With nearly 3 million honey-producing colonies around the U.S., honey production is higher than its ever been. There are so many uses for honey, that even the biggest snack and beverage companies are starting to add it to their foods. Beyond just sweetening your tea, honey has lots of fantastic uses.

Here are 4 of best uses for honey to stay healthy without giving up the flavour.

1. Use it For a Sore Throat

When you’re sick and you have a cough, your throat could feel scratchy, making it painful to swallow most foods and beverages. Honey is a natural analgesic and anti-inflammatory substance. Adding honey to tea allows you to coat your throat with something that not only tastes good but is good for you.

Honey is the solution for you or a loved one who is lying in bed coughing all day. It will perk them up and help heal their sore throat.

2. Replace Sugars in Recipes

If you’re looking to lose weight, replacing sugar with honey could be a smart solution to help you get fit quickly. White and refined sugars are much harder for your body to break down than honey.

If you like to cook and to bake at home, you want your family to be healthy and happy, even if you’re making a sweet dessert. Replacing your sweetener with honey is a healthy solution that will make everyone happy if they even notice that the sugar is missing from the dish.

3. Use it For Allergies

If you’ve recently moved to a new area, you might be the victim of a wave of allergies. Adjusting to a new environment isn’t easy for everyone and some bodies don’t do it as easily as others do. If you want to get over your allergies quickly, you should try using honey.

Local honey is the solution that you should look for at your local supermarket or a nearby health food store.

Local honey can help you get over your allergies because it’s being made with the help of the local environment and plant life. As bees take their pollen from the plants that surround you, they create honey that can be used as an agent to inoculate you from allergies.

4. Let it Help You Sleep

Given that so many people have trouble getting to sleep at night, even the slightest solution could be a godsend. If medication is too intense for you, honey can be your natural solution.

Because your insulin levels rise when you eat honey, your body then will release the neurotransmitter serotonin. Once that’s in your system, it gets transformed into melatonin, which notoriously can help you fall asleep.

There Are So Many Uses For Honey

With so many fantastic uses for honey, there’s no reason to ever pass up the chance to restock your cupboards with it. If you buy local honey, you’re not only supporting your local economy, but you’re making yourself healthier by getting more in tune with your local environment.

If you’re interested in using honey and tea for weight loss, check our guide to find out more.