Healthy Honey: Investigating the Benefits of Honey for National Honey Month
We’re back celebrating National Honey Month! Earlier this month we examined the origins and processes behind honey, appreciating the hard work honeybees put in and the thousands of years of evolution behind it. Now, let's look at the ins and outs of our relationship with honey. From its use in ancient cultures all the way to modern day, honey remains a staple to holistic health, self care, and a treat we all love!
Through understanding our relationship to honey, we can better appreciate its place in our cultures and food systems, connecting more personally to our work in environmental stewardship and pollinator conservation. Understanding honey’s gifts and benefits makes protecting the pollinators who share it with us all the more important.
Honey’s Healing Properties
Throughout history, humans have had a deep connection with the natural world around us. Cultures across the world have honored honey, utilizing it in some of their most sacred acts, from embalming in ancient Egypt to ritual offering in ancient Greece (Zahid, 2026). Honey was valued for its healing and medical properties, and was widely used for wound care and natural remedies.
Honey was especially vital in ancient Ayuverdic medicine, an Indian medical system dating back 5,000 years. This medical tradition focuses on holistic healing and bringing balance to the whole body. (Cleveland Clinic, 2022)
Within Ayurvedic medicine, it is believed that honey has many therapeutic benefits and can be used in combination with other ingredients and herbs to unlock different healing properties. Some of these include ginger, lemon, cinnamon and aloe vera, which are common ingredients in modern remedies.
The history of honey as a natural remedy is backed up by modern science which has found honey to be antimicrobial thanks to its low pH, high sugar content, and naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide. Clinical studies have found that honey can accelerate wound healing, and the compounds within honey provide anti-inflammatory and immune system-boosting effects. (Ogwu & Izah, 2025)
It is vital to consult with a medical professional before pursuing any treatment, but there are countless casual ways you can incorporate honey into your self-care routine as a natural health boost!
Honey can be used to aid sore throats, as a natural exfoliant and dry skin remedy, and combined with ginger to calm inflammation and help boost your immune system to prevent colds! Honey can even calm your nervous system if you are having trouble sleeping, try preparing it with some decaf tea or a warm glass of milk before bed.
Here are some easy recipes for at-home honey self care:
Honey-Lemon Throat Soother
Ingredients: 1/4 cup honey, juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger.
Instructions: Mix all ingredients in a small jar and take a spoonful to soothe a sore throat. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Honey Face Mask
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon plain yogurt, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
Instructions: Mix all ingredients into a smooth paste. Apply to clean, dry skin and leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry for a refreshed and glowing complexion.
Honey Sugar Scrub
Ingredients: 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup coconut oil.
Instructions: Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Use as a gentle exfoliator on your face and body, leaving your skin smooth and hydrated.
Understanding Varieties of Honey
Honey can have a wide range of tastes depending on where the nectar is sourced from. Factors such as floral source, climate, and seasonal variation of the nectar source can completely change the flavor and color.
As well as flavor, did you know these same factors impact its therapeutic properties as well?
Manuka honey: made from the nectar of the mānuka tree found in New Zealand and Australia, possesses enhanced antibacterial properties thanks to the methylglyoxal compound. Popular for sore throats and digestive issues. (Berkheiser & Northrop, 2024)
Thyme honey: made from the nectar of thyme plants, is found to be comparable to Manuka honey, and has been used effectively against infection. (Ogwu & Izah, 2025)
Eucalyptus honey: made from
the flowers of eucalyptus trees, is popular for its ability to support respiratory health. (Ogwu & Izah, 2025)
Try Honey Tasting for
Yourself
Book a Planet Bee Corporate Honey Tasting Workshop for National Honey Month!
During this guided experience, participants explore the fascinating world of honey bees and learn how nectar becomes honey while smelling and tasting different honeys and discovering how floral sources can influence their flavors and aromas.
It's a delicious way to combine corporate team building, employee engagement, honey bee education, sustainability learning, and environmental impact.
Planet Bee offers corporate programs virtually and onsite, making it possible to engage teams across different locations and workplace settings.
Whether your organization is planning a National Honey Month event, employee sustainability program, corporate team-building experience, ESG initiative, environmental awareness campaign, or educational employee event, bees provide a memorable way to bring people together around the natural world.
Corporate participation can have an impact beyond the workplace: proceeds from our corporate programs help directly support environmental STEM education for students.
References
Zahid, Nisha (2026). Ancient Greek Honey Offering Found in Paestum Shrine Solves 70-Year Mystery. Greek Reporter, https://greekreporter.com/2026/07/14/ancient-greek-honey-paestum-shrine-solves-mystery/
Cleveland Clinic. What Is Ayurveda and Does It Work? Health Essentials. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-ayurveda
Ogwu, M. C., & Izah, S. C. (2025). Honey as a Natural Antimicrobial. Antibiotics, 14(3), 255. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14030255
Berkheiser, Kaitlyn & Northrop, Alyssa (2024). 6 Health Benefits of Manuka Honey, Based on Science. Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/manuka-honey-uses-benefits
