Honey is widely known for its health and medicinal benefits. It is also considered as a staple food item around the world. But this amazing substance has quite a few side effects, which you must keep in mind while purchasing or eating it.
Top 10 Side Effects Of Honey:
Let us check the top 10 side effects of honey:
1. Food Poisoning:
It is mostly the result of raw honey consumption. If you ever consume unpasteurized honey, chances are high that you will become vulnerable to food poisoning. As it is neither heated nor processed, it may contain foreign particles, such as pollen, tiny pieces of bee wings, propolis, honeycomb bits. These eventually will trigger digestive system disorder in the user.
2. Botulism:
Raw honey may comprise toxic Clostridium botulinum spores. When consumed by infants under the age of 12 months, it can lead to severe medical condition called ‘botulism’. This is basically a poisoning caused by bee venom, and your baby might experience its symptoms. Some of the symptoms are fever, nausea, vomiting, weakness, lethargy, constipation, irritability, constipation, diarrhea, cramping, loss of appetite, respiratory arrest, muscle paralysis, etc.
3. Abdominal Discomfort:
Overconsumption of honey may cause serious abdominal discomfort. Being rich in fructose, it can interrupt the nutrient absorption capacity of your small intestine. It can also impose long-term effects on your gastrointestinal system and cause several gastric issues, such as bloating, gas, cramps, etc. Sometimes it also leads to acute conditions like diarrhea or an upset stomach.
4. Allergic Reactions:
Ingestion of raw honey can also give you mild to moderate allergies. It is the unprocessed nectar of flowers that may contain pollen, pesticides, insecticides, and lots of other chemicals. Its direct consumption can lead to the development of allergic symptoms like swelling, itching, inflammation, rashes, hives, puffiness, cough, asthma, wheezing, iritis, breathing troubles, difficulty in swallowing, and so on.
5. Anaphylactic Shock:
Eating raw honey can cause severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis. It holds allergens in most cases, which generate the serious medical condition called ‘anaphylactic shock’. It is characterized by whole-body allergy along with dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, hypotension, heart failure, etc. It can sometimes even lead to death.
6. High Blood Sugar:
If you want to keep your blood sugar level under control, limit your daily consumption of honey. It is not only high in sucrose, but also contains a large amount of glucose, which raises the blood glucose level marker – HbA1c in the blood. In other words, the sweet and thick solution raises the blood sugar level in your bloodstream, creating the condition for diabetes.
7. Lowers Low Blood Pressure Level:
Honey can lower the blood pressure level significantly, which sometimes may turn out to be bad for your health. It consists of oligosaccharides which, being a certain kind of carbohydrate with antioxidant properties, can reduce elevated blood pressure level to a large extent. At times, the blood pressure level even goes down the normal level, triggering a number of health issues.
8. Nerve Damage:
Raw honey consists of a group of chemical compounds called ‘grayanotoxins’, which are poisonous to our nervous system. In general, these toxins are eliminated from the food during its pasteurization. But, when raw honey is consumed, they come into action and damage our nerve cells. As a result, it interrupts the normal activities of our nervous system.
9. Weight Gain:
Obesity is something that can ruin your overall health, and honey can be the culprit behind it. As it contains calories in high amount, it contributes heavily to one’s body weight. Additionally, it holds simple carbohydrates in place of complex ones, which break down easily in the body as soon as it is consumed. As a result the energy is piled up as body fat and you end up gaining excess weight.
10. Tooth Decay:
According to researchers, honey is made up of 82% sugar (natural sugars – glucose and fructose). It means that 1 tablespoon of honey can give us almost 17 grams of sugar. Consuming it every day in large amounts can stimulate bacterial activities inside our mouth. Its consumption leads to tooth decay to a considerable extent. If you want to maintain the health of your teeth and prevent oral cavity, try to keep your intake of honey under control.