What are the benefits of honey and side effects of honey

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Honey

Honey is a sweet, viscous liquid that humans have used since ancient times; That is, approximately 5,500 years ago, and its color ranges from yellow to dark brown, and it is a natural product made by honey bees; Whose scientific name is called Apis mellifera, and it is a family of Apidae As it is extracted from the nectar of flowers, and mixed with bee enzymes to form this mixture before storing it in the honeycomb cells to keep it fresh,  Honey has about 320 species that differ in their color, smell, and flavor; Depending on the types of flowers from which the nectar is extracted, it should be noted that raw honey is not subjected to heating or processing, and in contrast, pasteurized honey is heated to prevent crystallization, or the fermentation of yeast during storage.

The nutritional value of honey

The following table shows the nutritional value of a tablespoon of honey, equivalent to 21 grams: 

benifits of Honey

Its content of nutrients

Honey consists mainly of carbohydrates, which are in the form of monosaccharides, which are: glucose and fructose, and contain about 95% of the weight of honey, and it also contains a relatively small amount of amino acids and proteins, which make up 0.7% of its weight, and it should be noted that Honey proteins are enzymes that bees add during the ripening process of honey, while the main amino acid in it is proline. Which is an indicator of honey ripeness, and honey also contains potassium. It is the main ingredient in which it is found,  and some vitamins, such as: vitamin C, vitamin B2, vitamin B3 and vitamin B5. 

The benefits of honey according to the degree of effectiveness

Possibly Effective

Reducing cough: A statistical analysis and a systematic review of 6 studies, and published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2018, stated that honey may reduce cough symptoms in children, and also reduce the duration of infection. 

There is insufficient evidence of effectiveness

• Reducing cholesterol levels: There is a discrepancy between the results of studies on this benefit, as a study published in The Scientific World Journal in 2008 was conducted on people who were overweight or obese, and it was found that their consumption of honey for 30 days helped reduce the level of total cholesterol. Harmful cholesterol, triglycerides, and fat level, in addition to slight weight reduction, On the other hand, a study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food in 2009 and conducted on people with high cholesterol, indicated that consuming honey only once Daily for 14 days, and the results showed that it did not reduce the level of harmful cholesterol they have, but it did not increase it at the same time compared to their consumption of sugar, and therefore consuming honey instead of it is generally beneficial. 

It should be noted that some honey products, such as royal honey, may interfere with the nitrates that are usually consumed by people with high cholesterol, and therefore the Food and Drug Administration advises not to buy or use royal honey from them. 

• Reducing the risk of gastrointestinal ulcers: A preliminary study conducted on mice and published in the Journal of Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity in 2015 indicated that manuka honey has properties that significantly reduce the risk of ulcers , in addition to preserving the mucous membrane, and reducing the risk of injury and damage. As well as preserving the mucous glycoprotein in the stomach, antioxidant enzymes, reducing inflammation-inducing cytokines, and over-oxidation of fats. 

• Reducing pain associated with menstruation: A study in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics in 2017, conducted on 56 girls, revealed the effect of consuming honey on menstrual pain, and the results showed that honey reduced pain in girls with primary dysmenorrhea .

Other studies on the benefits of honey

The following is a mention of some studies conducted on the benefits of honey:

• A preliminary study conducted on mice and published in the Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences in 2011 indicated the effect of consuming honey on blood cholesterol, triglycerides, heart disease risk, and others, and the results showed that honey consumption reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease. ; As it led to a significant improvement in lipid levels, including reducing the level of harmful and total cholesterol.

But on the other hand, it is worth noting that consuming honey that is produced from the nectar of the rose tree (scientific name: Rhododendron) can cause heart health problems due to its toxic content and therefore its consumption is often considered unsafe .  Also, the consumption of royal honey by people with heart disease, which is one of the honey products, may interfere with the nitrates they usually consume, and therefore it is advised not to consume this type of honey.

• A review published in the Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences in 2013 indicated about honey intake and its effect on blood sugar levels, but there is a discrepancy between the results of these studies on this benefit. Observational studies have shown that honey stimulates the secretion of the hormone insulin and lowers blood glucose levels .  However, some studies have indicated that consuming large amounts of honey daily by people with type 2 diabetes increases the cumulative blood sugar level or test Diabetic hemoglobin; It is used to measure average blood sugar levels.  It should be noted that people with diabetes are advised to avoid consuming royal honey, which is a honey product. As it interferes with the nitrates they consume. 
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• A review published in Pharmacognosy Research in 2017 indicated that honey reduces inflammation . Because it contains phenolic compounds, also associated with an increased level of lymphocytes of type B cells, T cells, antibodies, and the production of natural NK cells during the initial immune response and secondary when tissue culture. 

• A study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine in 2011 showed that there is a significant difference in the ability of some types of natural honey to reduce microbes . This is due to the different sources of floral nectar extracted from it, and it has been shown that this effect is due in most types of honey to the enzymatic production of hydrogen peroxide, and although this effect of this enzyme is not present in manuka honey, this type of honey significantly reduces bacteria . , has indicated a review published in Pharmacognosy Research magazine in 2017 that honey manuka brings his free hydrogen peroxide, but the time itself reduces the incidence of certain types of bacteria dramatically, such as E. coli (scientific name: Escherichia coli), bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (scientific name: Staphylococcus aureus),

Honey benefits for colon

Some studies indicate that honey may be beneficial for people with IBS, including a study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research in 2008 that used a type of honey called manuka honey, but this study was conducted on animals, and there is still a need to confirm its results in humans. 

Damage to honey

The degree of safety of honey

Consuming honey is often considered safe for most adults, and it is often considered unsafe when consuming honey made from rose tree nectar. This is because this type of honey contains a toxic substance that may lead to heart health problems, as mentioned above, in addition to low blood pressure and chest pain, and honey is often safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women when consumed in the quantities found in food, but how safe is Its use for medical purposes is still unknown, so it is advised to stay on the safe side and avoid consuming medicinal quantities of it. 

As for children, the consumption of honey is often considered safe for those who reach the age of one year or more, but it is possible that it is not safe for consumption by young children and infants under the age of one year; Therefore, it is advised not to use it for them because of the possibility of their botulism poisoning. 

Precautions for using honey

Honey consumption is linked to certain caveats when consumed by some groups, including the following:

• Diabetics: As mentioned above, the consumption of a large amount of honey by type 2 diabetics may raise their blood sugar levels. 
• People with pollen allergy: Consuming honey made from pollen causes an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to pollen , so it is advised to avoid eating it by them.

Common questions about honey

What are the benefits of white honey

White honey is known to have a slight flavor compared to molasses, and it should be noted that the flowers that produce white honey include: sage, alfalfa , narrow-leaved pods, which are known as Fireweed, and white clover . It should be noted that this type of honey has similar benefits to the other types, except that there are no studies that show the benefits of white honey , but all types of honey contain nutrients, enzymes that have many health benefits and medicinal uses. 

What are the benefits of royal honey

As mentioned in the above article, some honey products called royal honey may have harmful effects on human health, according to what was indicated by the Food and Drug Administration known as the FDA; This is because it contains one of the active compounds, such as tadalafil. It is a drug given to treat erectile dysfunction in men, and this substance may interfere with the nitrates that are usually consumed by people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease, which are found in some medicines, such as: Nitroglycerin , which It may cause a drastic drop in blood pressure levels and dangerous levels, which is why the Food and Drug Administration advises against buying or using royal honey from them. 

What are the benefits of beeswax

Beeswax is one of the natural products produced by bees for storing honey and pollen, and it consists of hexagonal cells that usually contain raw, unpasteurized or purified honey, and beeswax is rich in some nutrients, as it consists mainly of sugar and water, and it contains It contains small amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals, as it is characterized by containing some enzymes that have anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties, because it has not been exposed to treatment processes, and it should be noted that some of these enzymes are destroyed when exposed to heat or purification during the process of manufacturing commercial honey.

What are the benefits of honey after eating

There are no studies that show the benefits of honey after eating.

Does honey cause weight gain or loss?

In fact, there is no single type of food or drink that alone affects weight gain or loss, as a person's weight depends on the quantities of calories that a person eats versus the amount that the body burns,