Honey advantages and disadvantages | Health benefits of honey

The honey advantages and disadvantages are familiar since ancient times and are used in variance to improve health status.

Honey, as an excellent antibiotic, provides several health benefits, including healthy skin.

It is a sweet liquid made by a honey bee using the nectar from flowers through a long phased process.

Due to its exceptional health perks, honey is described as a medicine in Vedic Ayurveda.

To ensure its health benefits, you need to ensure its salient quality before proceeding any further.

Honey contains glucose and fructose that provide its sweet essence.

Additionally, it contains essential health ingredients, including vitamin B-6, vitamin C, amino acids, Niacin, riboflavin, a carbohydrate that promotes overall health.

One spoon of honey includes 64 calories and 17gm sugar like fructose, glucose, maltose, sucrose. It has zero fat, fiber, and protein content.

It can cure common diseases or health issues. This is the reason why it is treated as a medicine despite being sweet.

However, without knowing all the advantages and disadvantages of honey, most people just use it for glowing skin, improving digestion, increasing immunity, and weight loss.

It contains a decent amount of antiseptic and antibacterial features that help heal wounds relieving all pain.

It is also well known for its phytonutrients that provide anti-cancer benefits and improves immunity. But, processed honey lacks these nutrients.

 

How should we eat honey for its advantages?

 

It is okay to have one or two spoons of raw honey daily. You may also prefer it with milk, yogurt, cereals at breakfast.

Furthermore, taking honey with hot water in the morning leads to losing weight. You may also try it with a splash of lemon to alter the taste.

Regular intake of honey increases immunity power, which prevents several communication diseases.

Let’s know more about its benefits to health in detail.

 

1. Relieves a sore throat

 Have a cold or cough? Honey could solve the problem to a large extent. It is used as a beneficial old home remedy to relieve the sore throat.

 In fact, you can also boost its power by adding lemon with hot herbal tea. This is a verified recipe is even benefits to prevent the virus.

 Researchers believe that honey can be as helpful as dextromethorphan, common ingredients in cough medications.

 To cure your cough, you can either take a spoonful of honey straight or try it with hot water.

 Honey, combined with ginger, is a helpful and nutritious recipe to carry away cold or cough.

2. Healing wounds with honey

 Honey is quite helpful in healing cuts, tears, or burns. It helps heal the wound faster as it contains antiseptic properties that prevent infection.

 Also, it is a pack of essential anti-inflammatory and antibacterial elements like phenolic acid, flavonoid, which reduces swelling and helps repair damaged tissues and cells.

 That’s why it is recommended to treat wounds and is used in several hospitals.

 You can apply some honey to the affected area or mix some rose water with it to reduce its inflammation.

 Honey containing a significant amount of glucose and fructose absorbs the moisture when applied to the wound and helps heal faster.

 It contains hydrogen peroxide, which is an antiseptic, helps to kill unwanted bacteria and fungus.

3. Honey advantages and disadvantages for weight-loss

 Eating your favorite sweet dessert could be a reason for weight gain.

 But this sweet sticky liquid is free of fats that mean no more unnecessary weight gain while having honey on your diet plate.

 It helps manage your body weight along with cholesterol levels keeping your health under control.

 Regular intake of 1 spoonful of honey with a glass of hot water (empty stomach) in the morning would help you achieve your ideal weight.

 Remember not to eat anything for ½-1 hour to make it count (for weight loss).

 To provide it a different flavor, add a splint of lemon to it, which will improve its quality.

 

Related: Would you like to know about the benefits of lime! These are highly beneficial for your health when taken in the right way and right quantity.

  

4. Honey advantages for immunity

 Honey is found full of essential antioxidants and antibacterial properties.

 These antioxidants improve cardiac health and prevent heart problems.

 The glucose sweetener present in honey is absorbed quickly by the body producing instant energy.

 Honey, with its antibacterial and antiseptic features, supports immunity power. And it also restricts any unwanted pathogens from invading the body.

 It is also known as a powerhouse of antioxidants, which efficiently eliminates free radicals from the body that further affects your immunity and health. 

5. Reduce Constipation with Honey

 Constipation is an indication of your sick digestive system. In fact, constipation, diarrhea could be a reason for other health issues.

 Honey helps reduce the absorption of fructose. Thus it can efficiently improve your digestive system reducing the cases of constipation.

 Take a spoon of honey with a glassful of hot milk before going to bed. It elevates your metabolism and helps to get a sound sleep.

 Additionally, it improves the amount of metabolism and provides you quality sleep.

 It is also a potent prebiotic, which helps good bacteria in your guts, promoting digestion and health.

6. Honey advantages for healthy skin 

 The rich list of honey benefits doesn’t end here. It is also beneficial for your hair and skin health.

 Honey absorbs the moisture and locks it beneath your skin. People with dry skin should use honey to keep their skin hydrated.

 Massage some honey on your face and let it dry for 15-20 minutes, and wash it with clean cold water.

 It would refresh your skin, returning a natural glow and moisture.

 There are also different face packs you can use to ensure healthy glowing skin for every skin type.

 You can use honey with lemon, honey with milk, and the same with banana or yogurt to maintain a natural glow on your face.

 Honey could also be used to moisturize your knees, elbows, and chapped lips.

 Also, it provides your skin with the benefits of antiseptic, antioxidants, and moisturizing properties.

 

Precautions: Disadvantages of honey

 Every coin has two phases. Similarly, honey has both advantages and disadvantages.

 We learned a lot about the benefits of honey, but it’s time to discuss its side effects that you should be cautious of.

 Let’s look at some of its demerits, so you can derive the best use of honey and get all health benefits.

1. Limit its quantity

 2 spoons of honey are enough to provide you health benefits for the day.

 Even if you are using it for skin health. Have a decent amount recommended by your health experts.

 Too much intake of honey can even upset your digestive system and could become a cause of diarrhea.

2. Honey disadvantages for infant

Some studies suggest that honey is not that beneficial for infants.

It can increase the risk of botulism in infants ( who are less than 1 year).

Moreover, you should even avoid its use on their skin as they have very delicate skin.

Also, consult your doctor before providing any dose of honey to toddlers.

3. Experience pollen allergy

Researchers provide that people having pollen allergies should avoid the use of honey. Its use could increase their allergy.

4. Uncontrolled blood sugar level

People with a stable sugar level could use honey as their diet component but, after visiting a health expert.

 Regular intake of honey increases immunity power that defends from several health conditions during diabetes.

 Whereas people with fluctuating sugar levels should avoid using honey. Or should consult their doctor and should prefer health advisory before having it.

 

Related: Do you want to maintain a healthy blood sugar level? Along with healthy eating, know which asanas could help you with a healthy blood sugar level – asana for diabetes patients.

 

5. Blood pressure patients

Blood pressure patients should consult their health advisors before eating honey.

They should also regularly check their blood pressure before and after intake of honey to ensure healthy conditions.

6. Never eat ghee and honey (together)

According to Ayurveda, ghee (clarified butter) and honey are considered incompatible food. Always prevent intake of an equal amount of ghee and honey collectively.

7. Pregnancy or breastfeeding

Although honey is beneficial for every age, there could be complications related to health during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Even if you want to use it for medicinal benefits, consult your gynecologist.

8. Honey and boiling water

You can use honey with hot water but ensure that it’s not boiling water. Never boil water with honey. Because it also falls under the category of incompatible food.

Try to have a little hot or lukewarm water to have honey with it.

Again, to avoid any kind of complication, follow your health expert’s advice. Prevent incompatible foods or overdose of honey as it could be unsafe for your health. Because there could be both honey advantages and disadvantages.