New Delhi (India), March 13: There are many advantages of honey that you may not know. Since ancient times, honey has been used for many aspects of life, especially for medical purposes, as they are well-known for being the treatment for digestive ailments. Some specific kinds of honey have rich bioactive characteristics like anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Furthermore, there are non-digestible carbohydrates present in honey in the form of oligosaccharides. In addition to the many benefits of honey, you would be pleased to know that there is a lot of evidence through various studies that honey has prebiotic characteristics.
In simple words, prebiotics are compounds or foods, such as non-digestible carbohydrates, that are used to promote certain changes that are favourable to the function and composition of the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota plays a key role in human health and well-being. It does so by synthesising vitamins, aiding digestion, safeguarding from enteropathogenic infections, and stimulating the immune system. Any kind of disruption to the symbiotic connection between the host and microbiota can lead to diseases ranging from mild to severe.
As soon as we start to chew our food, the digestion process starts right away with the saliva that breaks down the food, helps it with swallowing, and pushes the food down to the stomach. Enzymes and Peptic acids dilute and keep on breaking up the food. Then, the stomach acids and enzymes digest the protein and demolish the majority of bacteria that are present in the food. Things that are now left are delivered to the small intestine. In the small intestine, major food groups, fat, proteins, and carbohydrates, are broken into fatty acids, amino acids, and sugar, and they get absorbed into the bloodstream.
The large intestine or colon takes the unabsorbed remnants. It extracts water and salt while the abundant colonic bacteria ferment the sugars that are unabsorbed and proteins into short-chain fatty acids, which can be used as a source of energy. The pancreas breaks down protein, carbohydrates, and fat by releasing alkaline juice. And the liver has many important tasks. Now, let us take a look at how honey can improve gut health and digestion.
Through supplements and foods, probiotics, which are also known as good bacteria, are introduced to our guts. Prebiotics grant the food that are utilized bybeneficial microbes in the stomach to flourish. As prebiotics are on their way to the stomach without being broken by digestive enzymes and gastric acids, they bring positive changes in digestive organs and tracts. honey possesses prebiotic fibre components that are required for probiotics to provide healthy, good bacteria in the gut.
Because of the digestive tract’s alkaline effect, honey can assist with or prevent indigestion. If you consider a spoonful of raw honey before you start eating, it will certainly help you out with your digestion. Other than that, you can mix Dabur honey with hot water and drink it, or you can use it with herbal tea and drink it right before you go to bed or after you have a meal to help you with digestion.
Gastro-oesophageal reflux (GERD) happens when the lower oesophageal sphincter is weak, which allows the stomach contents to flow up to the oesophagus. At times of normal digestion, LES opens to enable food to pass into the stomach and shuts to prevent the acidic stomach juices and foods from flowing back to the oesophagus. Along with heartburn, honey can soothe this. There are many research studies that say that among many honey benefits, honey can assist in reducing the symptoms associated with acid reflux and help recover the health of the oesophagus.
After you take honey, what happens is that the lines in the oesophagus help soothe the inflammation and damage; this will absolutely help minimise the GERD symptoms along with avoiding sugar and alcohol that can cause inflammation and aggravate the sensitive lines of the oesophagus.
If you are often taking antibiotics, it is essential that you protect your digestive system. You can do so by taking foods that can give you good bacteria or probiotics. Our body needs to feed the good bacteria that are present in our guts in order to balance out the gut environment. Speaking of which, raw honey is the perfect prebiotic that can feed the good bacteria in your gut.
Since it is a non-dairy prebiotic product, honey is perfect for people who are lactose-intolerant. Natural yoghurt is known as a good food for prebiotics. However, since lactose-intolerant people cannot take yoghurt, honey is the ideal option for them.
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Divya Agarwal
