Honey Diet Nutrition Q&A

Here's a collection of questions related to Honey Diet Nutrition that visitors of Benefits of Honey have asked via the Just Ask Page. Check out if these answer your most pressing question.


Question: How much should a person be consuming daily to get the full benefits of honey?

Reply: The Expert of Hibernation Theory advised a spoonful or two of honey before bedtime to fuel the liver and help us get a better night's sleep. You probably would find this diet nutrition information useful: Hibernation Diet

However, it's difficult to dictate how much honey one should limit to because everyone's diet is different, one could be taking foods with very low sugar content every day, while another could be having a lot of high-sugar stuff. A way to healthier eating is to incorporate honey in your everyday diet nutrition, e.g replace empty-calorie table sugar with nutritious honey in coffee, tea, juices, and use honey instead of jam on bread, etc. You may want to read: Natural Sweetener.

Honey could also be used in full fasting whereby an adult could take up to 150cc or 200 cc honey mixed with water or tea everyday.Follow the link here if you wish to read the story about my first Honey Fast .

Question: I need to know how to take honey to increase my weight.

Reply: You should try and increase your food intake without consuming too much fat and sugar. For instance, you can use honey in baked foods such as cakes and pastries, and as toppings for ice-cream and puddings. A glass of honey drink during meals may help you to relax, stimulate your digestive juices, and improve your appetite for bigger meals.

Question: Is beeswax good for you to eat? I have some fresh honey straight from the hive with the beeswax and honey all mixed together.

Reply: Beeswax used in the construction of honeycomb is natural. It is edible and some people like to chew it like a gum. It is also like roughage for your system. In ancient times, beeswax was used in medical applications, but today is specified for candles, cosmetics and ointments. This page gives a short description of beeswax: Bee Wax .

Question: Do you know honey that is usually in powder form is from cactus flower honey? What is special about cactus honey?

Reply: I have heard of "cactus honey" being used as a sugar replacement, but am not clear about the actual process involved in the making of cactus honey powder (probably freeze-dry?). Also, if it's really the regular natural sweetener from the bees, it's not clear to me why it has to be processed into a powder form.

Question: What is the name for the traditional wine made from honey, yeast and water?

Reply: It's MEAD. You may wish to read this article on Mead.

Question: I want to substitute honey in my tea. Currently, I have 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a gallon of tea. Can you advise if this can be done and if so how much honey?

Reply: As a guideline, I would replace one cup of sugar for half a cup of honey.

A few articles which you might be interested to understand more about honey diet nutrition:

1) Cooking with Honey

2) Honey Vs Sugar

3) Honey Varieties

However, if you are thinking of adding all the honey in a boiling hot pot of tea, I wouldn't advise that, because that would damage the goodness of the honey. So, what I would do is add the honey into individual cup when it's cooler and ready to drink.

Question: I always wonder if the apple cider vinegar is a base or an acid. Can you help to clarify?

Reply: Apple cider vinegar is acidic in taste but after digested in the body it is alkaline-forming. Read this article: Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Remedy

Question: Please advise how to cure ulcer using honey and cinnamon.

Reply: For stomach ulcer, you can try this composition:

1 Tablespoon of Honey 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder

Mix it into a paste and pour a cup of boiling water into the paste and cover the cup for half an hour. Stir and filter (e.g with a coffee filter) to remove any particles.

Question: Is there a natural cure with honey for high blood pressure?

Reply:For high blood pressure, I would recommend the apple cider vinegar and honey remedy:

2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with a teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water – a few times daily. But if you are under medication for high blood pressure, you should first consult your physician about going on the apple cider vinegar and honey diet. You may find this article useful: Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey Remedy

Question: For the Honey Water Fast , if you took tea, is coffee allowed also?

Reply:For the Honey Water Fast, only plain water or tea is allowed. (No strongly caffeinated teas though). So, all other liquids, including coffee, are not allowed.

Question: Is honey safe for the nursing moms?

Reply:Yes, honey is safe for nursing moms. Read: Honey and Infant and Woes in Pregnancy and Honey Remedies

Question: Can honey be frozen until you are ready to use it?

Reply: It's okay to freeze honey which you will not be using for months, without harming it. To avoid the hassle of defrosting, I would recommend storing honey in an air tight container in dry, cool place. Read: Honey Storage Tips

Question: Is there any down side to honey? Everything I have read has been on the positive side.

Reply: As a honey enthusiast, I talk a lot about the benefits of honey. But as it applies to any food consumption, my advice is always "eat with prudence and in moderation". And one caution which is also included in this site: do not give honey to children below 1 yr old. Read the following for details:

1) Do not feed honey to babies

2) "Newsletter September 2007"

3) Medical Disclaimer

4) Honey Allergies?

As a principle, I always verify what I read, and if I cannot align what I read with my own beliefs and common sense, I abandon it and move on. And I would say the same thing to my readers.

Question: Can honey cause diabetes?

Reply: Sugar and honey do not cause diabetes. But excessive calories does, and this usually results in overweight and obesity, which is the main risk factor for diabetes.

You may want to read: Is honey allowed in diabetic diet?"

Question: Can honey help reduce bad cholestral?

Reply: Consider using the well-known cinnamon and honey combination.

Ref: "Honey Lowers Cholesterol"

"Honey and Cinnamon Remedy"

Suggestion: mix a teaspoon of honey and half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder (or ground cinnamon) into a paste in a cup and pour a cup of boiling water or green tea. Stir and cover for half an hour. Filter away any big particles before consumption. Take it in the morning with an empty stomach about half an hour before breakfast.

Question: Can diabetics with gastric problem take raw honey with apple cider vinegar to improve osteoporosis and joint pain from multiple slipped discs?

Reply:Apple cider vinegar is beneficial for the diabetic, people with digestive, gastric problems, and joint pain issues due to its alkaline-forming properties. As for whether honey could be included for people with diabetes, there is no clear answer on this as a lot depends on the individual. You may want to read this article: "Is honey allowed in diabetic diet?"

Question: I have a chronic cough (already for a couple of years). Despite watching my diet, it wouldn't go away. I thought it might help if I take Manuka honey, but what should I mix it with?

Reply: Manuka honey (with at least an UMF rating of 10) is effective for sore throats and coughs. You can mix it with warm water -- take a tablespoon of it and mix it with a glass of warm water, take it every morning and night before bedtime. Read: "The Miraculous UMF Manuka Honey"

Question: I was wondering why and how drinking the boiled combination of honey and cinnamon can help you burn fat? I don't see how it is possible.

Reply: Notice that the combination of honey and cinnamon is a folk remedy, which is not prescribed by medical doctors. Nevertheless, researchers and scientists have claimed that cinnamon's water soluble components, called proanthocyanidins, which are the active ingredients affecting blood glucose, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Hence, this spice has been used by many people who have high cholesterol, or are overweight or diabetic.

As for why honey is combined with cinnamon by ancient people, I believe is for a few reasons -- metabolizing of undesirable cholesterol and fatty acid, providing a fuelling mechanism for the body, keeping blood sugar levels balanced and letting your recovery hormones get on with burning fat stores, and making the remedy more palatable (but I'm not sure if this factor is important or relevant for everyone...) You may want to read about the revolutionary honey hibernation diet by Mike McInnes. Ref: "Discover the Incredible Use of Honey in Hibernation Diet"

Question: Is honey harmful to diabetic patients.

Reply: There is no clear answer to whether honey is okay for diabetic people, some are able to take it better than others, but honey is still a better choice than table sugar and many artificial sweeteners. Read: "DIs honey allowed in diabetic diet? "

Question: I understand that there are different kinds of honey and I have been trying to read and understand what I can about honey and the health benefits and the different kinds of honey. When talking about liquid honey are you prefering to clover honey that is sold in most United States super markets? I was reading, for example the cinnamon and honey remedies,and wanted to know if I would get the same effects from using store bought clover honey and is clover honey still good for you? I could probably find the comb honey but I'm sure it's cut comb that has been put in the jar, but didn't know if that would still be better than clover honey. I plan on trying to find raw honey but I am worried that I may not like the flavor if it's too different than the clover honey.

Reply: Clover honey is one of the many honey varieties around. It can come in different forms e.g liquid or cream or in combs. It can also be processed or raw. When applying honey as a remedy, it doesn't have to be clover honey, other varieties are okay too. Raw honey (of any honey varieties) is of course still the best. Raw honey doesn't taste worse, in fact you will be surprised how pleasantly different they can be compared to processed honey. Give it a try! Read: "Where to Buy Honey, Any Ideas?"

Question: Which honey is better for you cloudy honey or clear? Also what about children (mine are 5 and 7)? I am interested in getting more honey & cinnamon into their diet.

Reply: Cloudiness in honey is due to the presence of pollen, or particles such as wax and dust. Usually, raw honey that is unprocessed/unheated tends to be more cloudy than clear honey that is well-filtered and processed. 100%, unprocessed raw honey is more nutritious than processed ones. Read: "What's Considered Good Quality Honey" "What's so Special about Raw Honey"

As for the honey and cinnamon diet, the 2 ingredients are meant to be prepared and consumed in a specific ways for different purposes (obesity, cholesterol, etc). Read: "Honey and Cinnamon Remedy"

Consider the needs of your children. Using honey and cinnamon in baking (biscuits, cakes, etc) may be very exciting for young children (even adults) in terms of taste, but it's very different from concocting and consuming the 2 ingredients for ailments.

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