So many health-conscious individuals reach for a jar of honey each time they wish to sweeten something. Because it comes straight from nature, it doesn’t really come as a big surprise why honey has a very pristine image. Unfortunately, honey is not the ultimate health companion you think it is — experts say that too much of it can also put one’s health in peril.

Weight Gain

It’s a fact that honey is healthier than refined sugar, and this is why it makes for the perfect sweetener. But just because it’s healthier doesn’t mean right away that you can have unlimited amounts of it. Just like refined sugar, honey also contains lots of glucose — it’s for this reason why it tastes so sweet. Needless to say, you should take honey in moderation only in order to fend off obesity, which is something that is linked to so many different serious health problems.

Increased Blood Sugar

And because honey still contains glucose, it’s a terrible idea for those who are battling diabetes to consume it in large quantities. Otherwise, their blood sugar levels can spike which can pave the way for various diabetes complications. The good news is several studies show that small amounts of honey are incapable of causing dramatic spikes in the levels of sugar in the bloodstream. Because honey is sweeter than refined sugar, somebody who is suffering from diabetes usually doesn’t need to use a lot of honey just to make beverages taste sweeter.

Infant Botulism

Botulism is a food-borne illness. Also sometimes referred to as botulism poisoning, it is caused by the botulinum toxin — toxin released by the bacteria called clostridium botulinum. In adults, one of the most common causes of botulism is the consumption of contaminated canned goods. Infant botulism may strike if honey, which could contain botulinum spores, is given to a baby below 12 months old. It is a deadly problem as it may cause paralysis of the muscles, including the diaphragm that makes breathing possible. Respiratory failure is the number one cause of botulism deaths.

Allergy

If you have severe allergy to pollen, there is a possibility for you to experience allergy after consuming honey. In fact, you may end up with what’s known as anaphylactic reaction — a life-threatening allergic reaction. No matter if mild, moderate or severe, it’s a must for you to get immediate medical attention if it seems like your honey consumption has given you allergy as there’s always this possibility for your airways to become inflamed, keeping you from being able to breathe.

Hypotension

Some of the antioxidants present in honey are scientifically-proven to help lower the blood pressure. This is exactly the reason why the addition of honey to the diet is a good idea for those whose blood pressures are higher than normal. However, people who are already taking medications for lowering the blood pressure should ask their doctor if it’s fine for them to consume honey on a regular basis. That’s because the combination of the blood pressure-lowering properties of honey and high blood pressure medications may lead to hypotension. Put simply, hypotension is abnormally low blood pressure — a reading that’s lower than 90/60 mm Hg.

Honey is good for the health because of its antioxidants, vitamins, mineral and anti-microbial properties, too — and that’s why it is regarded as a fantastic replacement for refined sugar as well as artificial sweeteners.

However, it may not be the best form of sweetener for some people. Especially if you have a known medical condition and you wish to include honey to your diet so that you may enjoy the various health perks that it’s known to bring, make sure that you ask your primary health care provider which type of honey is ideal for you as well as how much of it you may consume per day.