned by WebMD had people with allergies eat 1 tablespoon of local honey per day, and their symptoms did not improve compared to those who did not consume honey. The idea behind honey treating allergies is similar to that of a person getting allergy shots, but while allergy shots have been proven to be effective, honey has not. Additionally, a review published in NCBI highlighted that although some studies have tested the efficacy of honey for medical purposes, more research is needed to cover all medicinal aspects of honey.