What’s the deal with superfoods? The ones you can buy locally can be fresh and spoil in a matter of days. Others, like acai and maca, might last longer (like when they’re frozen or ground to a powder) but come with a price tag. 

What if you just want to give your body something good without having to order something off Amazon or rushing to use it up before it goes bad? We’ve got you. Try honey. 

Seriously, honey is a superfood dream. Even high-quality honey is relatively affordable. And it’ll last. And last. And last. Uncontaminated honey that’s stored correctly can last for decades. Yep, decades. 

And its longevity isn’t the only thing going for it. Honey delivers some pretty impressive health benefits. 

It fights bacteria.

No conversation about honey would be complete without highlighting its antibacterial properties. Honey’s naturally acidic. Plus, as bees make honey, they deposit hydrogen peroxide in it. The result? The sweet, sticky syrup they make can kill salmonella, E. coli, and more. And honey is antifungal, too. 

It soothes stomachs and throats. 

Honey’s a prebiotic, meaning it helps your gut grow the bacteria that keep it healthy. And some studies have shown that it can help when you’ve got an upset stomach, too.

And honey starts doing good for your body well before it hits your stomach. The old tradition of soothing a sore throat with honey isn’t just placebo. Studies show that a couple spoonfuls of honey can be just as effective as dextromethorphan, a main ingredient in OTC cough meds, for easing your cough. (Psst! Important note: never give honey to infants younger than 1 because it can give them botulism.)

It’s still sugar, though. 

All this, and honey’s an antioxidant. But don’t load up on it too fast. All the monosaccharides, fructose, and glucose in honey need to be consumed in moderation. So go ahead and add a spoonful to your tea — but maybe hold off on drizzling it over every serving of fruit you eat. (It’s tempting, we know.)

Be well,