Honey for Kids – Health Benefits and Precautions

With loads of refined sugar sold in supermarkets as sweeteners, they are only jeopardising your child’s future. As a better and healthier alternative, honey for kids stands out the best. Honey – everyone knows how yummy and beneficial this natural ingredient is. Extracted from flower nectars by hardworking bees, honey is one of nature’s best gifts and can enhance a child’s health in many amazing ways. It not only acts as a sweetening agent but can also be used in healing plenty of ailments like cough, cold, and gastric ulcer, all thanks to flavonoids, polyphenols, and organic acids present in it (1). Stay with us as we discover honey’s benefits, when it should be given, and the unique ways to introduce honey in kids’ diets.

Can You Give Honey to Children?

‘Is honey good for kids?’ Although honey has amazing medicinal properties that can really help us, it is not meant for babies who are less than a year old. Of course, it is natural and full of good things, but your baby is not yet ready for it. As per the American Academy of Pediatrics, honey has something called dormant endospores of a bacterial species known as Clostridium botulism, which can be toxic and cause problems to an infant (2). However, it is safe for children above one year old to consume as by one year of age, the digestive system matures enough to fight against the bacteria (3).

There are different varieties of honey, such as manuka honey, which is found in New Zealand. Although it has many benefits, it is best to keep all kinds of honey away from children below one year of age.

Nutritional Value of Honey

The nutritional value of honey is high. It has many amazing values, and some of them are listed below.

This list shows all the highly nutritional elements that are found in 339 gm of honey.

Health Benefits of Honey for Kids

Honey has many amazing benefits for the growth and development of kids. Let’s check some honey benefits for kids that can help them become a sharper and stronger person. 

1. Vitamins and Minerals

Honey has quite a few minerals that are extremely helpful for children. It can be used in various recipes or also be given to children directly.

2. Protects Liver

Honey has properties that actually help the liver control blood sugar levels. (it is good for the liver but doesn’t help in controlling sugar levels)

3. Healing Properties

Honey has many amazing healing properties as it helps with coughs and colds, blood sugar, and even healing wounds and burns like canker sores (4).

4. Helps Sore Throat

Honey is one of the most common natural medicines for a sore throat. It has been used in Ayurveda and other natural medicines in different forms to heal a sore throat (4). Honey for kids’ cough is something that is followed in many Indian homes, as it works wonders.

5. Medicine for Stomach Upset

Honey is a great medicine when children suffer from stomach pain or stomach upset. It helps heal the pain and also increases the child’s metabolism during this time.

6. Heals Toothache

Honey, along with a little cinnamon, is a good medicine to heal a toothache. You can make a paste with one tsp cinnamon and 5 tsp honey, and apply the paste directly to the aching teeth. This is a great pain relief when you have a bad toothache.

7. Helps in Digestion

Honey is said to be a natural medicine that helps in digestion. You can make tea with honey when you have indigestion. This will help you instantly, and you will feel a lot more relaxed.

8. Helps Heal Dry Skin

Honey is one of the best moisturisers for the skin. It can even treat dermatitis and psoriasis vulgaris, sores, insect bites, boils, and burns. A 2004 study confirmed that honey, when mixed with beeswax and olive oil, can effectively treat dermatitis and psoriasis vulgaris (5). You can make your own moisturiser with honey and lemon, honey and Aloe Vera or just little-diluted honey and apply it on your child’s skin. You will notice how the dry skin is transforming faster than ever.

9. Helps Soothe Muscle Pain

Honey helps soothe muscle pain and even growing pains in children. A teaspoon of honey in a glass of warm water will do wonders.

10. Heals Mouth Ulcers

Mouth ulcers can be painful, especially for kids. Apply a little honey with turmeric to the mouth ulcer, as it will help heal the wound faster.

11. Helps Treat Asthma

Honey is a great help when children suffer from asthma, especially when they have an asthmatic attack during the night. Honey has the property to suppress congestion and provides a way for easier breathing. In a 2014 study, the aerosolised honey was able to reduce airway tissue inflammation and effectively treat and manage asthma in rabbits (6).

12. Useful During Chronic Inflammation

Honey has the ability to heal inflammation as well. In fact, it has been used as an anti-inflammatory for many years now. It can work wonderfully in reducing the complications of oral mucositis which causes the inflammation and ulceration of the oral cavity mucosa due to cancer therapy (7).

Ways to Use Honey for Cough and Cold in Children

When children are struggling with a bad cold, cough or fever, pasteurised honey can help to a great extent instead of running towards OTC (over-the-counter) medicines (8). Honey is used in different ways during sickness.

• One way that has really worked and is the most common way of using it is to add honey to warm water and a little tulsi. This mix will soothe the throat and also increase the metabolism of the child.
• Taking a tablespoon of honey before bedtime as it is can also soothe the throat and help in the healing process (9).

Tips To Make Kids Consume Honey Easily

Honey is loved by almost everyone. It is sweet, and children usually enjoy it. However, you can still find children and adults who do not enjoy the taste of honey. If your child is of the latter category, you could use honey in different food items like cookies or tea, or you can even add it to milk. By adding honey to different food items, you can reduce its sweetness. This way, your child will eat honey easily.

Precautions to Take While Giving Honey to Your Child

Here are some precautions to take while consuming honey in your childs diet.

1. Not for Infants

Keep it away from children less than one year old, as honey is a toxic food item for babies.

2. Be Aware of Infant Botulism

Clostridium bacteria that can survive in honey can cause infant botulism. It is a bacteria that resides in the soil but can get into food items like honey (2). This is the reason it is not given to babies less than one year old.

3. Avoid Keeping it Open

Honey should be closed and kept in a cool place. Because of the sticky texture and the sweetness of honey, it can attract dust and ants. Hence, it must always be closed and kept.

4. Avoid Food With Honey for Babies Under a Year Old

Sometimes parents forget to identify food that contains honey, and accidentally feed it to their infants. Always be aware of cookies and other items that contain honey when you have an infant around you.

5. Breathing Problems

Honey can cause breathing difficulty in infants and even children. This could be because of allergic reactions. So, if you identify any such problem, it is important to visit a doctor immediately.

6. Muscle Weakness

If you notice that your child is struggling with muscle weakness, then this could be a reaction to honey. Again, it is important to meet the doctor immediately.

FAQs

1. How much honey is safe to give to children in a day?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children aged over 2 should receive less than 25 grams of added sugar daily (10). Since children consume packaged food that already has plenty of sugar, it is advised to monitor their daily sugar intake and adjust the honey quantity accordingly.

2. What type of honey should I give to my child?

You can give manuka honey and buckwheat honey to your child as these are effective in treating nocturnal coughs, respiratory tract infections, constipation, chronic bronchitis, and sleep difficulties (11). Manuka honey is even approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for treating burns and ulcers (12).

3. Can flu be cured by honey?

Although honey is a wonder product in treating coughs and cold, it, unfortunately, cannot treat flu or viral infections.

Honey is an amazing natural food that has numerous benefits to it. You can use honey instead of sugar as it is so much healthier and also comes with multiple benefits. Giving honey to your child is a great way to start living healthy.

References/Resources:

1. Pasupuleti. V. R, Sammugam. L, et al.; Honey, Propolis, and Royal Jelly: A Comprehensive Review of Their Biological Actions and Health Benefits; Oxid Med Cell Longev.; PubMed Central; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5549483/; 2017

2. Botulism; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/infections/Pages/Botulism.aspx

3. Why Should Babies Not Have Honey?; Nemours KidsHealth; https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/honey-botulism.html

4. Meo. S. A, Al-Asiri. S. A, et al.; Role of honey in modern medicine. Saudi J Biol Sci.; PubMed Central; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5478293/; July 2017

5. Al-Waili. N. S; Topical application of natural honey, beeswax and olive oil mixture for atopic dermatitis or psoriasis: Partially controlled, single-blinded study; Complementary Therapies in Medicine; ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5264916_Topical_application_of_natural_honey_beeswax_and_olive_oil_mixture_for_atopic_dermatitis_or_psoriasis_Partially_controlled_single-blinded_study; January 2004

6. Kamaruzaman. N. A, Sulaiman. S. A, et al.; Inhalation of honey reduces airway inflammation and histopathological changes in a rabbit model of ovalbumin-induced chronic asthma; BMC Complement Altern Med.; PubMed Central; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4048365/; May 2014

7. Al Jaouni. S. K, Al Muhayawi. M. S, et al.; Effects of Honey on Oral Mucositis among Pediatric Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemo/Radiotherapy Treatment at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.; PubMed Central; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5320070/; February 2017 

8. Goldman. R. D; Canadian Paediatric Society, Drug Therapy and Hazardous Substances Committee. Treating cough and cold: Guidance for caregivers of children and youth; Paediatr Child Health.; PubMed Central; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3223897/; November 2011

9. Goldman. R. D; Honey for treatment of cough in children; Can Fam Physician.; PubMed Central; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264806/; 2014

10. Korioth. T; Added sugar in kids’ diets: How much is too much?; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/7331?autologincheck=redirected; March 2019

11. Paul. I. M, Beiler. J, et al.’ Effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and no treatment on nocturnal cough and sleep quality for coughing children and their parents; Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.; PubMed; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18056558/; December 2007

12. Marra. P. M, Santoro. R, et al.; Manuka Honey and Pediatric Patients: A Review; Journal of
Dermatology Research and Therapy; https://clinmedjournals.org/articles/ijdrt/journal-of-dermatology-research-and-therapy-ijdrt-6-085.php?jid=ijdrt; June 2020

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Yoghurt for Kids
Tea and Coffee for Kids
Protein Shakes for Children
Green Tea for Kids

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