When Honey can be bad for your Health

We all know that too much of everything is bad, and this statement still holds when it comes to something as healthy as honey! Honey has great antibacterial properties that make it very useful for the skin and health when consumed. However, it is not all “milk and honey” when taking especially large quantities of honey.

Let’s take a look at what can happen to your health even when using honey:

High blood sugar level

This seems quite obvious seeing how sweet and calorie dense honey is. It has ample amounts of sugars and carbohydrates. When consumed excessively, these tend to spike the blood sugar level beyond normal. This means that a diabetic patient should exercise caution when taking honey. Some people tend to think that since it is being used as a replacement for cane sugar in their diet, they can use as much as they want. This is absolutely false. Even though honey is a healthier choice than cane sugar, using too much of it is still as harmful to the body.

Excessive weight gain

Yes you guessed right, that is just what is expected to follow. Other than abnormally increasing the blood sugar level, consuming too much can also result in weight gain. Some people switch to using honey over cane sugar to keep thier weight in check. It can however be ironic when their weight begins to increase when using it. The simple reason for this most times is because people consider honey to be healthy and decide to go overboard with it. It should be noted that honey is healthy when taken in appropriate quantites. Seeing the high amounts of sugars and carbohydrates in it, it is evident that consuming too much of it can result in weight gain.

Tooth Decay

Still on the conversation of how honey is high in sugar and carbohydrates. Excessive honey consumption can result in tooth decay just as much as cane sugar can. Honey is also stickier than cane sugar and takes longer to be removed from the teeth which can contribute to tooth decay.

Can trigger allergic reactions

Honey use especially on the skin can trigger alergic reactions in some people. Allergic reactions to honey most times result from the bee’s pollen present in the honey. Some of the pointers to an allergic reaction after honey use include:

• dizziness
• difficulty breathing
• extreme swelling
• burning sensation after application
• nausea
• vomiting

Constipation

Honey has a high sugar level and one of those sugars is Fructose. This can lead to a feeling of being bloated and constipated when used in excess. The inability to digest some of the sugars in it can also sometimes lead to diarrhea in some people.

Hypotension

Honey is very useful in controlling blood pressure. Excessive use of honey however can result in very low blood pressure levels that can become worrying. This can be accompanied by dizziness and headcahes. Consuming high amounts of honey can result in hypotension and affect the functioning of the heart.

A word from Healthfacts

We are all familiar with the many beneficial effects of honey. This however does not mean that honey should be abused. Honey should be used in adequate quantities to reap its beneficial effects. The optimal amount of honey per day for an individual is five table spoonfuls. Exceeding this quantity can result in any of the above listed side effects.