Adding honey in hot water can actually be toxic for you. Here’s why

Adding honey in hot water is considered to be an elixir when it comes to fixing health woes and that’s why it is used so widely in our homes. From the various health benefits to the positive effect it has on our skin and hair, honey is truly powerful. In fact, we’re pretty sure your mom must have given you hot water honey lemon to cure a sore throat at least once in your lifetime.

With how integral honey has been to our lives, it’s an easy guess that most people have been advised to take hot water with honey first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. It is believed doing so clears all the toxins in your body and keeps you healthy. However, adding honey in hot water might not be doing more harm than good. Read on to know how how water and honey can be dangerous.

The danger of adding honey in hot water

We don’t intend to scare you but if you’ve been having honey warmed up then you need to probably stop doing so. Honey should never be warmed, cooked, or heated under any condition. Heated honey, when added to hot water can actually become toxic for your body.

At what temperature does honey become toxic?

A study published in the journal AYU found that at a temperature of 140 degrees, honey turns toxic. When you mix honey in hot milk or water, it turns hot and turns toxic.

In addition to this, researchers have also stated that honey contains natural sugars. Now, the thing is that heating anything that contains sugar can release 5-hydroxymethylfurfural or HMF which is believed to be carcinogenic in nature, thus making honey hot water not your ideal remedy.

How to consume honey safely?

The best thing you can do is purchasing and consuming raw or unprocessed honey. Yes, it might take more research and effort to procure it but nothing will match the purity that raw honey can offer. A study, published in Frontiers of Microbiology, states that high quality and unfiltered honey is more beneficial than filtered honey. 

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You can have a teaspoon of raw honey every morning, instead of mixing honey in water. In addition, avoid heating water or milk when you’re adding honey because it might turn toxic. A teaspoon of raw honey is a great source of antioxidants, states this study published in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 

So, honey can be absolutely amazing for your health but you have to consume it the right way.