Current research suggests that certain kinds of honey can reduce the presence of infection-causing bacteria in the gut including Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Clostridiodes difficile, while simultaneously stimulating the growth of potentially beneficial species, such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.
The prebiotics in honey are called non-digestible oligosaccharides. Honey also contains substances that kill pathogenic bacteria. These two properties together – feeding the good bacteria and helping to reduce the bad bacteria – means that honey has excellent benefits to our health.
Consuming honey and lemon in lukewarm water helps relieve constipation and improves digestion. Honey and lemon have potential to cleanse the colon, and flush out undigested food and other toxins from the body. Improved digestion means improved metabolism which can further aid weight loss.
Raw honey contains probiotics that enhance digestion
Raw honey contains probiotics, living bacteria that are beneficial to the body. When raw honey enters the body it floods the digestive system with probiotics that enhance digestion and reduce flatulence and constipation.
In addition to its use as a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent. People commonly use honey orally to treat coughs and topically to treat burns and promote wound healing.
Raw honey can contain spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum. This bacteria is especially harmful to babies or children under the age of one. It may cause botulism poisoning, which results in life-threatening paralysis ( 26 , 27 ). However, botulism is very rare among healthy adults and older children.
Honey boosts your metabolism, which is essential for weight loss. Honey is an excellent antioxidant, which means its regular consumption will cleanse your body of various toxins. In addition, its antibacterial properties will considerably improve the condition of your skin. Honey has no cholesterol at all.
Various ways of using Honey for Digestion :
You can also consume hot water by adding a tinge of honey (one tablespoon) every morning.
Also, keep in mind that honey is a type of sugar, so consuming it will cause your blood sugar levels to rise ( 20 , 21 ). Plus, eating large quantities of honey, especially consistently over a long period, can contribute to weight gain and increase your risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
Honey possesses anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and other properties that are useful for wound healing and tissue regeneration.
Unlike conventional antibiotics, honey only targets pathogenic bacteria without disturbing the growth of normal gastrointestinal flora when taken orally. It also contains prebiotics, probiotics, and zinc and enhances the growth of beneficial gut flora.
Manuka honey produces a prebiotic called fructo-oligosaccharides, which helps probiotics in the gut to stay healthy. Emerging research has also found Manuka to be effective in eradicating more than 50 species of harmful bacteria, many of which specifically target our digestive system!
The recommendation for a healthy person, without weight problems, and who does not base his diet on an excessive consumption of sugars would be to take a maximum of one small spoon of honey a day. This is approximately 10 to 12 grams of honey.
“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.
Usually the doctors recommend honey to be taken empty stomach early in the morning as it gives an instant kick and energy boost which is enough to counter an entire day. Also, while going to bed, a spoonful of honey not only gives a good night's sleep but also helps in digestion and relaxation of mind and body.
And even if you don't, too much honey can block you up thanks to the high content of fructose in it. Moreover, honey can also lead to bloating and/or diarrhoea as a result of your body's inability to digest the sugars in honey.
Honey consists of imperative properties that helps in the detox process to hasten up the process and prove it to be more effective. The antimicrobial properties in honey helps in the detox process which is due to the low pH value, thickness, and hydrogen peroxide.
Honey is still a form of sugar and intake should be moderate. The American Heart Association recommends that women get no more than 100 calories a day from added sugars; men no more than 150 calories a day. This is a little over two tablespoons for women and three tablespoons for men.
Honey has been linked to health benefits like improved heart health, wound healing, and blood antioxidant status. However, consuming too much may cause adverse effects due to its high sugar and calorie content. Thus, it's best to use honey to replace other forms of sugar and enjoy it in moderation.
Do not refrigerate honey. Keeping your honey in the refrigerator preserves it but the cool temperatures will cause your honey to form a semi-solid mass, so this method of storage is not recommended.
In terms of the taste and nutritional benefits, we recommend choosing raw honey out of all your options. Raw honey has the highest amount of pollen and nutritional compounds, which means that it is the most beneficial choice for your health.
Consuming two tablespoons of honey a day can offer health benefits such as antioxidants, better wound healing, and anti-inflammatory properties. A spoonful of honey (about 21 grams) has the following nutritional content: Energy: 64 kcal.
Additionally, honey may promote melatonin formation due to its possible tryptophan content (a precursor to melatonin) that both helps to initiate sleep as well as promote release of hormones that facilitate whole body recovery during sleep.