Honey is a nutritional food low in glycemic index. Honey intake reduces blood sugar levels and prevents excessive weight gain.
Therefore, when you eat too much sugar, you tend to gain weight not only because of the calories but due to the lack of vitamins and minerals. Honey, on the other hand, balances this effect as it is a good source of nutrients that help people in their weight loss efforts if consumed in limit.
Honey is high in calories and sugar and may contribute to weight gain over time.
According to one review, honey may help lower blood pressure, improve blood fat levels, regulate your heartbeat, and prevent the death of healthy cells — all factors that can improve your heart function and health ( 6 ).
Honey can be very useful when you're trying to manage weight. Weight management* is one of the main benefits of honey! If you're overweight, honey not only helps you reduce weight but also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disorders.
Even while milk has its own health advantages, a spoonful of honey can make your regular glass of milk more beneficial overall. It will speed up your metabolism, prolong your feeling of fullness, lower blood pressure, and reduce belly fat.
Just like coffee, honey is a great source to boost metabolism. It contains antioxidants that boost heart health and metabolism, and better metabolism means that your body will work more efficiently when it comes to burning fat, thus quickening the process of weight loss.
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.
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.
"Honey's advantages over sugar include a slightly lower glycemic index (i.e. it doesn't affect your blood-sugar levels as much)," Dr. Dixon says. "It also contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin C, zinc, phenolic acids, and flavonoids."
Weight Loss
Lemon and honey water is a perfect drink to kick-start your day. Adding a few drops of honey and 1 tsp of lemon juice to the warm water boosts metabolic activity that in turn helps in burning fat.
Honey may be less refined and more natural than white sugar, but it is still high in calories. Overall, it is perhaps only slightly healthier than white sugar. Most nutritionists recommend only part of your diet be made up of foods that are high in sugar.
It's sweeter than sugar
Per teaspoon, honey contains 20 calories, 5 grams of sugar and no fat.
However, honey is high in fructose, which may worsen digestive issues like gas, diarrhea, and bloating among some people with IBS. Therefore, following an elimination diet like the low FODMAP diet may help you decide whether to avoid honey if you have IBS.
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.
Children: Honey is likely safe when taken by mouth in children who are at least one year old. Honey is possibly unsafe when taken by mouth by children less than 12 months old. Do not use honey in infants under 12 months old. Botulism poisoning is a risk at this age.
The phytonutrients in honey are responsible for its antioxidant properties, as well as its antibacterial and antifungal power. They're also thought to be the reason raw honey has shown immune-boosting and anticancer benefits. Heavy processing in regular honey can destroy these valuable nutrients.
Adding a little bit of honey in black coffee won't lead to weight gain, but it likely won't lead to weight loss, either. A teaspoon of honey will add a few calories to your coffee compared to white sugar. (There are about 21 calories in honey vs. 16 in traditional sugars.)
Honey and Milk: Using it with milk is the best way to lose weight while giving nutrients to the body. Mixing 2 teaspoons of honey in a glass of lukewarm milk at night causes fast burn fat. Night sleep is also good, and the metabolic rate is too high.
It detoxifies the body
Citrus fruit juices are popular in detoxifying liquid diets. Lemon water mixed with honey is a gentle, yet powerful detoxification agent. It is a liver tonic, improving its function of neutralizing toxins. Its diuretic effect helps in flushing out the toxins through urine.
The combination of honey and warm water does in fact help in reducing weight. Honey and warm water are an age-old remedy that people have been using for ages to help with weight loss. This is the most natural and sure way of losing that excess weight and keeping our bodies healthy.
In addition to that you should consume three spoonfuls of honey with hot water every night before bed. Combine this with an exercise regime (try and exercise three times a week) and you will notice a sizeable drop in your weight.
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.