Honey is popularly known as a healthy food and sweetener but some women wonder, can pregnant women eat honey? Pregnancy is a special stage in their lives and eating the right foods is one of the important ways to keep women and the babies they are carrying healthy. This article will help give you the information you need about eating honey while pregnant and dispel old myths about it.

Can Pregnant Women Eat Honey？

Some women are afraid to eat honey during pregnancy because it may contain botulinumtoxin from bacteria present in the product. Spores of bacteria may be present in honey but the toxins do not go to your bloodstream because your body gets rid of the bacteria. Adults, as well as older children, have a mature digestive system that can kill botulism spores. Pregnant women who eat honey do not pass on these spores to their babies in the womb. Therefore, they do not harm you or your baby. So yes, it is safe for pregnant moms to eat honey.

To be safe, experts advise people to eat pasteurised honey. Pasteurisation is a process that removes harmful microbes from food such as milk and honey.

Pregnant women who develop a condition known as gestational diabetes (high blood sugar levels during pregnancy) can still have honey as long as they count its calories in their total caloric intake. Honey can raise the blood sugar level since it contains fructose, so you must take care not to take too much honey in your diet.

What Are the Benefits of Honey?

1. Boost the Immune System

Honey is a substance composed of glucose, fructose, and other types of sugars. It boosts the immune system, helps heal wounds and minor burns faster, neutralizes stomach acid that causes heartburn. These antioxidant and antibacterial properties result from the small amounts of various substances it contains, such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids.

2. Other Benefits

Please watch this video and learn more about the benefits of honey:

How Much Honey Can You Eat Every Day?

1. Do Not Eat Too Much Honey

In general, it is not wise to eat anything in excess, whether you are pregnant or not. Honey is an excellent sweetener, unlike other types of sweeteners such as table sugar, which contains empty calories. Use this nutritious sweetener to replace sugar in beverages such as coffee or tea or use it instead of jams to spread on your bread.

Another concern about eating honey is if it would cause pregnant women to gain weight. Just keep in mind that weight gain happens when you eat more calories than what you need no matter what food source these calories come from. Your body stores excess calories from various foods as fat, which causes weight gain. You can avoid consuming empty calories from refined, processed or artificial sugars by eating a more nutritious sweetener in the form of honey.

2. Take Only Three to Five Tablespoons of Honey per Day

This amount of honey is sufficient. You can have one or two tablespoons of honey in the morning with your fruit, cereal or yogurt. You can also have another tablespoon at bedtime. For snacks during the day, have one or two tablespoons of honey with fruits, baked products, or use honey in cooking. Remember, honey contains approximately 60 calories in one tablespoon. The calories contained in simple sugars should not exceed ten percent of your total caloric requirements daily. Thus, 180-300 calories per day from honey is enough, unless your energy demands are high, which allows additional consumption.

Learn More About Honey

1. When Can You Get Honey with the Best Quality?

Honey is produced throughout the year but the best quality products are usually available during autumn. Bees produce best quality of honey during this season when the flowers are probably at their best health.

2. What Precautions Should You Take When Eating Honey?

There are several ways to prepare food with honey. It may also be taken on its own. However, some ways are considered unhealthy and you should try to avoid these:

3. Consult a Doctor If You Are Still Concerned

If you are still unsure about eating honey while pregnant, consult your doctor. It is also advisable to ask about using honey with other herbs as remedy for some health problems.