“Honey should be treated like all added sugars, something to include in your diet carefully and kept to a minimum,” Keating says. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than nine teaspoons (36 grams) per day; women and children, no more than six teaspoons (24 grams) daily.
It works as a natural laxative, boosts metabolism, improves memory, helps in combating seasonal flu, allergies, fever, cold, sore throat and has anti- carcinogenic properties, which prevent several types of cancer.
Morning is the best time to eat honey for boosting energy levels and staying all charged up. Having honey in the morning is not just good for your skin but has ample health benefits including: Helps you shed those extra kilos. Improves your digestive system.
The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than nine teaspoons (36 grams) per day; women and children, no more than six teaspoons (24 grams) daily. A teaspoon of honey contains almost six grams of sugars. Still, research has shown other potential benefits to honey.
Honey should never be consumed with non-vegetarian items, especially fish and meat. Nor should honey be eaten one hour before and one hour after eating these things. Consuming honey with meat and fish is considered harmful for health since this can lead to white spots and other stomach-related problems.
From a calorie and sugar content perspective, the differences between sugar and honey are minimal, however, overall, honey contains slightly more health benefits than table sugar from its potential antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Drinking 1 teaspoon of honey before going to bed can add antioxidant compounds to help reduce blood pressure, prevent high blood pressure to limit cardiovascular risk. A glass of warm water mixed with honey before bed is enough to provide a preventive effect for this cardiovascular complication.
Honey Deeply Moisturizes and Hydrates the Skin.
Honey's natural humectant properties make it an effective moisturizer. The enzyme activity in honey enables it to penetrate deeply into the skin and bring hydration to the underlying layers. This results in plumper, softer skin with a natural radiant glow.
Therefore, honey, as it has anti-inflammatory activity, may contribute positively to the prevention of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases particularly in case honey mixed with other healthy foods.
Raw and unfiltered honey can hydrate your skin, soothe your throat, help heal wounds and sweeten everything it touches, but it can also help you get a sweet night's sleep. Raw honey, eaten just before bed, helps you snooze in two general ways: It provides easy-to-access fuel for your brain throughout the night.
However, honey itself is another form of sugar, and it should be consumed only in moderation, experts say. Studies show added sugars can be empty calories that increase the risk for obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and cavities.
Another great benefit of warm water with honey is that both possess moisturising properties. Hence, when you drink this mixture first thing in the morning, your body automatically stays duly hydrated all day. This also further aids in the fat burning process to hasten weight loss.
Diabetes: Using large amounts of honey might increase blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Honey contains sugar and should be used in moderation. Pollen allergies: Avoid honey if you are allergic to pollen. Honey, which is made from pollen, may cause allergic reactions.
Drinking honey and hot water not only offers a range of health benefits but also helps enhance your skin tone and texture. The powerhouse duo helps in flushing out harmful toxins from the body. This gives the skin a lit-from-within glow. You'll notice brighter, youthful-looking skin in as little as a week's time.
Safety and side effects
Honey can cause a rare but serious gastrointestinal condition (infant botulism) caused by exposure to Clostridium botulinum spores. Bacteria from the spores can grow and multiply in a baby's intestines, producing a dangerous toxin.
Babies younger than 1 year old should not be given honey. That's because a type of bacteria (called Clostridium) that causes infant botulism can be found in honey. Infant botulism can cause muscle weakness, with signs like poor sucking, a weak cry, constipation, and decreased muscle tone (floppiness).
Numerous in vivo studies using animal models show that honey acts as a prebiotic, specifically by promoting the populations of probiotic bacteria, including Bifidobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp., (104, 106, 107, 119), and alleviating symptoms of constipation and ulcerative colitis (107, 119).
It has recently been used as a dietary supplement and treatment for a number of hepatic diseases, such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, acute liver failure, non-alcoholic liver fatty disease, alcoholic liver disease, fibrosis, steatosis, hepatoma, and inflammation of the hepatic portal.
Reduce Risk of Heart Disease
Honey has been shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by 6%, triglyceride levels by 11%, and potentially boost HDL (good) cholesterol levels.