Honey-the sweet golden liquid has been used in Ayurveda for centuries, be it for minor diseases or for beauty treatments, honey makes it to the secret recipes of it all. The good news it that this golden deliciousness can help you with your pregnancy to mothers. Some may question as to whether the consumption of honey during pregnancy is safe or not. We assure you that it is perfectly safe. It is true that honey has botulism spores but the mother has a mature digestive system that is capable of destroying these spores and does not pass it on to the fetus. Though, honey shouldn’t be allowed to babies till they are well above a year old. Let us discuss the benefits of honey during pregnancy.
1. Honey Soothes Heartburn During Pregnancy
Due to the release of hormones during pregnancy, the sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach softens, allowing for the stomach acids to break into the esophagus causing a burning sensation. This happens more during the latter stages of pregnancy because during that time the baby pushes all the organs up. Due to the stomach acid having made its way into the esophagus the women may experience a lump like feeling in the throat or the upper chest. In order to reduce this sensation, mothers can try the honey and milk recipe. Just add a little honey to a glass of milk and drink it before going to bed. This will soothe the burning sensation in your throat and provide relief.
2. Honey Treats Cold During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the immunity system of the woman’s body is weakened which makes her even more susceptible to a cold and sore throat. Once you catch a cold, your mucous membranes swell up and make easy breathing quite a task. If you have indeed caught a cold, you can increase your intake of vitamin C by consuming more fruit juice and fruits. Sipping lemon and honey tea can help alleviate the problem. Some women have admitted to marked relief to their sore throat and cold.
3. Honey helps Relive Morning Sickness
Morning sickness is experienced by about 70 percent of the pregnant women which includes nausea and vomiting especially during the first trimester of the pregnancy. This though a very common occurrence can lead to weight loss and may lead to other health complications which may prove serious for the mother as well as the child. Traditional remedies for treating vomiting and sickness is soda and crackers which are not highly helpful. Ginger is known to be helpful in ailments of the digestive system and the reproductive system. Ginger tea with honey is a great remedy for morning sickness, though, during the early weeks of pregnancy, ginger can ease the flow of blood into the abdomen which is not recommended so go easy on the ginger.
4. Honey and Cough
Cough though a minor ailment can cause no end of trouble to the pregnant women as the bouts of a cough cause distress to the mother. The traditional remedy involves honey with crushed basil (tulsi) leaves. This provides relief to the irritated throat and relieves the mother of continuous bouts of coughing.
5. Honey is a Natural Sweetener
It is normal to gain weight during pregnancy, but obesity too is not good and weight gain over the proper estimate increases the chances of complications in pregnancy. Honey comes to rescue here again as it is a natural sweetener. You can add it to milk, tea, kheer or anything you like sweet of. It is to be kept in mind that even the excess of honey can cause weight gain as well because the weight is gained only when more calories are consumed than those that are required.
Added to the above properties, honey has the following healing properties as well-
- It can reduce allergies if it comes to that.
- It is a natural antibiotic.
- It is known to reduce the growth of the bacterium which causes ulcers.
How Much Honey can be Consumed in a day?
As we mentioned, two or three tablespoons of honey per day are sufficient for a pregnant woman. Maybe a spoonful of the cereal or tea during breakfast. Throughout the day you may use it for snacks, fruits, baked products or use it in general cooking. Honey contains 60 calories in one tablespoon and calories contained in simple sugars should not exceed more than 10 percent of the total calorie requirement. Hence two to three tablespoonfuls are more than enough unless you have really high energy requirements.
Honey is very nutritional and healthy but it is to be noted that all herbs are not good to be consumed and thus mothers should consult their doctors before trying out any of those grandmas’ homemade recipes. We would like to repeat once again that though it is healthy for the mother to consume honey, it is not safe for babies under 1 year of age to consume it as it has botulism spores and their digestive system is not strong enough to destroy them. That said, please do try as many natural remedies as possible as they are both healthier and less likely to cause a side effect.