Honey has long been associated as a natural sweetener, with people looking at it as an alternative to sugar. But is honey all it is, the replacement friend you turn to when your besties aren’t around? Its health benefits could do more than just safely satisfy your sweet tooth.
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Suvarna Sawant, chief dietitian and HoD, clinical nutrition and dietetics, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai, told HT Lifestyle that honey has many benefits.
Talking about its antibacterial and wound-healing abilities, she elaborated, “Honey fights germs by pulling the water away from microbes by osmosis, it is naturally acidic (low pH), and when exposed to moisture, it releases small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which is considered a mild disinfectant. Honey has been used as a dressing on burns, ulcers and difficult-to-heal wounds. “
Other than sharing unusual first-aid properties, honey also improves sore throat and boosts digestion. The dietician added, “Honey mixed with warm water and lemon is an ideal remedy for sore throats and cough. Likewise, honey is also a great source of energy, with one tablespoon offering about 64 calories. It is also beneficial for the gut bacteria.”
6 ways to add honey to your regular diet
Honey can be included in your diet in many productive ways, and not just as a substitute, but as the hero ingredient, bringing in many benefits.
Suvarna listed out 6 ways to add honey easily to your meals:
- Stir 1 tsp honey into warm water with lemon (nimbu-honey paani) in the morning.
- Honey + curd (dahi) bowl: Add fresh seasonal fruit (banana, chikoo, strawberries) for a quick snack.
- On roti/chapati or toast at breakfast, you can also add a pinch of dalchini (cinnamon).
- A teaspoon in warm milk at bedtime for a soothing finish to the day.
- Mix a spoon into herbal chai/tulsi infusion or simple warm water before a workout for quick energy.
- Lemon–honey gargle/tea when your throat feels scratchy (sip, don’t scald).
Which is better- raw or processed honey?
Now, since we are going down the rabbit hole of honey, from health benefits to meal options, let’s also take a closer look at the source of the honey, and which is better: raw or processed, for you.
The dietician weighed in on this and declared raw honey as healthy. “Raw honey is considered to be healthier as compared to processed honey. Its ability to fight off germs comes from a bee enzyme (glucose oxidase),” she added more about the advantage of raw honey.
Processed honey may not contain the antibacterial properties of raw honey, as Suvarna emphasised, “Due to heat and light, this enzyme and other bioactive compounds slowly degrade, so the processed, over-heated honey ends up losing most of its antibacterial ability and soothing effect. Processed honey is certainly better in taste and texture, but raw honey is comparatively superior for functional benefits.”
What does raw honey look like?
Further confirming this, a honey expert, Yusuf Galabhaiwala, Founder of HoneyAllDay, also shared with us that raw honey is better. Because it is not heated, its original taste and thickness remain intact.
Distinguishing between raw and processed honey, he said, “Raw honey may look cloudy or crystallise with time, but that’s completely normal. Those are signs that it hasn’t been processed. Processed honey is made to look perfect, clear, smooth, and pourable. But to achieve that, it’s heated and filtered heavily. In the process, it loses most of what makes honey special. The taste becomes flat, and the natural benefits are reduced.”
To be healthy, organic, raw honey is suitable, as it retains all the natural enzymes, nutrients, and antibacterial properties.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
