bee products FAQ

How much raw honey per day I can eat? How much Honey is safe to eat?

Honey is one of those superfoods that flows with countless health benefits. Its fame continues even after thousands of years of using the product. Worker bees make this sweet food from flower nectar, and they reserve most of it for the cold winter months

However, we sneak into their homes to harvest some and enjoy the sweetness and the many benefits that come with it. 

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How much raw honey per day I can eat?

A tablespoon of honey gives about 64 calories. According to AHA (American Heart Association), women should consume a maximum of 100 calories from added sugars and men at most 150 calories. This quantity is about two tablespoons for women and 3 for men. However, you should seek your doctor’s counsel if you want to make honey part of your daily diet and have a health condition.

It is easy to take excess honey when you are adding it to smoothies, salads, or other foods, drinks, or recipes since you may not measure it beforehand. 

How Bees Make Honey

Foraging for nectar

Worker bees collect nectar from flower sources in the field and store it in their honey stomach, independent of the digestive stomach. As they gather it, they also mix it with a bit of saliva. The stomach can hold up to 70 ml of nectar and also play the role of a transporting bag. In a foraging trip, they can visit up to 100 flowers to collect nectar within a radius of 5 miles. They ferry the load back to the hive when they are fully loaded.

Passing Nectar to House Bees

The worker bees regurgitate the nectar to house bees (young worker bees), who chew it for about 30 minutes. As it is passed from bee to bee, the enzymes in their saliva change the chemical properties and the PH.

Spreading the Syrup

The resulting syrup is deposited into a cell in the honeycomb and is spread out to maximize the surface area for water evaporation. House bees also reduce the water content by fanning their wings over the honey. The resulting product is a thick honey syrup. Amazingly the water content goes down to 17-20% from about 70%. 

Capping the Honey

Once the honey attains the right consistency and water content, the bees cap it with beeswax. It stays in the honeycomb until the bees are ready to consume it. This final product is what we steal from them.

The flavor and color of honey varieties vary depending on the flowers where the nectar was collected. It is graded according to the color. Light-colored honey (clear golden amber) is more pricey than darker varieties. 

Types of Honey

Raw Honey

Raw honey is direct from the cooking pot. It is harvested and bottled without any treatment apart from straining to remove large particles such as bee parts and wax pieces. It contains trace amounts of pollen, enzymes, wax, and yeast. Regardless of its raw nature, it is considered safe to consume. 

Pasteurized Honey

It undergoes a heating process to kill the bacteria, and yeast, remove crystallization and improve the color and texture. This process strips it of most of its nutrients. Sweeteners such as corn syrup sweeteners may also be added. It has fewer health benefits

Organic Honey

Organic honey is a healthier form of honey that is devoid of contaminants. Colonies are kept away from pesticide-prone areas; hence the nectar collected has no pollutants of any kind. Again no sugar syrup or antibiotics are used on the bee colony. The honey goes through a thorough process of chemical testing for approval. 

Types of Honey depending on Plant Sources

  • Clover Honey
  • Buckwheat honey
  • Blueberry honey
  • Manuka honey
  • Sage honey
  • Orange blossom honey
  • Alfalfa honey 

How to Incorporate Honey into Your Diet

  • Add honey into tea or coffee
  • Sweetening your dressings 
  • Add in yogurt or oatmeal as a natural sweetener
  • Spreading on toasts or pancakes
  • Add in smoothies and salads

Nutritional Components of Honey

Here is the nutritional profile of one tablespoon of honey(21 grams).

  • 64 calories
  • 17.3 grams of carbohydrates
  • 17.3 grams of sugar
  • 0 grams of fat
  • 0 grams of proteins

It also boasts several micronutrients such as zinc, iron, potassium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, niacin, and high antioxidant levels.  

How to Store Raw Honey

Honey doesn’t expire, but it can be contaminated in various circumstances. You should store your product in a tightly sealed bottle, away from light and high temperatures. 

It may begin to crystallize in a while; the process gives it a grainy texture, but it is entirely safe. You just need to warm it slightly to melt the crystals when using. 

Healthy Benefits of Daily Consumption of Honey

Multiple health benefits come with consuming honey. However, it is good to note that the benefits of honey are particular to raw honey. 

Cold Relief Remedy

The World Health Organization (WHO) approves it as a natural cough remedy thanks to its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. It soothes the pain and irritation in the throat and kills bacteria that cause infection. 

Give a Relief to HeartBurn

Honey has low surface tension, high viscosity, and high density. When you take it, it coats the upper gastroesophageal tract, stays for a longer time, and blocks the stomach acid from rising. 

Protects Your Body against Chronic Conditions

Antioxidants such as flavonoids and phenolic acid in raw honey shield your body against free radicals. Radicles escalate the chances of cancers, heart diseases, and other chronic conditions. 

Promotes Wound Healing

Honey has rich antibacterial properties. This enhances it to hinder the blooming of microorganisms that cause infection. A study carried out with manuka honey by applying it directly to diabetic foot ulcers indicated healing of 97% of the wound. It can also treat skin conditions such as herpes, dermatitis, and psoriasis.  

Ideal Option of Refined Sugar

Honey is high in calories and sugars (fructose) but is a better substitute for table sugar. While table sugars have little to offer in terms of health benefits, honey breaks the records with various nutrients for your overall well-being. Again, the rate at which honey raises blood sugars is very low compared to refined sugar. If honey is taken in recommended amounts for long, it can help to regulate blood sugars and insulin. 

Honey Strengthens Your Immune System

Honey has a rich asset of antioxidants and other components that help fight infections from bacteria, fungi, and viruses. According to research done, buckwheat contains the highest level of antioxidants. 

Lowers Blood Cholesterol

High cholesterol levels in the body can trigger heart failure or stroke. The components of honey can help lower the level of bad cholesterol in your body hence promoting your heart health. Research shows it can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) by 11%. 

Helps in Digestive Issues

Honey helps to treat digestive issues like diarrhea. It also contains beneficial prebiotics. These cause the good bacteria in the intestines to thrive while keeping the bad ones like Helicobacter pylori and salmonella in check. These bacteria are essential for digestion and your overall health.  

It is a Natural Energy Booster

Natural sugars in honey supply energy during exercise and prevent fatigue. It also improves athletic performance. The glucose in honey (glucose) is absorbed promptly in the body, providing an instant energy boost. Fructose is absorbed more slowly, giving sustained energy for a longer time.  

The Best Times of the Day to Consume Honey

Early in the Morning

In the morning, your brain is sapped since it functions full-time even when you are asleep. To relieve the hunger pangs, start with a healthy drink that will not only supply energy to your body but also offer other health benefits.

Before Workout

Glucose in honey is rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream and gives your muscles the fuel you need during exercise. 

Before Bed

Consuming honey before you go to bed can help you sleep soundly at night. Even when asleep, your brain is at full throttle, working on recovery, restoring the immune system, and memory consolidation. If your body has no energy to power the brain, it may start to release stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) which are meant to wake you up.

Side Effects of Eating Honey

Allergies

Honey allergies occur, but they are only a few cases. This may be due to pollen in honey that can trigger severe allergic reactions. 

Botulism

Infants under one year should not take honey. It contains some dust particles that may inhabit bacteria (Clostridium botulism) that cause botulism. The spores can thrive in children’s intestines since they don’t have resistance to such germs and can be risky. However, you can use honey while cooking food for children since the bacteria pores are destroyed by heat. Botulism can result in paralysis. 

Effects of Consuming so Much Honey

Like any other food, too much consumption of honey has its effects. Although it is a natural sweetener, we can’t consume it without limits. It is an unhealthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

Cause Your Blood Sugar to Shoot

Honey boasts high levels of glucose and fructose. Your blood sugar may rise if you go overboard in consumption. For diabetic people, it can lead to an abnormal rise in blood sugar which is risky. 

Can Lower Blood Pressure

Honey boasts a substantial amount of antioxidants that can promote your heart health. However, excessive consumption can cause hypotension (low blood pressure) and subsequently affect the functioning of your heart. 

Can Cause Stomach Issues

Honey can cause your stomach to bloat or cause diarrhea due to your body’s inability to digest the sugars. It can also cause constipation or worsen if you suffer from the condition. Fructose in honey is responsible for gas and bloating. 

Can Cause Weight Gain

The high levels of sugars, carbohydrates, and calories present in honey can make you add weight. If you are dieting, keep checking the amount you are taking. 

Dental Issues

Too much honey comes with too much sugar, which can be detrimental to your teeth. Additionally, honey is too sticky and tends to cling to your teeth, enhancing teeth decay. 

Excessive sugar consumption also affects your brain health, leading to anxiety, depression, dementia, and hyperactivity. 

The Best Honey to Purchase

Raw honey is a bit pricey. But, going for this choice is a productive way to ensure you get the best for your well-being. It is not pasteurized or processed; hence it retains all the nutrients in their natural form. Raw honey also liberates you from added syrup or other ingredients that could reduce the possible benefits. Ensure you buy from reputable sources. Low-quality brands may mix honey with syrups to maximize profits. 

This is Why Honey Crystalizes

Raw honey crystallizes naturally as the supersaturated sugar solution precipitates into crystal form. The water in it contains more sugars than it can hold, which causes the crystals to form. It has 70% sugars and less than 20% water content, making it unstable. 

The crystallization process does not change the flavor or quality of honey. It contains glucose and fructose, but the rations differ depending on the plant of origin, meaning honey crystallizes at different rates from various sources. Fructose is more soluble than glucose; honey with glucose will crystalize faster. The higher the glucose, the faster it will crystallize.

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FAQs

Is honey better than sugar?

Yes, honey is a better sweetener than table sugar since its sugars are natural and have other health benefits. 

What is the disparity between raw honey and pasteurized honey?

Pasteurized honey undergoes a heating process to transform its texture and appearance, while raw honey is unaltered. 

Are there health risks of consuming a lot of honey?

Going overboard in honey consumption can raise your blood sugar, increase weight, cause constipation or trigger dental problems.

Why do l find some honey varieties dark while others are light?

The color and taste of honey depend on floral origin. For example, nectar from buckwheat and manuka flowers results in dark honey. Honey from clover and acacia plants is light-colored. 

Is honey good for weight loss?

When on a weight loss journey, sugar is not suitable for you since it adds a lot of carbohydrates to your diet. Although it possesses many health benefits, sugar is high in calories and sugar. However, using it to substitute refined sugar is a good idea. 

Is organic honey good for you?

Organic honey is the best form of raw honey since it is free from toxins, pesticides, or other contaminating residues. 

Does honey spoil?

Honey does not expire. Its chemical composition does not support agents of spoilage. 

Why do bees make honey?

Bees are intelligent and fascinating creatures. They know that winters are super cold, and they will not be able to gather nectar as usual. So, they make honey in the warm months to reserve for winter.

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