For thousands of years, people have been buzzing about the luxurious sweetness of honey and healing properties of honeycomb. Their ravings haven’t been in vain, there is plenty of scientific proof of the benefits of eating honeycomb and honey. Consequently, we’ll take a closer look at 12 of those proven benefits in a moment, but before we do, let’s become a bit more familiar with honeycomb.
12 Benefits of Eating Honeycomb
Without further ado, here are 12 potential benefits of eating honeycomb.
1. Periodontitis Treatment
The first great benefit associated with eating honeycomb comes from its use in the treatment of periodontitis or gum disease. According to research conducted by Indian researchers, its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties help to prevent the erosion of periodontal tissues.
2. Treatment of Bronchitis
Eating honeycomb is also beneficial for treating chronic and acute bronchitis. The wax esters from beeswax and propolis assist in the reduction of bronchial inflammation, according to a U.S. Patent study.
3. Antioxidant
Giving your immune system a boost and working as an antioxidant is another of the exciting benefits of eating honeycomb. WebMD cites a University of California, Davis study which contends that the raw honey found in honeycomb slow potentially dangerous diseases by scavenging free-radicals which damage body tissues.
4. Allergy Treatment
Another important benefit to be had from eating honeycomb is related to the treatment of allergies. Turkish scientists linked the consumption of propolis found in honeycomb to having an anti-allergic effect on nasal histology and reversed allergic rhinitis symptoms in their test subjects.
5. Treatment of Diarrhea
The treatment of diarrhea is also a celebrated benefit of eating honeycomb. The natural probiotics, probiotics and zinc present in raw honey and its components are effective at combating the bacterial strains most often associated with diarrhea, according to research conducted by a Saudi Arabian scientist.
6. Promotes Better Sleep
Though it might come as a surprise, according to Dr. Ron Fessenden, MD, the raw honey produced in honeycomb promotes better sleep. His study indicates that raw honey, which can be accessed by eating honeycomb, improves sleep because it is the proper balance of sugars for your liver and because it helps to produce hormones necessary for achieving better sleep.
7. Diabetes Management
The benefits of eating honeycomb also extend to the management of type-2 diabetes. According to a study referenced in Livestrong, honeycomb’s wax esters help to reduce the markers for insulin resistance and significantly reduced serum insulin levels among those who consumed it in a fatty liver study.
8. Energy Booster
Numerous athletes are well aware of the effect honey has on enhancing performance, so eating honeycomb is only a natural extension of boosting your energy. An article in Runner’s World highlights how the pollens, vitamins, minerals, proteins and natural sugars found in raw honey and honeycomb provide the best balance of simple carbohydrates for energy.
9. Treatment of Obesity
San Diego State University research points to the benefits of raw honey and the other components obtained from eating honeycomb as having benefits related to the treatment of obesity. Moreover, their study indicated that there was an overall lowering of lipid and triglyceride production resulting from its consumption and that test subjects tended to reduce food intake as well.
10.Treatment of NAFLD
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) finds its treatment through eating honeycomb. The wax esters in honeycomb significantly decreased insulin resistance and increased total antioxidant status in test subjects who consumed it during a Cuban experiment.
11. Heart health promotion
Honeycomb has been known to have the potential to boost your heart health. Research has shown that the fatty acids and alcohols in beeswax can reduce high cholesterol levels, which is a risk factor for heart disease.
12. Protection against infections
Honeycomb has the capability to boost your body’s ability to fight some fungi and bacteria. This includes Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli, and Salmonella enterica.
Additionally, honeycomb has been known for its antimicrobial properties. It could protect your gut from Giardia lamblia, an intestinal parasite.
However, keep in mind that human studies are still needed to confirm this theory.
What Is Honeycomb?
Honeycomb is a product of honeybees that comes to life in their hives. They make it in a complex of hexagonal-shaped cells from beeswax. Within this structure is the storage of raw honey and pollen. Moreover, an added component which you can often find in a honeycomb is propolis or bee glue, which bees use to repair damaged areas of the comb and of the nest.
The nutritional benefits of raw honey are well documented. However, the nutritional benefits of honeycomb are not limited to the raw honey. The very-long-chain fatty acids and long-chain esters (alcohols), which are present in the beeswax or wax esters, also have great benefits to your health associated with them, and they can be eaten as well. Lastly, the propolis and bee pollen components of honeycomb have also been shown to contain powerful health benefits as well.
A Note of Caution
As great as honeycomb is, you still need to take cautions into consideration when using it. In most cases, consuming honeycomb in moderation poses few health risks. However, there are individual cases in which honeycomb can have adverse side effects.
• The most serious and potentially life-threatening issue that comes with consuming a large amount of honeycomb is related to gastrointestinal blockage. A Cases Journal report indicates that a woman who had consumed large amounts of honeycomb over a two-month period required surgery to remove an intestinal mass of beeswax.
• The raw honey and other components in honeycomb have the potential to produce botulism in children under the age of one and in older individuals who have a compromised immune system.
As we mentioned, there are few dangers that come with consuming honeycomb in moderation. If you intend to use a large quantity of honeycomb as a therapeutic remedy, it is best to consult a healthcare professional. Moreover, they can advise you on proper amounts and duration of usage.
Tying It Together
It is no surprise that ancient civilizations greatly treasured honeycomb for its numerous benefits. In our modern era, there is plenty of scientific evidence to support these claims. In fact, the benefits of eating honeycomb have been passed down for thousands of years. Take a bit out of a luxuriously sweet honeycomb and reap those great benefits today. Finally, don’t forget to present your questions, comments and success stories related to honeycomb in the section provided below.
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