Why drinking warm water with honey can be harmful for you as per Ayurveda

A glass of warm water and honey on empty stomach is a common weight loss hack people follow. However, Ayurveda does not advise use of honey in any heated form. Here's why.

Many people start their day with a glass of warm water and honey on empty stomach to lose weight. It is said to help in absorption of cholesterol and fat and prevent weight gain. Honey, a natural sweetener, is known to be rich in antioxidants, minerals and enzymes and has many health benefits. It also soothes cough, cleanses gut, treats wounds and burns and is good for your skin.

Honey is considered a healthy replacement for processed sugar and is considered safe for diabetes patients.(Pexels)

Honey is said to be a healthy replacement for processed sugar and is considered safe for diabetes patients. Besides It is loaded with calcium, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium and zinc.

While it is common for people to mix honey with their herbal tea, lemon tea or glass of warm milk, Ayurveda does not advise use of honey in any heated form. 

One should not have heated honey directly or mixed with warm milk, warm water, warm lemon water or with tea, says Ayurveda expert Dr Rekha Radhamony in an Instagram post.

Radhamony goes on to explain how a heated honey can be actually toxic for body leading to many diseases.

"Ayurveda explains that warm honey is a slow poison that causes “ama” or toxicity in the body and its properties turn to that of a poison once inside the body. Ama is a condition where the mucous and toxicity of the body increases leading to many diseases," says Dr Radhamony.

She adds that Caraka terms this as samskara virudha or incompatibility caused due to processing (samskara).

Honey is best consumed in its natural and raw form for nutritional purposes while pasteurized honey available in stores have added corn syrup or other artificial sweeteners which can be harmful for diabetes patients. It also doesn’t have pollen, antioxidants, and enzymes that are found in raw honey.

"All honey available in supermarkets are heated to extreme temperatures and packaged. Don’t buy honey from stores. Buy honey from people who sell natural honey directly from the bees. Have it raw, not heated!" advises Dr Radhamony.

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