Should you heat honey?

In our quest to bring you verified information on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to our diet and lifestyle, we have yet another interesting take on whether honey turns poisonous when heated. Krish Ashok, the author of The Masala Lab, shared that heating honey is not poisonous or harmful unlike what is believed. “The Internet’s most overused argument by authority is “according to Ayurveda”, and the funny thing is – no one bothers to cite original sources and provide context for what it might have meant 2000 years ago. Modern-day honey is a more widely available product than honey would have been in ancient times. Raw, unfiltered, unpasteurised honey in today’s world is a risky product. Doctors regularly see small children suffer from terrible consequences as a result of botulism poisoning from raw honey,” said Krish.

According to him, buy pasteurised honey and use it any way you want. “If you are the risk-taking type that uses raw forest honey, then remember that heating is going to destroy all the micronutrients and enzymes you paid for. The enzymes and micronutrients in honey come from flowers. Those flowers later become fruits or vegetables. We cook vegetables. If that isn’t toxic, how is heated honey going to become toxic,” said Krish.

As such, we decided to turn toward our in-house experts to learn more about how to appropriately derive optimum benefits out of honey.

Shruti K Bhardwaj, chief dietician, Zydus Hospitals, Ahmedabad said heating honey is a debated topic with considerations on both sides.

“While heating honey can make it easier to pour and mix with other ingredients, it can also degrade some of its beneficial enzymes, antioxidants, and nutrients, potentially reducing its nutritional value and unique flavour,” said Bhardwaj.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Krish Ashok (@_masalalab)

Raw honey, in its natural state, retains more of these properties. “However, heating honey slightly can also help in certain culinary applications like baking or making sauces. Ultimately, the decision to heat honey depends on personal preference and the intended use, but if you’re aiming to preserve its natural benefits, consuming it raw is the best option,” Bhardwaj said.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.