EDUCATION August 8, 2025

Honey for heart health: What does the research tell us?

EDUCATION

17 minutes

Essential Takeaways

Oxidative stress and lipid metabolism are two of the key risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases¹. Honey has shown the potential to benefit both. It has antioxidant properties which may prevent oxidative stress², and it may help our bodies to process lipids (i.e. ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol)³.

Trials using human subjects are limited, and many of them focus on healthy people, with a small number of the studies showing promise in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors in high-risk individuals⁴.

Manuka honey offers some of the most potent health benefits of all honey types and has been researched for wound healing, brain health, and even cancer treatment⁵. Make your heart happy with Manuka honey.

Cardiovascular (heart) diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of death across the world⁶.

In fact, they accounted for almost one third of deaths in 2021⁶.

Many CVDs are preventable through a healthy lifestyle, with a balanced diet playing a key role.

Honey has been associated with health and wellness since ancient times⁵. And scientists are finding ever more exciting, ground-breaking potential for honey in brain health, cancer treatment, and more.

So what about honey for heart health? Is there any evidence that our hearts love honey just as much as our taste buds?

That’s what this guide is all about.

In this guide to honey for heart health:

Research highlights
Is honey good for your heart?
Is honey better than sugar for heart health?
Which is the best honey for your heart?
3 Ways to use Manuka honey for heart health
Listen to your heart with New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka honey

Research Highlights

2023 Review

This review found that honey supplementation “significantly improved the lipid profile of young men compared to subjects supplemented with sucrose. Specifically, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) levels decreased, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels increased between the beginning and end of the study³.”

2023 Review

This review found that “the consumption of natural raw honey has been reported to reduce cardiovascular risk factors such as total cholesterol, LDL, triacylglycerol, body weight, fasting blood glucose, and CRP [anti-inflammatory protein], particularly in participants with elevated risk factors¹⁰.”

2023 Review

This review looked at different honey types and their impact on cardiometabolic risk factors: “Honey, especially robinia, clover, and unprocessed raw honey, may improve glycemic control and lipid levels when consumed within a healthy dietary pattern¹¹.”

2023 Study

This study examined the potential of the polyphenols in honey in the prevention of chronic diseases and found that: “[The] phenolic compounds in honey exhibit several beneficial properties, such as antioxidant, vasorelaxant [widening blood vessels for better flow], anti-ischemic [helping get oxygen and blood to the heart], and antithrombotic effects [preventing blood clots], which may contribute to the prevention or management of CVD¹⁴.”

2021 Review

This review notes that when looking at the impact of honey on lipid profiles, other elements could be at play: “The effect of honey on blood lipids could be affected by different factors, including sex, type of honey, population and geographical condition. Hence, further studies have to be conducted on the issue to draw a better conclusion¹².”

2020 Study

This paper raises the issue that a number of studies into honey for heart health don’t specify honey type to an adequate degree, and that this could impact results. We should proceed with making broad claims with caution: “Only a few papers describe the chemical characteristics of honey, especially its phenolic compound profile, and its effects on CVDs. Therefore, it is difficult to clearly identify the role of honey and its phenolic compounds in CVDs¹⁵.”

2020 Review

This review found that “honey positively affects risk factors for heart problems” from improving lipid profiles to easing oxidation and boosting antioxidant enzymes⁷.

2020 Study

This study notes that there are relatively few trials involving subjects with high cardiovascular disease risk factors: “The cardioprotective effect of honey remains relatively unstudied among humans with high risk factors, including those with obesity and high blood pressure¹⁵.”

2013 Study

This study found a positive impact of honey on blood pressure: “The effect of honey on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate shows that it has a hypotensive effect [lowers blood pressure] in healthy male and female subjects¹⁷.”

2010 Review

This review explored the role of antioxidants in honey and the prevention of heart disease. It found that: “...certain honey polyphenols have a promising pharmacological role in preventing cardiovascular diseases².”

2008 Study

This study looked at using honey for subjects with higher cardiovascular disease risk factors and found that: “consumption of natural honey reduces cardiovascular risk factors, particularly in subjects with elevated risk factors, and it does not increase body weight in overweight or obese subjects⁴.” (Note the 2020 study above which later claims there aren’t many of these studies so drawing conclusions remains difficult).

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Is Honey Good for Your Heart?

“Several in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trial studies have revealed honey positively affects risk factors for heart problems by improving the plasma lipid profile, suppressing oxidation, attenuating elevation of cardiac damage markers, increasing activities of antioxidant enzymes, and increasing LDL resistance to oxidation caused by oxidative stress in heart diseases.”

Cardioprotective effects of honey and its constituents, a 2020 review⁷.

Many of us might love honey, but does our most important muscle love it back?

Studies like the one above suggest that honey may offer cardioprotective effects in a number of different ways.

But before we unpack what all that medical jargon actually means in practice, let’s set the scene a little. We’ll be talking a lot about cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in this article, so here’s a quick overview of the main ones⁶:

Coronary heart disease: this affects the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle.
Cerebrovascular disease: this affects the blood vessels supplying the brain.
Peripheral arterial disease: this affects the blood vessels supplying the arms and legs.
Rheumatic heart disease: damage to the heart muscle and valves as a result of rheumatic fever which comes from the streptococcal bacteria.
Congenital heart disease: birth defects that impact normal heart function.
Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism: blood clots which can move to the heart and lungs.

Many of these conditions are the result of all sorts of factors, from injury to diet and lifestyle. Some are preventable, and others are less so.

Since we are focusing on honey for heart health in this article, let’s take a look at the two key parameters for CVD risk that honey has been found to impact¹:

Oxidative stress: If our bodies don’t get enough antioxidants to balance the free radicals (unstable molecules) that we come into daily contact with, we can experience oxidative stress⁸. This damage can lead to a heart attack. Levels of free radicals and antioxidants are sometimes used to predict cardiovascular risk.
Lipid metabolism: Lipids are organic fat and fat-like substances (think ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol) that the body needs for lots of different functions from energy storage to cell signalling⁹. Lipid metabolism is how our bodies process them⁹, and if impaired, it can lead to the build up of dangerous plaques. These plaques can plug blood vessels and change our heartbeat (arrhythmia), so this is also used as a signal of cardiovascular risk⁷.

Honey has a global reputation for health and wellness, which goes back thousands of years⁵. Offering more than just sweetness, how does honey impact heart health?

As a sugar substitute, perhaps? This study suggests so:

“A supplementation with 70 g/day of honey for 6 weeks significantly improved the lipid profile of young men (18–30 years) compared to subjects supplemented with sucrose.”

A comprehensive review of the effect of honey on human health, a 2023 review³.

Several clinical studies and systematic reviews suggest that honey may help to reduce some of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, particularly when replacing refined sugar.

“The consumption of natural raw honey has been reported to reduce cardiovascular risk factors such as total cholesterol, LDL, triacylglycerol, body weight, fasting blood glucose, and CRP [anti-inflammatory protein], particularly in participants with elevated risk factors, supporting the view that honey exerts therapeutic activity against CVDs.”

Use of honey in cardiovascular diseases, 2023 review¹⁰.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most documented honey heart health benefits.

Honey for lipid metabolism

Lipids (like cholesterol) are important for our bodies to function, but too many of the wrong sorts can cause problems for our hearts. A healthy body can metabolise these lipids appropriately, and studies have found a positive relationship between honey and lipid profiles:

“Several authors have associated honey consumption with improvements of lipid profile in healthy subjects. Specifically, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) levels decreased, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels increased between the beginning and end of the study.”

A comprehensive review of the effect of honey on human health, a 2023 review³.

This study shows that honey helps to manage the lipids that can become dangerous in large quantities (triglycerides (fat), cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins (sometimes referred to as ‘bad cholesterol’), whilst increasing the lipids we need more of (high-density lipoproteins, sometimes referred to as ‘good cholesterol’).

The study also states that longer honey substitution meant better results:

“These results seem to indicate that supplementation for 6 weeks has a greater effect than for 4 weeks.”

A comprehensive review of the effect of honey on human health, a 2023 review³.

And this was even true of subjects with diabetes:

“Similarly, longer interventions with larger amounts of honey seem to have a greater effect on factors related to heart and vascular health in diabetic subjects.”

A comprehensive review of the effect of honey on human health, a 2023 review³.

Other studies have confirmed these findings, with the caveat that the honey performs best when part of a healthy, balanced diet:

“Honey, especially robinia, clover, and unprocessed raw honey, may improve glycemic control and lipid levels when consumed within a healthy dietary pattern.”

Effect of honey on cardiometabolic risk factors, a 2023 review¹¹.

For transparency, some older studies do claim that other factors could be at play:

“The effect of honey on blood lipids could be affected by different factors, including sex, type of honey, population and geographical condition. Hence, further studies have to be conducted on the issue to draw a better conclusion.”

The effect of honey on lipid profiles, a 2021 systematic review¹².

Whether honey is directly impacting lipid profiles or not, evidence suggests that it can have a positive impact as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Effects have been moderate but consistent across the papers reviewed for this article.

Learn more about using honey to manage weight.

Honey’s antioxidant properties

“Antioxidants present in honey come from a variety of sources, and include Vitamin C, monophenolics, flavonoids, and polyphenolics. Regular flavonoid intake is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases.

This review has clearly demonstrated that certain honey polyphenols have a promising pharmacological role in preventing cardiovascular diseases.”

The potential role of honey and its polyphenols in preventing heart diseases: a 2010 review².

Polyphenols are a group of plant-based compounds best known for their antioxidant properties, which make their way into honey thanks to its nectar and pollen origins. Antioxidants keep those problematic, unstable free radical molecules in check and protect our bodies from damaging oxidative stress¹³.

“Phenolic compounds found in honey, including phenolic acids and flavonoids like quercetin, caffeic acid phenethyl ester, kaempferol, acacetin, and galangin, have been studied for their potential protective effects against CVD [cardiovascular disease].

These phenolic compounds in honey exhibit several beneficial properties, such as antioxidant, vasorelaxant [widening blood vessels for better flow], anti-ischemic [helping get oxygen and blood to the heart], and antithrombotic effects [preventing blood clots], which may contribute to the prevention or management of CVD.”

Exploiting the polyphenol potential of honey in the prevention of chronic diseases, a 2023 study¹⁴.

This study found that the polyphenols in honey offer antioxidant benefits, as well as maintaining good blood flow and oxygen to the heart, and preventing the clots that can lead to heart attack or stroke¹⁴.

The study also credits the phenolic content of honey with halting lipid peroxidation. In other words, its polyphenols help to prevent the build up of dangerous plaques which block the blood vessels and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease¹⁴:

“Because they halt lipid peroxidation, the phenolic chemicals in honey have a curative and preventative impact on sickness.”

Exploiting the polyphenol potential of honey in the prevention of chronic diseases, a 2023 study¹⁴.

It is important to note, however, that honey’s phenolic content can vary as much as the floral sources of the honey itself. This paper flags that some studies don’t provide this level of detail about the honey used in human trials, so we should be careful when drawing broad conclusions¹⁵:

“While the antioxidant properties of honey have been found to correlate with total phenolic compound content, they most likely arise as a result of the synergic effect of the various phenolic compounds present.

Only a few papers describe the chemical characteristics of honey, especially its phenolic compound profile, and its effects on CVDs. Therefore, it is difficult to clearly identify the role of honey and its phenolic compounds in CVDs.”

Honey and its phenolic compounds as an effective medicine for cardiovascular disease in humans? A 2020 study¹⁵.

It’s worth noting that most of the studies conducted on humans so far use healthy subjects. There are some papers specifically looking at people with higher risk factors, with some success:

“It is our conclusion that consumption of natural honey reduces cardiovascular risk factors, particularly in subjects with elevated risk factors, and it does not increase body weight in overweight or obese subjects.”

Natural honey and cardiovascular risk factors, a 2008 study⁴.

But our more recent review puts this into perspective:

“The cardioprotective effect of honey remains relatively unstudied among humans with high risk factors, including those with obesity and high blood pressure.”

Honey and its phenolic compounds as an effective medicine for cardiovascular disease in humans? A 2020 study¹⁵.

So whilst the antioxidant properties of honey are well documented, more research continues to explore whether and how these directly affect heart health in different people.

Honey for blood pressure

The higher our blood pressure, the harder our hearts have to work. This increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and lots of other health problems¹⁶.

Studies have investigated whether eating honey affects blood pressure.

“The effect of honey on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate shows that it has a hypotensive effect [lowers blood pressure] in healthy male and female subjects.”

Comparative study of the effect of honey on blood pressure and heart rate in healthy male and female subjects, 2013 study¹⁷.

This was a human study involving 140 people between the ages of 18 and 25. It found that honey helped to lower blood pressure, keeping vessels open and blood flowing to the heart¹⁷.

Another study looked at the impact of honey-sweetened coffee on blood pressure, heart rate, and blood glucose levels¹⁷. Though this was a smaller sample size over just a few days, it found no real effect, suggesting that swapping refined sugar for honey in hot drinks might be a good natural alternative.

There is still much to investigate when it comes to honey and blood pressure, but with promising signs that honey may help to dilate blood vessels and prevent blockage¹⁴, the outlook is good so far.

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Is Honey Better Than Sugar For Heart Health?

Whilst researching this article and the papers on honey and heart health, we found one key similarity across most of the sources:

Almost all of the clinical benefits of using honey occurred when replacing refined sugar.

Honey is still a carbohydrate containing sugars, so it’s important to consider how it fits into a healthy, balanced lifestyle if you’re concerned about your heart health.

"The effects of added sugar intake — higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease — are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke.”

Dr. Frank Hu, as quoted in this 2022 Harvard Heart Health article¹⁸.

Honey offers a sweet fix but also provides many other benefits, unlike refined sugar.

Pure, raw, unprocessed honey (as many of the articles and research papers specify) has been used by different cultures throughout the world for millennia for many different purposes.

Today, we have the scientific evidence that honey:

Contains antibacterial properties that can protect our bodies from infection¹⁹.

Offers antioxidant properties to keep those free radicals in check and avoid oxidative stress⁵.

Exerts anti-inflammatory effects, helping to ease and heal aggravated tissues and regenerate cells²⁰.

Most of the damage that our bodies experience comes from problems related to one of these three things. So it’s no wonder that scientists are still trying to understand the specifics of how we can use honey to help treat a whole range of ailments.

Honey is a promising natural alternative or complement to many of the harsher medications that we have come to rely on. It has even shown promise in boosting chemotherapy²¹.

Beat that, sugar.

Learn more about using honey as a healthy natural sweetener in our dedicated guide

Which is the Best Honey for Your Heart?

Research shows that monofloral, raw and unprocessed honey offers the greatest health benefits not just for the heart, but the rest of the body, too⁵.

But there are so many different honey types on the shelves. How do you choose the right one for you?

Due to its longstanding reputation for health and wellness, honey has become one of the most faked foods in the world. To maximise the amount available for sale and make them look more commercially appealing, many honey products are ultraprocessed and diluted with additional sugars.

This is not good news for our bodies. Fortunately, there is one type of honey with an excellent track record for health and wellness, protected by a rigorous verification system.

Manuka honey has some of the most potent levels of antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of all honey types²².

“Originating from New Zealand, Manuka honey distinguishes itself from other honeys. Obtained results demonstrated that manuka honeys possessed relatively high antioxidant capacity [compared to the other honeys tested].”

Antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activity of manuka honey, a 2019 study²².

And we know by now that these properties are what have scientists so interested in honey for heart health.

To protect the integrity of this high-potency honey, the Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) created the UMF™ grading system.

Only pure, raw, monofloral Manuka honey from New Zealand can be assigned a UMF™ grade, which relates to its antibacterial activity. UMF™-certified Manuka honeys have also been independently tested for a range of chemical markers that prove they are pure, raw and trustworthy.

By opting for independently-graded UMF™ Manuka honey, you can be sure you’re getting the most potent health benefits and an authentic product.

See what our customers think:

“After two months of a daily teaspoon, I feel better. I don’t know exactly how but one huge difference is my heart is not fluttering anymore. I did tons of research before selecting New Zealand Manuka Honey. I will take this for the rest of my life.”

Sara W., verified buyer | UMF™ 24+ | MGO 1122+

“My husband and I are thrilled with the results! His morning blood sugar levels are amazing too!”

Charmaine S., verified buyer | UMF™ 20+ | MGO 829+

Learn more about UMF™ here.

3 Ways to Use Manuka Honey for Heart Health

Before we dive into some delicious ways to use honey for your heart, here’s a quick recap of how the research papers we studied used honey for the best results:

Most of the human trials used 2 tablespoons daily.
Results were recorded within a 4-12 week window.
Results were greater when honey was used instead of sugar, rather than as an addition to their diet.

With these in mind, here are a few days that you can use honey for your heart.

Anti-inflammatory Manuka honey tea

Why not take your hot drink a step further and blend turmeric, ginger, and a dollop of honey? These anti-inflammatory ingredients are great for your mind, body, soul - and heart.

Add your Manuka honey when your tea has cooled below 37℃(98.6℉) to retain its good stuff.

Manuka honey dressings

Who said salads need to be dull? Mix up Manuka honey with a little olive oil and lemon juice for a deliciously balanced, sweet and savoury dressing.

Simple, packed full of nutrients, and sure to add an unexpected zing to your dishes.

Get our Manuka honey summer salad dressing recipe here.

A wholefood, heart-loving breakfast

Are you thinking what we’re thinking?

Overnight oats are a quick and easy way to prepare a healthy, balanced breakfast ahead of time with all your favourite heart-friendly foods.

Whole foods such as oats, berries, nuts, and seeds are great for our hearts. Mix up your favourites and finish with a dollop of Manuka honey to keep you feeling full and energised until lunchtime.

Find out more ways to use Manuka honey here.