Dangers of honey that you should know

Want flawless skin? Use honey. Trying to lose weight? Honey is the solution. It’s just incredible how many health-related issues you can solve using honey.

For years, honey has been used for beauty and medicinal reasons. But with all the sweetness and numerous benefits, honey has its dark side as well. Actually, honey is not for everyone. Before you incorporate honey in your diet or beauty routine, be warned about these possible side effects:

1. Not good for infants

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No amount of honey is good for infants under the age of one year. It can cause infant botulism which is a life-threatening condition caused by toxins present in honey.

2. Increases blood sugar

Just because it’s a natural sweetener does not make it perfect. It is sugar just like granulated sugar and will impact on your blood sugar levels. If you are diabetic and trying to keep your blood sugar in check, honey is not the best diet.

3. Allergies

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Raw honey may contain pollen and other foreign features that may react with your body. It leads to itchiness, swelling and skin irritation in some people. Other people will also experience lung inflammation and voice change. If you are prone to allergies, you should stay away from honey.

4. Stomach problems

Honey contains good amounts of fructose. And while honey is actually good for a healthy gut, too much fructose lowers the small intestines’ ability to absorb nutrients. This results in cramping, constipation, bloating and even diarrhea. However, even small amounts of honey can trigger stomach issues in some people who have fructose intolerance.

5. Intoxication

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This is more so with raw honey. During the collection process, there might be contamination from the bees and plants which can cause food poisoning. Although the harmful organisms in raw honey will eventually die and can hardly reproduce, there could still be some bacteria remaining.

6. You gain weight

Eating honey helps in losing weight while used together with other things such as lemon. Otherwise, eating honey alone will make you gain weight since it’s high in sugars and calories.