How does healing in Minecraft work? Explained

Healing in Minecraft is an important gameplay mechanic that is crucial to your in-game survival. It refers to the process of recovering health after sustaining damage and is particularly useful if you wish to brave the wilds in the newly-introduced Hardcore mode. Healing can be done in a host of ways and is an important metric to keep in mind.

Here's everything you need to know about healing in Minecraft.

---

Natural healing in Minecraft

Healing is an important gameplay mechanic in Minecraft (Image via Mojang Studios)

Natural healing in Minecraft refers to the mechanic that heals you naturally without the need for any additional items or potions.

One of the best ways in which natural healing can be activated is by having your hunger bar filled. When your bar is nine or higher, you regenerate 0.5 (half heart) health every four seconds Additionally, when the game difficulty is set to peaceful, you regenerate 0.5 health per second.

Regeneration can also be increased if you eat chorus fruit, suspicious stew, or golden apples when your hunger is full.

Saturation healing in Minecraft is a process that is exclusive to Minecraft's Java Edition. When you eat or drink after your hunger bar is full, it causes saturation. This can help in healing you — it provides two hearts' worth of regeneration per second and deducts 1.5 saturation with every 0.5 hearts healed.

---

Artificial healing in Minecraft

Artificial healing refers to the process of using potions, special food, and totems to heal oneself. These items greatly help in regeneration and help make sure you do not die after facing major damage.

Here's how artificial healing works in the game:

1) Potions

Potions are one of the handiest ways to heal in Minecraft (Image via Mojang Studios)

Potions are one of the best ways of healing in Minecraft. They provide a quick and effective way to regenerate your health.

You can use the following potions for healing:

• Potion of Healing - regenerates 4 hearts per potion
• Lingering Potion of Healing - regenerates 2 hearts per second for 5 seconds
• Potion of Regeneration - regenerates health over 45 seconds

---

2) Golden apple

The Golden apple and its enchanted variant are powerful agents of healing in Minecraft (Image via Mojang Studios)

The golden apple is one of the most potent foods in the game. It offers a host of benefits and regenerative properties. Consuming one provides you with 9.6 saturation, which can heal three hearts of health.

Additionally, both the golden apple and its enchanted variant provide a regeneration effect — the regular one provides Regeneration II for five seconds, while the enchanted one for 20 seconds. In Bedrock Edition, the enchanted apple gives Regeneration V for 30 seconds, which is enough to refill full health in a few seconds.

---

3) Totem of Undying

Totem of undying can save you from tricky situations (Image via Mojang Studios)

The Totem of Undying offers a way to cheat death in Minecraft. When used, it prevents your death and provides you Regeneration II for 45 seconds, restoring 18 hearts' worth of health.

The Totem of Undying also provides you with 40 fire resistance and five seconds of absorption, making it a great item to carry if you are exploring the Nether or are trapped in a lava cave.

---

4) Suspicious stew

Craft suspicious stew and gain a huge health buff (Image via Mojang Studios)

Consuming suspicious stew in Minecraft will provide you with six hunger bars and 7.2 saturation, which will rapidly provide healing. Additionally, if it is made using the oxeye daisy, the stew gives an additional eight seconds of Regeneration I, which restores 1.5 hearts.

---

Mobs can also receive healing in Minecraft

Mobs can be healed in Minecraft as well (Image via Mojang Studios)

Apart from the player, mobs can also receive healing in Minecraft. Healing essentially works in the same way as it does for players (by using potions of healing and regeneration).

Rideable animals such as horses, donkeys, llamas, mules, and skeleton horses will automatically heal at the rate of two hearts per minute. On the other hand, axolotls can play dead and heal for 10 seconds.

Villagers gain 10 seconds of regenerative healing when you unlock new trades with them. In the Bedrock edition of the game, these mobs also heal when waking up from the bed every morning. In villages, you can also heal the iron golem by interacting with it using iron ingots.

---

Check out our other latest Minecraft articles:

• New Minecraft snapshot 24w44a brings eyeblossom and resin to Java Edition
• Minecraft Beyond Earth mod: Features, installation guide, and more
• Minecraft releases quick 1.21.3 update to fix issue related to salmon
• How to use shaders in Minecraft 1.21.3