Sweet, Natural, Healthy- It’s very rare to find all these attributes in one food item. Honey is one of those rare food items.

There are two main advantages of honey-

• It is a popular culinary delicacy.
• And it is an important medical remedy.

For these two reasons, honey has always been popular across all cultures since ancient times. Whether you are an Asian or American, European or African; honey is something that everyone loves. 

So including honey in your diet is something you should think about.

Now we often get questions like- “How much honey should I eat a day?” OR “What happens if you eat honey every day?” or “Is organic honey good for your health?”

In this article, we will talk about all that and more

Honey as a Natural Sweetener

Honey originates from flower nectar harvested by bees, which undergoes enzymatic breakdown and is stored within the honeycomb. The design of the honeycomb and constant fanning of the bees’ wings causes evaporation, and thus it produces liquid honey. 

Now, honey is a natural sweetener that is very different from sugar. Although both honey and sugar are carbohydrates and they both contain fructose and glucose, Honey is the superior sweetener as it has minerals, vitamins, and other components. Furthermore, it also features anti-inflammation and antimicrobial effects. As bacteria do not replicate in honey, it is easy and safe to store.

Understanding Honey’s Sugar Content

It is true that honey is a superior natural sweetener and it is indeed very healthy compared to refined sugar as it contains high levels of nutrition.

Honey’s sugar profile(in 100 grams)-

As you can see, honey is still “sugar” and excessive sugar intake can cause harm to your body.

For instance,

• Increase weight
• Increasing the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes.
• Symptoms Heart Disease
• May Increase The Risk of Cancer
• Increase Kidney Disease Risk

In both adults and children, WHO(World Health Organization) recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake.

The Amount Of Honey You Should Consume In A Day

So far we have talked about some basic aspects of honey.

 Now, comes the critical question- “How much honey a day is good for you?”

Although honey is good for your body, it has to be remembered that its consumption should be limited to some extent. At the end of the day, too much of anything is bad. No matter how healthy or natural it is, its consumption must have a limit.

Depending on gender and age here is our recommendation-

However, if you are someone who has diabetes, then you’ll need to consume less. Consume too much and you will have health risks.

Factors Affecting Honey Consumption

Even though honey is a healthy alternative sweetener with plenty of nutrition, there are some factors that we must keep in mind before consuming it

• Age: 

Honey should not be consumed by children who are under one year old. 

At times, honey may harbor bacteria capable of generating toxins within an infant’s intestines, potentially causing infant botulism.

• Weight Management: 

When it comes to weight management, it is advisable that you do not consume excessive amounts of honey. Incorporating small amounts of honey into a balanced diet can provide flavor without excessive calories.

• Overall Diet: 

Keeping honey consumption in check is crucial. Your overall diet should include a limited amount of added sugar. Limit your daily intake of added sugars, including honey, to 100 calories per day for women and 150 calories per day for men.

• Physical Activity: 

if you have weight issues(meaning overweight) and you don’t exercise, then consuming too much honey is absolutely prohibited. Your health will be in danger.

On the other hand, if you don’t have weight issues and you exercise on a regular basis, then your body can handle an extra bit of sugar. 

• Health Conditions: 

Your daily consumption of honey also depends on your health conditions. For example, if you have diabetes, then your blood sugar increases. In that case, you should make sure that you consume less honey compared to an average healthy person

Consult a doctor about how much honey should you eat in a day.

Sweet Ideas for Enjoying Honey

While most people just incorporate a spoonful of honey into their daily diet, we want you to do something out of the box. Honey can also be used in various ways that will make your tastebuds go wild. Here are some of the creative ways to enjoy honey-

• Sweet Start

A good breakfast can really help you set the tone for the rest of the day. So you want your breakfast to be tasty and healthy at the same time. So here is something you can do. Drizzle honey over fresh fruit, yogurt, or oatmeal for a naturally sweetened breakfast

• Baking Magic:

Instead of using refined sugar, you can use honey in your baking recipes. Honey’s flavor will give your baked cake that extra depth of flavor. It’s a sort of flavor that most people are not usually familiar with because they usually add sugar to their recipes.

• .Savory Delights

You can also use honey in marinades for meats or vegetables. It will boost the the flavors.

• Beverage Boost

Adding a touch of honey to herbal tea or warm water will add that soothing flavor. After a long day of hard work when you are at your home relaxing, you won’t mind having that kind of drink.

Benefits of honey

Let’s talk about some of the benefits of honey-

• Source of Energy

While white sugar combines fructose and glucose into sucrose, requiring an extra digestive step, honey contains these sugars separately. As a result, the glucose in honey provides instant energy without the additional processing.

• Healthy Skin

Honey is not only a great source of energy but also it can be beneficial for your skin. Honey is an antioxidant which means its daily consumption will get rid of the toxins in your body. Furthermore, it has antibacterial properties which will improve the condition of your skin. 

Also, its external application will make your skin glow

• Losing Extra Weight

If you have a sweet tooth but at the same time you have weight issues, then honey can be the solution. When you are overweight, doctors forbid you to eat anything that has sugar in it. However, honey is the exception. Sugar in honey has a peculiar chemical composition. Study shows that honey boosts your metabolism which helps you to lose weight in the long run. So pure honey is extremely important for your health. If you have weight problems and you are on your weight loss journey, honey will definitely help you out. Fighting against obesity will be so much easier if you have honey by your side

• Fighting Cholesterol

Cholesterol is extremely important for our body. However, it can also cause harm. There are two types of cholesterol- HDL and LDL. HDL is considered good cholesterol and LDL is considered bad cholesterol.

Honey has no cholesterol and on top of that it has components and vitamins that can help decrease bad cholesterol. Think of it as a natural medicine that can fight cholesterol and keep your body healthy. 

• Healthy Stomach

We all know how important our stomach is for our body. You won’t have a healthy body if you don’t have a good, healthy, and functional stomach. A healthy stomach ensures smooth digestion. If your stomach has issues, then it will have an impact on the whole digestion process. 

Honey is a strong antiseptic. Consume honey on an empty stomach and your stomach will become healthier because it prevents diseases that are connected to the digestive tract. 

• Treatment for Cough and Sore Throat

If you are having issues with a sore throat and cough, then honey can be a solution for you.

Sore throats usually take a week to heal. During that time, it is not a bad idea to take honey for sore throat and cough. So the question is- How much honey a day for cough?

 Well, a spoonful (about 1 teaspoon) of honey should be enough. You can also dilute honey in warm water and drink it.

• Keeping Your Heart Healthy

Without a shadow of a doubt, your heart health is important for your well-being. Research shows that honey can keep your heart healthy. Antioxidants in honey prevent arteries from narrowing( a condition of the heart that can cause cardiac failure, memory deterioration, and headaches).  As a result, you will be safe from cardiac failure, memory deterioration, and headaches. So overall, it will also keep your brain healthy.

• Honey varieties

There are different types of honey. For example, you have raw honey, dark honey, Manuka honey, clover honey, and many more. Each type has its own benefits. For example, dark honey has more antioxidants.

• Destroying free radicals

The major polyphenol compounds in honey are flavonoids and phenolic acids. They are responsible for destroying free radicals.

• Sleeping better

Honey helps you sleep better

Honey contains tryptophan. It is a hormone that helps you to relax. Tryptophan is a type of amino acid that cannot be produced naturally in the body. So supplementing it with honey will help you sleep better.

• Nutrients

Per 100 grams of honey has the following nutrients-

Conclusion

With all said and done, the sweet nectar that we call honey is undoubtedly one of the healthier sources of sugar. Produced by bees, this natural sweetener is filled with minerals and it has many health benefits. Because of all the health benefits it offers, you need to make sure that your diet includes honey and it is always a good idea to buy pure honey from an authentic and reputed place – Shorobor. Furthermore, learn more about honey and its floral origin

Honey and Asthma: Can Honey Control Asthma?

There is no solid evidence that honey is capable of controlling asthma. However, if it is combined with substances like Nigella sativa, then it can have a positive impact on asthma patients.