Click one of the buttons above, or cut and paste the following link to share this page with your network.
This link will automatically track your referrals to Joyful Belly:
This pure and natural heavenly gift from nature was the first sweetener known to man. Honey's sweet goodness has been an icon of abundance for centuries. It's golden syrup seems to capture the very rays of the sun, reflecting nature in its purest form, and delighting your senses. Honey is a favorite ingredient in food, as a delivery vehicle for medicine, and topically in cosmetics for natural skin beauty.
Many cultures consider honey sacred. Ayurveda, the vital science of life, has appreciated honey's healing qualities for thousands of years. It is honored as an ingredient in an ancient formulation called Panchamrita, literally "The Five Nectars of Immortality". Consuming honey daily as a food is advocated in Ayurveda to promote good health and strength.
Bees tirelessly visit flower after flower preparing this natural sweetener from nectar. The secret behind honey's health benefits? Bees actually pre-digest honey, giving it qualities of heat, astringency, and a little dryness, qualities you won't find in any other sweetener. Yet, these qualities are essential to balancing the normally cold, damp weight gaining properties of other simple sugars.
You can experience the warmth of honey as a mild pungency that stimulates your tongue, raises your heart rate, and warms your metabolism and entire body after consumption.
Honey is quickly and efficiently used and absorbed by the body, and tolerated more so than other sweeteners such as sugar / sucrose / glucose used on their own. As it helps stimulate the metabolism, it helps your body burn fat. You can combine honey and lemon juice in luke warm (not hot) water for a quick morning detoxifier. A special cleansing quality of honey also suggests that it helps to lower cholesterol and clear plaque from arteries.
Recipes with Honey: Homemade Fire Cider
Energizing Tonic
Feeling tired? Try a spoonful of honey to wake you up. For centuries, people have swarmed to honey for its tonic properties. The ancient Greeks used honey to prevent the breakdown of muscles after heavy physical strain, to rebuild strength, virility and to improve endurance.
Honey is often a key ingredient in rejuvenating and re-energizing formulas, as well as to enhance the healing properties of other herbs. The proverbial "land of milk and honey" offers us all things good and is often described as richness, abundance, and joy. Honey has even been used to increase fertility.
For a delicious energy building home remedy, mix one tablespoon coconut butter with 1 tsp honey. Honey is a key ingredient in the famous Ayurveda formula chywanprash. Ayurveda also combines shilajit with honey to combat low energy in the elderly or those with weak constitutions.
Colds & Coughs
Studies have shown that honey is as effective (if not more so) as common over-the-counter cough suppressants. Honey won't produce mucus like other sweeteners that tend to make your congested, especially the morning after consumption. Instead, honey's 'heat' has the ability to liquefy and expectorate mucus, as well as disperse fluids that have collected in your upper respiratory system. It's a time-honored solution for soothing sore throats as it provides a rich coating effect on the back of your throat. One teaspoon of honey taken orally should do the trick. Honey's immune stimulating qualities are appreciated in popular cold and flu formulas like ginger honey, and lemon tea. It is featured in famous lung tonics such as osha and honey.
Recipes with Honey: Apples with Honey & Cinnamon
For Wounds, Burns, Ulcers, Topical Infections, Acne, & Hair
Honey has anti-bacterial, anti-septic, and anti-fungal properties, which make it a superb healer and protector for skin infections, burns, wounds and even scarring. Spread liberally over wounds to prevent infection, including diabetic ulcers. Honey is a hemostatic that has been used to stop bleeding for both wounds and stomach ulcers.
If your skin and hair is lacking moisture consider using honey to bring back the luster. A small dab of honey may even sooth acne and pimples, as well as speed up the healing process of your skin. Honey was also used in an ancient middle-eastern practice of sugaring hair removal, which is again becoming quite popular.
A spoonful of honey restores rosiness to the cheeks. Honey has been used for allergies, insomnia, constipation and to improve vision.
Contraindications
As sweet as it is, honey is not recommended for infants under a year old as it may hold the risk of botulism, a type of bacterial poisoning. Diabetics or sugar-addicts may like to stay from honey due to its concentrated levels of sweetness that will affect blood sugar levels.
Buying & Preparation
For the highest medicinal and nutritional value, purchase raw, unprocessed honey. Conventional grocery store honey is mostly corn syrup, so try to find a local source if at all possible. Cooked honey is considered a poison in Ayurveda, but for unclear reasons. Impure honey seems to be commonplace in shops today, so please check the label, and if possible taste the honey. Honey is also evaluated for clarity, aroma, flavor, and the absence of sediments such as honeycomb particles. If you can support your local farmers markets, they may allow you to taste test the honey before you purchase it. Honey holds different properties depending on the type of flora used to produce it. Buckwheat honey is considered best for coughs.
Cooking Honey
A teaspoon of honey drizzled onto creamy yoghurt transforms it into a decadently sweet and low-fat treat. Honey mixed into warm milk is a nurturing treat to soothe difficult emotions. Exercise caution with honey-butter, especially when the butter is salted, as it may be tempting to the point of addiction. Honey is celebrated as a glaze on nuts, found on many street corners in large cities, as well as at country backyard celebrations in barbecue sauce. It is featured in many salad dressings, including the the spicy yet sweet honey mustard. Honey appears in many dessert foods and snacks such as granola, as well as in breakfast cereals. Drizzle it on bananas with a dash of cinnamon for a tasty treat.It is ideal in the preparation of emulsions such as home-made ice-creams. Or, try fermenting honey to make honey-wine, otherwise known as mead, a popular beverage in Ethiopia. Honey wine is especially drying and Kapha pacifying. You will find honey in most tea and coffee shops. The list goes on - use your imagination.
Learn about the health benefits of honey for FREE
You'll receive free access to our entire website including
healthy recipes,
nutritional diet plans,
medicinal uses of ingredients,
& ayurvedic health tips.
Sign in once and you can use our website indefinitely..
Find out by taking this free, easy quiz.
You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Honey' is a good fit.
Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes
at your own leisure to learn more about your body.
AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT
Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances.
With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you.
Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature.
By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health.
See How it Works.
Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics
(gunas).
Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance.
By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick.
Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold).
You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.
Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food.
Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body.
Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food.
Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods.
Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion.
Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste.
One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes.
The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent.
Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?
Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.
Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.
Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.
Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.
The 3 metabolic body types
(doshas),
are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.
Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.
Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia.
They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature.
Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.
Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.
Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.
Hot and oily with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body. Vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.
Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Honey
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary.
The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.
A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.
Expectorants help you eliminate mucus from the lungs. These herbs often work by increasing the quantity of mucus, or thinning the mucus. Expectorants are indicated when phlegm congests the lower respiratory tract.
An agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. Antimicrobial is an umbrella term that can be broken down into specific categories of target microorganism, such as anti-bacterials, fungals, and virals.
A herb that contracts tissue or blood vessels. Generally styptics are astringent. They are often used topically as a hemostatic to stop bleeding, or to reduce secretions.
Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells.
The reports shared below are part of an educational assignment completed by students at
the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda.
These represent subjective experiences intended to help students explore principles of Ayurveda through personal observation.
In each report below, students ate the selected food for 3 days and self-reported these effects.
See other food & herb reports at Joyful Belly.
TEMPERATURE/CIRCULATION
How did Honey affect your temperature?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
0
14
13
1
Much colder
Slightly colder
Same
Slightly warmer
Much warmer
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your ear temperature?
22
18
14
10
6
2
6
19
3
Hotter
No Change
Cooler
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your sweat quantity?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
3
22
3
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the color of your skin?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
0
8
0
19
Yellower/Greener
Paler
Redder
Grayer
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the color of your tongue body?
20
16
12
8
4
0
2
16
1
9
Paler
Redder
Bluer
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the swelling of your tongue body?
27
22
17
12
7
2
3
4
21
More Swelling
Less Swelling
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your appetite/hunger?
15
12
9
6
3
0
1
10
7
9
1
Much less hungry
Slightly less hungry
Same
Slightly hungrier
Much hungrier
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your digestion speed?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
8
15
4
0
Much faster
Slightly faster
Same
Slightly slower
Much slower
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
TOXINS
How did Honey affect the amount of gas & bloating?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
5
21
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your stool smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
2
25
0
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
Tongue: How did Honey affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
10
14
4
0
Much smaller
Slightly less
Same
Slightly larger coating
Much larger
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the color of your tongue coating?
30
24
18
12
6
0
3
1
0
0
24
Yellower
Browner
Grayer
Whiter
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your throat soreness?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
13
14
More sore
No Change
Less sore
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your urine smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
2
24
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
2
25
1
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Many more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your sweat smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
1
24
3
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your acne?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
27
1
More acne
No Change
Less acne
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your freckles/moles?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
28
0
Darker
No Change
Lighter
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the color of your sclera (white part of eye)?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
0
0
0
1
Redder/Bloodshot
Yellower
Grayer
Browner
Whiter
26
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the color of the lower eye lid?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
1
25
2
More green/dark green
More purple
No Change
Less green/purple
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
HYDRATION
How did Honey affect your urine frequency/quantity?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
4
22
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the dryness of your skin?
22
18
14
10
6
2
5
3
20
Drier
Oilier
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the puffiness of lower eye lid?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
24
4
Puffier
No Change
Less Puffy
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the cracks on your tongue?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
5
16
5
2
Larger/longer/more cracks
Slightly more
Same
Slightly less/smaller/shorter
Much less
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
FLUID-THICKNESS
How did Honey affect your ear pressure?
26
21
16
11
6
1
2
20
6
More pressure
No Change
Less pressure
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your congestion?
16
13
10
7
4
1
2
13
13
More congestion
No Change
Less congestion
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the thickness of your mucous congestion?
21
17
13
9
5
1
2
18
8
More thick
No Change
Less thick
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
NERVOUS-SYSTEM
How did Honey affect your energy levels?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
0
11
16
1
Much less energy
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more energy
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your muscle tension?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
4
21
3
0
Much less tension
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more tension
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your anxiety?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
8
16
4
0
Much less anxiety
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more anxiety
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the stillness of your tongue?
23
19
15
11
7
3
4
20
4
More still
No Change
More Trembling / Jittery
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
DIGESTION
How did Honey affect your digestion speed?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
8
15
4
0
Much faster
Slightly faster
Same
Slightly slower
Much slower
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the amount of gas & bloating?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
5
21
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect burning sensations in digestive tract (do not include acid reflux)?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
5
16
7
0
Much relief
Slight relief
Same
Slightly more burning
Much more burning
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your appetite/hunger?
15
12
9
6
3
0
1
10
7
9
1
Much less hungry
Slightly less hungry
Same
Slightly hungrier
Much hungrier
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
TONGUE
How did Honey affect the color of your tongue body?
20
16
12
8
4
0
2
16
1
9
Paler
Redder
Bluer
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the stillness of your tongue?
23
19
15
11
7
3
4
20
4
More still
No Change
More Trembling / Jittery
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the color of your tongue coating?
30
24
18
12
6
0
3
1
0
0
24
Yellower
Browner
Grayer
Whiter
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the cracks on your tongue?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
5
16
5
2
Larger/longer/more cracks
Slightly more
Same
Slightly less/smaller/shorter
Much less
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
Tongue: How did Honey affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
10
14
4
0
Much smaller
Slightly less
Same
Slightly larger coating
Much larger
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the swelling of your tongue body?
27
22
17
12
7
2
3
4
21
More Swelling
Less Swelling
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
STOOL
How did Honey affect your stool lightness?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
5
21
2
0
Much lighter
Slightly lighter
Same
Slightly darker
Much darker
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your stool smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
2
25
0
1
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your stool consistency?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
7
16
4
1
Much softer
Slightly softer
Same
Slightly harder
Much harder
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your stool frequency/quantity?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
2
19
6
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your stool color?
25
20
15
10
5
0
5
0
1
0
22
More yellow
More gray
More green
More orange
Same
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
URINE
How did Honey affect your urine clarity?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
21
6
More cloudy
Same
More clear
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your urine smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
2
24
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your urine lightness?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
1
21
6
0
Much lighter
Slightly lighter
Same
Slightly Darker
Much Darker
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your urine frequency/quantity?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
4
22
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
2
25
1
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Many more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
SWEAT
How did Honey affect your sweat quantity?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
3
22
3
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your sweat smell?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
1
24
3
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
SKIN
How did Honey affect the dryness of your skin?
22
18
14
10
6
2
5
3
20
Drier
Oilier
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the color of your skin?
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
0
8
0
19
Yellower/Greener
Paler
Redder
Grayer
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your freckles/moles?
35
28
21
14
7
0
0
28
0
Darker
No Change
Lighter
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your acne?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
27
1
More acne
No Change
Less acne
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
EYE
How did Honey affect the color of the lower eye lid?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
1
25
2
More green/dark green
More purple
No Change
Less green/purple
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the puffiness of lower eye lid?
30
24
18
12
6
0
0
24
4
Puffier
No Change
Less Puffy
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the color of your sclera (white part of eye)?
30
24
18
12
6
0
1
0
0
0
1
Redder/Bloodshot
Yellower
Grayer
Browner
Whiter
26
No Change
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
ENT
How did Honey affect your congestion?
16
13
10
7
4
1
2
13
13
More congestion
No Change
Less congestion
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your ear pressure?
26
21
16
11
6
1
2
20
6
More pressure
No Change
Less pressure
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your throat soreness?
20
16
12
8
4
0
1
13
14
More sore
No Change
Less sore
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect the thickness of your mucous congestion?
21
17
13
9
5
1
2
18
8
More thick
No Change
Less thick
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your ear temperature?
22
18
14
10
6
2
6
19
3
Hotter
No Change
Cooler
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
HEART
How did Honey affect your heart pain/pressure/cramping?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
4
22
2
0
Much less
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your heart rate?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
2
17
8
1
Much slower
Slightly slower
Same
Slightly faster
Much faster
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your heart rhythm?
26
21
16
11
6
1
4
22
2
More palpitations
Same
Less palpitations
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
SYSTEMIC
How did Honey affect your energy levels?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
0
11
16
1
Much less energy
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more energy
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your muscle tension?
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
4
21
3
0
Much less tension
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more tension
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your anxiety?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
8
16
4
0
Much less anxiety
Slightly less
Same
Slightly more anxiety
Much more
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
How did Honey affect your temperature?
20
16
12
8
4
0
0
0
14
13
1
Much colder
Slightly colder
Same
Slightly warmer
Much warmer
Total Responses: 28 REPORT ID:79 (2021-11-13 - 2021-11-22)
Note: These exercises are not part of an FDA-regulated study,
and were not designed or conducted under a clinical research protocol.
They are neither investigational in nature nor scientific findings.
They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
They are experiential assignments rooted in traditional Ayurvedic education, intended solely for instructional use.
No conclusions should be drawn regarding the therapeutic effects of any food, herb, or dietary substance based on these student reflections.
Honey may be beneficial for these symptoms.
The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual.
Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.
We will use this information to better predict food that helps you.
CONTRAINDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS
Honey may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms.
Note this is not a complete list of all possible contraindications.
Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.
Herb Drug Interaction Risk
Here are some potential herb drug interactions with Honey. Please see your health care provider for more information.
Antitussive: Many anti-tussives are sedatives - so caution when combining with other sedatives, stimulants, or antihistamines.
Hypolipidemic: May magnify the effect of cholesterol lowering drugs.
View other ingredients for Spring
Honey is recommended for Spring. Check out these other Spring foods here.
Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when
right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in
Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire
reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once
you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a
healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda.
His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful.
John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda,
offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.
John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy,
& botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.
John, his wife Natalie and their 7 kids live in Asheville, NC
“Ayurveda emphasizes that honey be consumed raw. From a modern perspective, many of the vitamins and enzymes that honey contains are apt to be destroyed by heating, so choose raw honey. There are as many kinds of honey as there are flowers - actually more if you include combinations. Some of them have very distinct colors, flavors, and therapeutic properties. Thyme-flower honey, for example, is highly sought-after in parts of the Mediterranean. You can bet it's a potent Kapha-buster and valuable in colds. Buckwheat honey is dark and almost molassesy while Linden honey, considered one of the finest, is light and delicate. There are even jungle honeys infamous in the foothills of Nepal for being intoxicating and even dangerous. When in doubt of what kind of honey to use go for local wildflower honey. Although honey is generally appropriate for Kapha in moderation, as a simple starch (high glycemic index) it is to be avoided in diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions."
“The answer depends on the person. Raw unrefined sugar and maple syrup are alternatives. For Kapha, add cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger to help with sugar metabolism."
“More specifically, as "Makes sense their qualities are
different. :)"
Quess my question is: what is the difference that makes one glucose acceptable for kapha and one not.
Both are from the plant kingdom as honey are produced by a bee but the ingredient of honey is pollen from flowers, bushes and trees and maple syrup the sap of a (maple) tree.
Did the Indians (creation of ayurveda) even know about the maple tree or was the ayurvedic "knowledge" revised as they came in contact with plant from other parts of the world during history?
Apologies if the question is a difficult one but maybe you have access to this differently than I do?
namat, Christina
"
“Generally, honey has more of a heating effect on the body which stimulates digestion and balances Kapha. Maple syrup is more cooling and soothes Pitta."
“Great question! In Ayurveda, heating honey is generally discouraged because it is believed to create Ama (toxins) in the body, making it harder to digest and potentially leading to imbalances. When honey is heated beyond 40°C (104°F), it can become sticky and clog the body's subtle channels (srotas), which Ayurveda associates with sluggish digestion and inflammation.Honey still retains antimicrobial and soothing effects even when heated, though Ayurveda emphasizes its impact on digestion rather than just its nutritional value.
For best use, Ayurveda recommends: ✔️ Using raw, unheated honey whenever possible.
✔️ Waiting for tea or warm beverages to cool to a lukewarm temperature before adding honey.
✔️ Avoiding baking or cooking with honey at high temperatures—jaggery or maple syrup can be great alternatives.
Hope this helps! Have you noticed a difference in how your body responds to raw vs. heated honey? 😊"
Want our top Ayurvedic recipes and health tips? Subscribe to our free newsletter!
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
The information and products on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any
disease.
On MeWe
On Pinterest
On Facebook
On Twitter
On WhatsApp
On Email
Create a recipe with it
Compare with other sweeteners
Ayurvedic Perspective
Biocharacteristics & Herbal Actions
Similar foods and herbs
Impact: On tongue, nerves, elimination, etc.
Indications / Benefits
Contraindications / Aggravates
Comments and reviews
