(ORDO NEWS) — Honey can make everything taste better. From chicken and fish to bread and desserts, it’s delicious on its own as a sweet treat.
Now, a new study has shown that honey may also improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, with some types may be better than others.
Honey is considered “free sugar”, which is essentially any type of sugar that can be added to food or drink, and is often considered to be one of the healthiest free sugars.
Researchers from the University of Toronto, whose results were recently published in the journal Nutrition Reviews, set out to determine what effect honey might have on cardiometabolic risk factors.
Responsible for the systematic review and meta-analysis, the researchers focused on 18 controlled trials that included more than 1100 people and lasted an average of two months.
The results showed that honey has a positive effect on cardio-metabolic health, such as blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Although participants typically consumed about two tablespoons of honey each day, it was noted that raw honey and honey from the same flower were responsible for many of the health benefits.
On the other hand, processed honey was not as effective when it came to benefits for the body.
“These results are surprising because honey is about 80% sugar.
But honey is also a complex mix of common and rare sugars, proteins, organic acids and other bioactive compounds that are most likely to have health benefits,” said Tausif Khan of the University of Toronto.
Honey is very rich in antioxidants for cardio-metabolic health. It contains flavonoids and phenolic compounds.
At the same time, raw honey, that is, one that is not subjected to any processing, retains more nutrients and antioxidants than processed.
As for the amount of honey you should consume to see its benefits, experts say one to two tablespoons of honey is enough to get you the nutrients you need.
Honey has long been considered a medicinal food and was widely used in ancient times.
Not only is it good for cardiovascular health, but it also has antimicrobial properties for healing wounds and even relieving an itchy cough.
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