Does anyone take honey for health benefits and....? (2,607 views)

I like honey a lot but it's so easy to over use because it tastes so good.  for me, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. It also crystallizes   a good part of the year, making it not always handy. I've used agave more lately because it doesn't crystallize. not talking great quantity here.. maybe half teaspoon in the vinaigrette.... It's easier for me to use a little brown sugar on my oatmeal, where as honey or agave I would not stop at a teaspoon.

I wouldn't say I "take" honey, but I do like it in a cup of tea or chai. I started switching to honey from white sugar because I was hoping it would help with seasonal allergies. The seasonal allergies have improved over time, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's because of the honey.

On the rare occasion I get a cold, then I have been known to "take" a teaspoon of honey here and there. It's fabulous for soothing a sore throat and has properties that help quiet coughs as well.

I also reach for the honey jar when I burn myself. Once I've cooled the burn, I smear honey on the area and let the honey do its thing to help heal the area quickly. Honey has antibacterial properties that helps keep a burn area clean while the skin is healing.

I don't use honey as a replacement for sugar. When I'm baking or cooking, I usually use plain old cane sugar or brown sugar. I always have local maple syrup on hand as well, but we use that for pancakes, waffles, and the occasional pie. Each sweetener really serves a different purpose in my mind.

I only use local, raw honey. I buy it by the quart from one of the apple orchards we visit. Much of the honey that you could buy at a grocery store isn't pure honey. My local honey seldom crystallizes, but I actually prefer it when it does- it's much easier to scoop out of the jar in smaller quantities and stir into my tea. Crystallized honey is not an indication of quality and doesn't harm the honey in any way.

mrswaz --- Interesting to read how you use the honey. I need to branch out from salad dressings etc. I'm not sure what kind of honey I use -- I'll look closer at the type I buy when I run out. That should be in a year or so. Big user here.


Gail -- Too funny. I had to check to see what I did type. Sometimes even proof reading doesn't help.
Some of the text that I send (and receive too) are kind of funny. Those auto corrects or just plain old typos often make me laugh or scratch my head.

DH uses honey for his tea so I wanted him to start looking for local honey instead of the stuff from Costco he buys. We went to a local indoor market knowing there was going to be honey there. Wow, what an source of great info the guy was that was selling honey. He's been interested in bees since he was a child, but has been making honey for over 20 years. His honey was raw and unpasteurized and he told us how he cured himself of allergies using honey. He makes honey every month and if someone suffers from allergies, he can pinpoint which of his honeys might help. The key is using local honey. We don't have allergies, so that wasn't necessary, but he mentioned how taking a tsp of honey at night before bed can improve sleep. DH has issues from time to time, so he is trying it out. He also had bee pollen which I purchased for myself since it's supposed to be loaded with B vitamins and have other benefits. I sprinkle some on my food (sandwich, yogurt, salad dressing, etc). I'll see how that goes, but only to start with 1/2 tsp a day to make sure there are no allergic reactions.

My mother take honey because it is good for the health and it enlighten skin.

I use honey instead of sugar, but not always. In general, I try to eat fewer sweets, otherwise, I don't feel well afterward. In addition, I can't add it to tea, because it can't be mixed with hot water. But I do add honey to smoothies.