Honey is oftentimes referred to as the liquid gold and for a good reason. The buzz surrounding this mighty substance has never been louder than today, particularly for its role in improving symptoms of respiratory infections, amid humanity’s battle against the deadly COVID-19.

Honey is a natural sweetener, meaning it could make your meals and beverage tasty without harming your health. Unlike table sugar, this viscous liquid does wonders for our bodies more than we know, here are some of its benefits:

Nutrients-Packed Substance

Apart from its antioxidant and natural sugar contents, honey is packed with a multitude of nutrients, albeit in small amounts. Some of the 31 minerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium.

Pixel Shot/Shutterstock Honey contains small amounts of major nutrients

Even though honey doesn’t contain big volumes of different nutrients, it can still add to the recommended nutritional intake. That said, you can source more minerals from other foods like fruits and vegetables, and supplements.

Against Metabolic Syndrome

Honey is also found to be effective in combatting metabolic syndrome or MetS, an umbrella term for the combination of risk factors. In order to know if you have this, you must possess a minimum of three of the following: high blood pressure, low HDL cholesterol, high blood sugar, large waistline (at least 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women), and high bad triglycerides level.

JRC Prod/Shutterstock A waistline of over 40 inches for men is one of the risk factors for many diseases

A 2018 paper detailed how honey exactly aids in addressing these health issues. Because this all-natural sweetener has low glycemic index, it doesn’t cause the blood sugar to spike, which means it’s a better choice than the table sugar for diabetic patients.

Moreover, it was found that this golden substance increases good cholesterol, reduces bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and improves lipid metabolism.

Because honey has antioxidative properties, it fights oxidative stress, which is the imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants. This state is primarily the culprit behind premature aging because of cell and tissue damage.

Wound Healing

Since ages ago, honey has been hailed for its healing powers. In ancient Egypt, for example, they used topical honey treatment for burns and wounds.

Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock Honey is effective in treating wounds

Several studies have found that honey indeed is an effective treatment for partial-thickness burn, infected wounds, and diabetic foot ulcers. Moreover, it is said to be helpful for psoriasis and lesions.

For the Gut

A study has found that honey has prebiotic properties, which is good for gut health. Prebiotics, which are a type of fiber, helps in the fermentation of certain bacteria like lactobacilli that is beneficial for the gut.