While you likely have a jar of honey on hand to sweeten your tea or soothe a sore throat, this liquid-infused sweet actually has other surprising side effects on your health that you may not be aware of.
Nutritionists and other experts have revealed the benefits and drawbacks of including honey in a healthy diet, according to what was published by Eat This Not That, and we list below the most prominent side effects.
Can honey harm the teeth?
Nutritionists suggest that we monitor the amount of honey we eat as it may cause some damage to the teeth.
Similar to other types of sugars, honey can increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.
Expressive hepatitis
fatty liver disease
In addition, fructose is the main sugar in honey. With that in mind, it can be dangerous for those with fatty liver disease.
“Fructose is metabolized differently than other energy sources,” explained nutritionist Nicole Lindell.
Also, she added, it is metabolized by the liver, which can be a problem for those with fatty liver disease.
Individuals with fatty liver disease are usually advised to avoid alcohol and limit fructose intake for this reason.
Honey will not reduce allergy symptoms
In parallel, it was previously promoted that honey is a treatment for allergy symptoms, but according to experts, this is no more than a myth.
They explained that eating local honey does not help with allergies because the pollen collected by bees is usually from flowers, which are not as strong and do not raise our immune system like other pollens (such as trees, grasses and weeds), which said Lakia Wright, an allergist at Women’s Hospital Boston and medical director at Thermo Fisher Scientific, she causes “classic” seasonal allergy symptoms.
In fact, this treatment can backfire, according to Dr. Wright. In some cases, eating local raw honey may contribute to allergy symptoms because if you’re hypersensitive, eating pollen in small amounts can cause local symptoms like itchy mouth.