Ever wonder why you should eat honey?
Honey is an organic, natural sweetener that serves a great purpose as a sugar alternative.
It is widely used in almost every cuisine around the world.
This is perhaps because it has many great qualities such as its indefinite shelf life, its ease on the stomach, and the reason that it adapts to all cooking processes.
According to an article by Date Carson, honey dates back to 2 100 B.C. It is believed that the natural sweetener was found in Asia or Africa.
On top of that out of 12,000 different bees, there are only a few varieties that store honey.
An average bee’s life span is from 4 to 6 weeks and the required amount of bees to produce 450g (1 pound) of honey is around 160,000.
That means, in order to get a single jar of honey, there are so many generations of bees involved.
Honey is also used in Medicine…
According to a 2012 review, regardless of whether it will be consumed directly, mixed with other remedies, or applied directly to the skin honey helps for treating the following illnesses or injuries:
- Coughs
- Vomiting
- High Blood Pressure
- Obesity
- Arthritis
- Eczemas and dermatitis
Now, let’s look at what are the pros of eating honey.
Why You Should Be Eating Honey
- Honey Helps With Coughing
We bet that the good old honey came in handy at least once in your lifetime.
It is believed that honey is an effective measurement against a cough in children and adults.
One or two spoons before bed is a guarantee for a calmer night.
- Honey Supports A Healthy Gut
According to a study from 2017, honey contains prebiotic properties.
As we know, prebiotics help ferment beneficial bacterias in the gut.
Furthermore, this was related to a stronger immune system and general welfare.
- Honey Contains Quality Nutrients
Honey is not only rich in antioxidants, it is also very rich in nutrients.
It is found that there are 31 minerals found in honey, such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium.
In general, honey cannot be a substitute for a healthy diet, however, it does contain many important nutrients in its complex structure, which can benefit us on many levels!
- Honey Is Rich In Antioxidants
Some types of honey help protect your body from cell damage.
It is believed that there are almost the same amount of antioxidants in honey as in fruits and veggies.
Having antioxidants in our diet is healthy because they may prevent the development of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
- Honey Improves Your Sports Performance
As we know honey is far better than glucose from sugar, used to boost endurance.
Consuming a spoon of honey before or even during your training is believed to enhance your athletic performance.
Pro Tip:
Add a spoon of honey to your bottle of water and consume it during your session.
But with so many benefits, is there something that could go wrong?
Cons Of Eating Honey
- Honey Is Rich In Calories
If your goal is to decrease body fat percentage, then consuming a lot of honey might not be a good idea.
Because of its liquid form in most cases, eating too much honey can easily make you exceed your daily caloric intake.
Always strive NOT to exceed the recommended amount of honey per day, which is around 1-2 small spoons for a healthy person without any weight problems.
- Honey Raises Blood Sugar Levels
For this reason, always use honey in moderation.
- It’s a Risk to Give to Babies
Babies don’t have the required digestive system to consume honey, and there is a risk of botulism.
Takeaways
Honey is one of the oldest foods in the world and it is used in almost every cuisine around the globe, as well as in medicine.
It has many benefits but should be taken in moderation because it can be very calorie-dense.
Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share the article with a friend!
