5 Benefits of Honey for Your Digestive System
The human digestive process has a complex structure and consists of organs that carry out their respective functions. To prevent digestive problems, you can use honey. What are the benefits of honey for digestion?
Benefits of honey for digestion
Honey is a sweet liquid made by honey bees and is available in various types based on color, smell, and taste. This sweet liquid contains sugar and a mixture of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
In addition to being used as a natural sweetener, honey is used to help a number of diseases, including digestive problems. Below are a myriad of benefits of honey for digestive health that you can try.
1. Lowers stomach acid production
One of the benefits of honey for digestive health is that it helps reduce stomach acid production. You see, honey can work in a number of ways to help relieve acid reflux symptoms.
For example, honey is a source of antioxidants that can fight free radicals. Meanwhile, acid reflux can be caused by free radicals that damage the cells that line the digestive tract.
This means that honey may be able to prevent damage by scavenging free radicals. In fact, the texture of honey makes the mucous membrane of the esophagus more protected which results in a longer lasting feeling of relief.
However, experts still need further research to see the chances of success of honey in the treatment of stomach acid problems.
2. Prevents the risk of infection in the stomach
As previously explained, honey is available in hundreds of variants with their respective advantages. One type of honey that is often used in natural remedies for digestion is manuka honey.
In contrast to regular honey, manuka has a thicker texture with a more brownish and cloudy color, similar to caramel. Then, the content of manuka also tends to be more than ordinary honey.
Thanks to the content of hydrogen peroxide and protein defensin-1 in it, manuka honey is claimed to have greater antibacterial activity. That is, this type of honey may be able to kill bacteria more effectively than regular honey.
Meanwhile, the types of bacteria that can be eradicated by manuka include bacteria that cause infections in the stomach. Infections in the stomach can cause digestive ailments, such as irritable bowel and Crohn’s disease.
Therefore, the consumption of manuka honey has the potential to reduce the risk of bacterial infections that cause disturbing intestinal inflammation.
3. Help relieve diarrhea
Another benefit of honey for digestive health is that it helps relieve diarrhea. However, the recommended type of honey is raw honey.
This has been proven through a study of 150 children with acute gastroenteritis published in the Journal of Research in Medical and Dental Science.
The study reported that participants who received honey with ORS solution had a better cure for diarrhea. This condition was compared with those who did not receive honey at all.
On the one hand, participants who consumed a mixture of honey with ORS had less frequent bowel movements. In fact, their recovery process tends to be faster.
Honey may be used to treat mild diarrhea. Try mixing a teaspoon of raw honey with a drink. However, the consumption of this sweet liquid is reasonable because excess sugar can make diarrhea worse.
A series of benefits of honey above can be obtained by consuming it regularly, especially at breakfast in the morning.
Don’t forget to start the day with a spoonful of pure or premium honey from Madurasa to help increase your body’s immunity and make your activities more energetic and more optimal.