The benefits of drinking honey are very good for health. However, the timing of honey consumption can yield different health benefits. The best time to drink honey during the day is something you should consider each time you start a new day, as consuming honey in the morning, afternoon, or evening has different effects. Let’s explore when it’s best to drink honey for your health.
Best Times to Drink Honey for Health
- 1. Drink honey in the early morning – to cleanse the stomach
- 2. Drink honey in the afternoon – helps replenish energy
- 3. Drink honey before bed – Supports sleep and relaxation
- 4. Drink honey after meals – Promotes digestion
- 5. Drink honey before meals – Prevents stomach acid
- 6. Drink honey for cough and cold relief
- 34 Benefits of Honey
- 1. A natural antibacterial for the skin
- 2. Moisturizes and cares for the skin
- 3. Helps fade scars and heal wounds
- 4. Treats hair loss and nourishes hair
- 5. Treats dandruff and scalp disorders
- 6. Benefits for nails
- 7. Boosts immunity for the fetus
- 8. Honey is beneficial for fetal brain development
- 9. Helps prevent typical pregnancy ailments
- 10. Used for skin beauty, reducing pigmentation and stretch marks during pregnancy
- 11. Aids weight loss after childbirth
- 12. Nourishes blood and health for postpartum women
- 13. Balances blood pressure
- 14. Increases red blood cells in the blood
- 15. Regulates blood sugar levels
- 16. Reduces cholesterol, supports cardiovascular disease treatment
- 17. Treats arthritis
- 18. Treats rhinitis and sinusitis
- 19. Improves the immune system
- 20. Fights colds and flu
- 21. Honey helps treat stomach and colon diseases
- 22. Treats bloating and indigestion
- 23. Supports the growth of beneficial gut bacteria
- 24. Improves liver function, combats bladder infections
- 25. Prevents and supports cancer treatment
- 26. Helps relax, reduce stress and anxiety, and promotes good sleep
- 27. Reduces muscle fatigue
- 28. Treats sexual dysfunction, increases fertility
- 29. A nutritional supplement that enhances memory
- 30. Used as a sweetener instead of sugar
- 31. Treats some oral diseases
- 32. Used for burn treatment, fungus, and skin wounds
- 33. Improves vision
- 34. Antioxidant properties, anti-aging
>>> The Amazing Benefits of Honey
If you drink honey, choose the best time according to your purpose. Note that honey should only be mixed with warm water below 50 degrees Celsius to avoid destroying its enzymes and losing its valuable properties.
1. Drink Honey in the Early Morning – To Cleanse the Stomach
Drinking a glass of honey water in the early morning helps cleanse the stomach while aiding the body in eliminating waste. Establishing this habit will ensure that your body stays clean regularly. If you consistently drink honey water in the morning, you will notice a more regular bowel movement each day.
The energy provided by honey is about five times greater than that from milk. Thus, it can quickly replenish energy in the body, eliminating feelings of fatigue and hunger that often arise in the morning. Drinking honey in the morning can also quickly boost your physical state, leading to a more positive and active mindset.
For the elderly, the habit of drinking a glass of warm honey water promotes bowel motility, making it easier to have a bowel movement.
Maintaining this habit will help your body eliminate long-standing toxins. Adding lemon to your honey water can enhance its effects, as lemon helps with diuresis, frequently flushing out toxins and keeping your urinary tract healthy.
How to do it: Drink a glass of warm water mixed with a teaspoon of honey before breakfast.
2. Drink Honey in the Afternoon – Helps Replenish Energy
In the afternoon, during the transition between lunch and dinner, the body is often at its most fatigued and “demands” a significant amount of energy. At this time, the body is in a state of “hunger,” and having a warm glass of honey will clear the brain’s chaos and help improve mental clarity.
The sugars in honey are absorbed quickly by the body, improving nutritional status in the blood. A timely glass of honey water helps replenish energy and serves as a foundation for activities in the next 2-3 hours. This is especially beneficial for athletes or those engaging in high-intensity physical activities, as drinking a glass of honey water before and after strenuous work is very helpful.
How to do it: Drink a glass of honey tea or honey milk in the afternoon.
3. Drink Honey Before Bed – Supports Sleep and Relaxation
The Chinese say: Saltwater in the morning, honey water at night. This means: Drink saltwater on an empty stomach every morning, and drink honey water every night before bed.
Honey, sugar, and vitamins can regulate the nervous system, reduce nervous tension, promote sleep, and have no side effects. A glass of honey before bed can help reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
Honey contains a certain amount of sugar and vitamins that help regulate the nervous system and promote sleep without any side effects.
Moreover, honey increases insulin levels. The hormone insulin can stimulate the release of tryptophan in the brain. Tryptophan is then converted into serotonin, a hormone that promotes relaxation and a good mood, thus enhancing sleep quality.
Additionally, the habit of drinking honey before bed can also help with weight loss as your body will start burning more fat at night. Pure honey contains only 64 calories per cup and will keep you feeling full throughout the night.
For children (not for those under 1 year old), drinking 2 teaspoons of honey 30 minutes before bed can alleviate nighttime coughing.
Furthermore, drinking honey before bed is also one of the safest ways to help cleanse toxins in the body’s digestive system. The antibacterial properties of organic honey can help eliminate harmful pathogens in the intestines.
4. Drink Honey After Meals – Promotes Digestion
Honey has the effect of regulating digestive function, causing the stomach to secrete more acid than usual. After eating, especially after a heavy meal, the digestive function of the stomach can easily decline, leading to difficulty in bowel movements. A glass of honey helps enhance bowel motility, promotes normal stomach acid secretion, and significantly shortens bowel movement time, making you feel “light in the stomach.” This can help mitigate the negative effects of excessive evening meals.
How to do it: Drink a glass of honey water 1-2 hours after eating.
5. Drink Honey Before Meals – Prevents Stomach Acid
Honey can play a regulatory role in normalizing stomach acid secretion. Half an hour before meals, a glass of honey water can inhibit stomach acid secretion, thereby reducing irritation to the stomach lining. For those with gastric ulcers, drinking a glass of warm honey water daily (10ml of honey mixed with a glass of warm water) can significantly reduce inflammation over time, potentially leading to complete recovery.
How to do it: Drink a glass of honey water about half an hour before meals.
6. Drinking Honey to Treat Coughs and Colds
Honey contains a high amount of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, making it one of the best natural antibiotics that help prevent viruses and bacteria that cause illness. Additionally, honey also warms and soothes the throat, effectively reducing cough and phlegm. It is commonly used at home to treat coughs and colds due to its strong antibacterial characteristics, which help relieve sore throats and soothe coughs.
You can use honey tea with a little lemon juice, or honey syrups such as: steamed scallion with honey, steamed lemon basil with honey, steamed kumquat with honey, or honey-infused lemons. It is best to drink in the morning and at night before bed for optimal effects.
Besides its cough-relieving properties, drinking a cup of honey-infused lemon tea also creates a comfortable and relaxing mood after stressful work hours.
34 Benefits of Honey
1. A Natural Antibacterial for the Skin
Honey contains antioxidants that are very beneficial for the skin. It can be used topically as a natural sunscreen, protecting the skin from UV rays, preventing aging, and darkening. Additionally, beauty experts recommend using wild honey to treat acne.
2. Moisturizes and Cares for the Skin
According to Kim Wallace, founder of kimberlyloc.com, which focuses on beauty, “pure honey provides incredible benefits for your skin due to its antibacterial properties and antioxidants.” Therefore, it can be used as an essential moisturizer in daily life without causing side effects for your skin.
3. Helps Fade Scars and Heal Wounds
Honey harvested from wild beehives contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide, a well-known disinfectant. A thin layer of honey can be applied to the skin to disinfect and heal wounds on the skin and lips.
When you have canker sores, applying honey to the wound will provide immediate relief and help the wound heal quickly.
You can consume this food daily for better skin, apply it topically, or mix it with other natural ingredients to create various masks with distinct benefits.
4. Treats Hair Loss and Nourishes Hair
Regularly using wild honey as a supplementary ingredient helps restore and nourish your hair, reducing dryness, brittleness, and hair loss.
5. Treats Dandruff and Scalp Disorders
Thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal properties, honey has been applied in treating dandruff. Honey cleanses dandruff from the scalp while providing moisture to the hair and scalp.
6. Nail Care Benefits
As a source of natural nutrients and moisture, honey helps maintain hydration, reduce nail breakage, stimulate faster nail growth, and reduce yellowing.
7. Boosts Immunity for the Fetus
Honey can help promote digestion for better absorption, increase appetite, and improve sleep quality. It enhances the body’s resistance and positively contributes to the growth and development of the baby in the womb.
Therefore, health experts recommend that pregnant women drink a glass of warm water mixed with a little honey twice a day to supplement nutrition and boost immunity for their little one.
8. Honey Benefits for Fetal Brain Development
Honey contains many trace elements such as zinc and magnesium, as well as vitamins, which are essential for the baby’s brain development, and for caring for and protecting skin and hair, especially during the time the baby is still in the womb.
9. Preventing Typical Pregnancy Conditions
Many women often experience anemia during pregnancy. In addition to taking iron supplements, women can use honey daily to alleviate this symptom, while also reducing constipation and indigestion during pregnancy.
10. Used for Beauty, Reducing Melasma and Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, hormonal changes cause 90% of women to face issues like melasma and stretch marks, for which no doctor prescribes treatment. Women can apply honey to their skin to promote skin cell regeneration, making the skin smoother without worrying about side effects affecting the fetus.
11. Weight Loss Benefits After Giving Birth
By drinking warm water mixed with honey and a few drops of fresh lemon before meals, women will reduce their appetite and quickly regain their desired figure.
12. Blood Enrichment and Health Recovery for Postpartum Women
During childbirth, women expend a lot of energy. Using honey combined with egg yolk helps women recover quickly and regain their health.
Additionally, postpartum women should combine honey with ginseng powder, taking it twice a day to enrich the blood, resulting in rosy and smooth skin.
13. Balances Blood Pressure
Scientists have proven that the nutritional components in honey promote blood circulation, helping to maintain stable blood pressure. Therefore, consuming 1 or 2 tablespoons of honey daily will help you control hypertension.
14. Increases Red Blood Cells
The nutritional components of honey stimulate the production of new cells and increase red blood cell production, helping the body detoxify and breathe better.
15. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Research by British scientists has shown that honey is very beneficial for diabetic patients as it helps control blood sugar levels while providing essential vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that are very helpful for those with diabetes.
16. Reduces Cholesterol, Supports Cardiovascular Health
Honey promotes the production of good cholesterol in the body, reducing bad cholesterol and aiding blood circulation. This, in turn, helps prevent cardiovascular diseases.
The wonderful combination of honey and cinnamon will help you avoid sudden heart attacks. Therefore, it is advisable to use this mixture every morning for a healthy heart.
17. Treats Arthritis
To reduce joint pain, you can mix a tablespoon of honey with two tablespoons of warm water and a teaspoon of cinnamon and rub it on the affected area; the pain will disappear within minutes. Additionally, drinking a glass of warm water with two tablespoons of honey and a teaspoon of cinnamon in the morning and evening will help alleviate arthritis pain.
18. Treats Rhinitis and Sinusitis
A traditional method involves crushing garlic and soaking it in honey. Then, drop this mixture into the nose three times a day to treat the condition.
You can also drink the mixture directly to treat rhinitis, sinusitis, and colds. It is especially good for children (over 1 year old) suffering from rhinitis and sore throat.
19. Improves the Immune System
Pure honey contains about 5,000 enzymes and many vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. It helps eliminate dead cells and harmful cells within the body – fighting bacteria, viruses, and containing antioxidants that enhance the body’s immune capacity.
20. Fights Colds and Flu
A teaspoon of honey with warm water and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon three times a day will help you prevent annoying seasonal flu and always feel alert and healthy.
21. Honey’s Effect on Stomach and Colon Diseases
Honey combined with turmeric powder effectively treats stomach pain. Note to use it about 30 minutes before meals.
22. Treats Bloating and Indigestion
Honey is a suitable and effective choice for reducing digestive issues. Additionally, eating a spoonful of honey with cinnamon before meals will help you treat indigestion and bloating.
23. Supports the Growth of Beneficial Gut Bacteria
When combined with yogurt, honey promotes the growth and survival of beneficial bifidobacteria in the intestines, helping the digestive system function better and effectively reducing constipation.
24. Improves Liver Function, Prevents Bladder Infections
The natural sugars fructose and glucose in honey effectively support liver and bladder detoxification. So don’t forget to drink warm water mixed with honey every day!
25. Prevents and Supports Cancer Treatment
The natural antioxidants in honey help prevent the risk of certain cancers such as colon and bladder cancers.
26. Helps Relax, Reduces Stress and Anxiety, Promotes Good Sleep
A glass of warm water mixed with honey before bedtime helps reduce stress, tension, and anxiety, allowing the nerves to relax.
27. Reduces Muscle Fatigue
Honey is an essential part of the nutrition plan for athletes. It is used after workouts or competitions to recover muscles.
28. Treats Sexual Dysfunction, Increases Fertility
If you are facing erectile dysfunction or sexual disorders, don’t worry; use honey – a readily available ingredient at home to boost hormone production and increase fertility.
29. A Nutritional Supplement to Enhance Memory
Honey is an excellent source of natural vitamins and minerals for the human body, helping to nourish the body and enhance memory. Notably, the concentration of vitamins and minerals found in wild honey is always higher than that in farmed honey.
30. Used as a Sweetener Instead of Sugar
In the recipes of certain dishes, honey is used to enhance the flavor of foods such as grilled dishes and various types of cakes.
31. Treating Certain Oral Diseases
Honey is effective in treating common ailments such as toothaches, bad breath, coughs, and sore throats. Its antibacterial properties help alleviate coughs, soothe sore throats, and relieve uncomfortable toothaches.
32. Used for Treating Burns, Fungal Infections, and Skin Wounds
The antibacterial properties of honey help protect wounds from harmful bacteria and germs. Therefore, if you accidentally get burned or have a skin infection, quickly apply honey to the affected area.
33. Improving Vision
Research shows that drinking 2 tablespoons of honey mixed with carrot juice daily can help improve vision. So, don’t forget to include this drink in your routine to maintain bright eyes.
34. Antioxidant and Anti-Aging Properties
The antioxidants in honey help eliminate dead cells, improve the body’s immune system, and combat aging.