Is honey good for the immune system?

[debodun]

Or is that just an urban legend?

[Paxiled]

No, honey is not good for the immune system.  I've never heard this said of honey, so I don't even think it's an urban legend.  The question has always been is honey bad for you, not whether it's good for you.  Everything Barb says above is great info, but its beneficial uses even if the honey is raw and organic are quite limited in scope.  Different honeys also have different beneficial effects.  Monukka honey is said to help specifically kill off h-pylori.  All honey produces hydrogen pyroxide, which we all know all to well in corona land, but not in large amounts.  It is mostly antibacterial on the skin, but it also has some internal benefit as well and again, the specific honey monukka has some research showing effectiveness against h-pylori, which is thought to be a primary cause of ulcers.  Honey and lemon in hot water, basically a herbal tea, is very effective as an expectorant.  And it does have some nutrients.  But its downfall as something to be used a lot is it's sugar.  You don't want too much sugar of any form, though you don't have to go all the way to none.  It's thought to be less harmful than cane sugar or beet sugar, as a lot of it is fructose which breaks down more slowly than sucrose, but still, it is sugar.  However, bees do make two products that are so nutrient dense they are called super foods and as such are quite good for energy and the immune system, and those are royal jelly, which is the food that makes a queen a queen, and bee pollen.  These don't have the sugar problem and are two of the most nutrient dense foods we have. But they don't have the topical antibacterial effects.  

[Barb135]

Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties.  I can kill bacterial and fungus infections and contains phytonutrients.  It can help heal wounds, help a sore throat and do many other things in/for your body.  The honey you buy in most stores is not the "healthy" type, as honey used for medicinal purposes needs to be raw, not pasturized.  

Here's one article on the benefits of honey:
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/top-raw-honey-benefits#heal-wounds

Even the National Institute of Health has good things to say about honey:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5424551/

According to WebMD, it's not as great as some people think it is.  And of course, not all honey is created equal.   They say the darker the honey the greater its anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties.  
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/medicinal-uses-of-honey#1


As good as it might be, please be aware that honey should never be given to babies under the age of 2, as it can cause botulism, which will make them very ill.  The use of honey should not take the place of visiting your doctor when you're ill.