Honey for the liver: benefits and harms, how does it work?

Since ancient times, honey has been considered one of the most useful products. It has both medicinal properties and a sweet, pleasant taste, so it can serve as a sugar substitute.

Honey treatment is used for a wide range of diseases, from simple colds to autoimmune diseases. People have been resorting to honey since ancient times, so it is not surprising that over all these centuries a fair number of recipes have been accumulated, where the main ingredient is honey or other beekeeping products.

But not everyone knows that honey is one of the most effective means for cleansing and overall healing the liver. Modern research indicates that honey promotes the restoration and regeneration of damaged liver tissue.

Since the liver is an organ that plays a vital role in removing toxins, waste products and waste from the body, the slightest disruption in the diet, alcohol abuse or junk food can lead to damage to liver tissue and the occurrence of pathologies. In this regard, it is extremely important to understand exactly how honey affects the human digestive system, especially the liver.

Which variety is most useful?

Many people are interested in which honey is most beneficial for the liver. In fact, there is no clear answer to this question. rose hip-based honey works better for inflammatory diseases . This same variety is excellent for liver cleansing, as it contains a high concentration of vitamin C and antioxidants and has a choleretic effect.

Meadow, chestnut and buckwheat varieties are well suited for the prevention of various diseases and normalization of the condition of hepatitis .

But remember that honey should be purchased from people who are serious about beekeeping. Sellers must be verified. What is sold on store shelves is most often a low-quality product that, instead of benefiting you, will only bring you harm.

Lavender, rowan, raspberry, and apple varieties are good for therapy. For some diseases, mountain honey will be especially effective, but it is much more difficult to obtain. For more effective treatment and prevention, you should take honey with royal jelly or honeycomb.

Which honey is better to choose?

Different varieties of honey have different properties; as for the liver, rosehip honey is best suited for it

There is no longer any question about whether honey is good for the liver, but what type of beekeeping product is best to choose in order to maximize the benefits? According to experts, it is best to choose honey for the treatment of liver diseases and its restoration:

rosehip; apple trees; raspberries; rowan; clover; forbs.

The last of these varieties is also called polyfloral. You can learn more about its beneficial properties from the article - Honey from herbs: special taste and healing qualities of a natural medic.

If a person has hepatitis, honey will be more beneficial for him:

white acacia; meadow; rosehip; clover; alfalfa; crimson; motherwort; apple; sow thistle; rowan.

Thus, honey and human liver go well together, to the point that this amazing natural product can be used even for exacerbation of certain diseases.

Honey cleansing scheme

To effectively cleanse the liver, experts advise using dark honey varieties. Remember that before you begin basic cleansing activities, you should prepare your body.

The preparation is as follows: for 2 weeks you should drink a honey drink before meals.

The drink is prepared according to the following recipe: stir 30 grams of honey in a glass of warm boiled water. Each time you should prepare a new portion of the drink.

During preparation and cleansing, you should avoid consuming sugar (completely). Directly for cleaning you will need ginger decoction, honey and clean water. To prepare ginger infusion, you should chop a ginger root (about 5 cm in length) and add water to it. Keep this mixture in a water bath, bring it to a boil and cook for another 20 minutes. Then cool, close tightly and leave in the refrigerator.

Scheme of the procedure:

On the first day, add 6-7 grams of honey, a couple of drops of lemon juice and 10 drops of ginger tincture to a glass of purified water;
Increase the amount of ginger tincture by 2 drops daily;
After you reach 38 drops, stop increasing the dose and continue drinking the drink at the same concentration for another 15 days;
After this, gradually reduce the concentrate;
When you reach 10 drops, take a break of 2 weeks;
After the break, you can resume cleansing if there is a doctor’s permission and there is a need for it.

It is also important to follow an appropriate diet: avoid fatty, fried, spicy, salty foods, canned food, foods containing large amounts of preservatives, flavorings, fragrances, alcohol and tobacco products. Diversify your menu with fruits, vegetables, lean meats and steamed fish.

Can it be used as monotherapy?

The beekeeping product is not recommended as monotherapy (treatment with one drug). The result will come with an integrated approach that will combine natural sources of benefits with medications. In this situation, flower nectar and herbal ingredients will enhance the beneficial effects of the drugs, which will speed up recovery.

Common medications in the treatment of liver diseases:

antispasmodics - to normalize the outflow of bile, relax the gallbladder sphincter, for colic;
hepatoprotectors – to protect and restore gland cells;
vitamin and mineral complexes;
choleretic agents;
solutions for removing harmful compounds and toxins.

It should be remembered that folk remedies cannot be used in acute cases of the disease. Negative consequences for the body: increased symptoms, progression of disorders, development of complications.

4 more medicinal recipes

Over the centuries of using honey products to treat various diseases, several of the most effective recipes have been established. All of them are quite simple to prepare and do not require much culinary skill.

Honey water

One of the most famous and at the same time effective recipes is the honey water recipe. In order to prepare this drink, you will need:

Mineral water (1 faceted glass);
2 tbsp. spoons of honey of any kind.

Mix all ingredients. Take this drink daily in the morning before meals. You can add a slice of lemon, orange or apple for taste.

This drink is perfect for those who suffer from constant spasms in the bile ducts, hepatic colic or bile stagnation. Well suited for restoring intestinal microflora after poisoning.

Honey pumpkin

Including pumpkin with honey in your diet helps launch regenerative processes in the liver at the cellular level. 13 facts about the benefits of pumpkin for the liver, see here →

To prepare honey pumpkin, take:

Raw pumpkin fruit;
3 tbsp. spoons of honey of any kind.

Cooking method:

Peel the fruit and grate it on a fine grater.
You can grind the pumpkin in a meat grinder, if you don’t have a grater.
Squeeze out excess liquid from the pulp using a piece of gauze.
Add honey to the pumpkin and mix the mixture well.
It is advisable to add a drop of olive oil and egg white to this dish.

This remedy is perfect for those who suffer from cirrhosis of the liver, which is combined with gastrointestinal diseases of non-inflammatory origin.

You need to consume this mixture 80-100 g once or twice a day, half an hour after meals. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.

Cinnamon-honey tea

Choleretic tea with the addition of honey and cinnamon helps well with the removal of excess cholesterol.

Oats with honey

An infusion of oats with honey is suitable as a therapeutic treatment for residual symptoms of hepatitis. You can find 5 more beneficial properties of oats for the liver here →

Cooking process:

Sterilize a 3-liter jar;
Pour a glass of washed, unpeeled oat grains into the prepared jar;
Pour 2.5 liters of boiling water over the raw materials and stir;
Cool the mixture and then add a glass of honey (approximately 200-250 g) to it. Close the jar with a plastic lid;
Wrap the jar in a warm cloth and leave for a day;
After this, transfer the jar to the refrigerator;

You need to take this mixture three times a day, one glass after meals. To keep the mixture warm and pleasant, dilute it with warm boiled water before use. The treatment course is 3 months.

Popular liver treatment recipes

Treatment of the liver with honey is usually prescribed for the following diseases: cholecystitis, hepatitis, cirrhosis and fatty hepatosis. Features of therapy accompanied by common prescriptions:

cholecystitis is an inflammatory process in the gallbladder, the use of flower nectar with viburnum is common;
hepatitis - damage to liver cells by toxins, infectious agents, treatment begins after the acute stage has subsided, honey with a decoction of wormwood or royal jelly is useful;
cirrhosis - the extreme stage of hepatitis, a beekeeping product is used to maintain the structure of the organ;
fatty hepatosis or liver dystrophy - accumulation of lipids in tissues and degeneration of hepatocytes; pumpkin honey is useful.

The listed diseases occur frequently due to poor nutrition, bad habits, advanced disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, and other reasons. Treatment requires medications, diet, and folk remedies will help. Recipes:

Honey with citruses and garlic for liver cirrhosis. Grind garlic (3 heads), lemon (4 pieces) in a blender or meat grinder. Mix with nectar (1 kg), vegetable oil (200 mg). Place in the refrigerator for a day. Take 1 spoon 3-4 times a day 30 minutes before meals.
Honey-viburnum mixture. Combine honey with fresh fruits (1:1) in a glass container. Move to a warm, dark place for 2 weeks. Take in the morning on an empty stomach. Benefit – protection of hepatocytes, restoration of structure.
Nectar with aloe. Grind 100 g of plant leaves to a paste and add half a glass of bee product and mix. Use 30 g of the mixture before meals. Properties: disinfection, restoration of gland cells.
Honey water. Pour 200–220 ml of mineral water into a bowl, heat it, add 1 teaspoon of flower nectar. Take the drink every day before breakfast. The product stimulates the release of bile and cleanses the body. It is better to use it for the prevention of diseases, rather than for treatment.
Honey with pumpkin pulp for fatty liver hepatosis. Cut off the top of the fruit, pour in the nectar and leave to infuse. It is recommended to consume the honey-pumpkin mixture 3 times a day, using a large spoon. The benefit is to normalize the outflow of bile, improve intestinal motility, and protect liver cells.
Honey-herbal infusion. Make a collection - combine 5 g of lemon balm, mint, lavender flowers, strawberry leaves, catnip and 10 g of thyme. For one serving, pour 5 g of the mixture with boiling water, leave for 10–15 minutes, then strain, add 5 g of nectar and drink. Properties: ability to remove sand, small stones from the gallbladder, eliminate inflammation.
Bee product with wormwood. Pour water over the leaves of the plant and leave for a day. Grind, combine in a bowl with honey and water (1 cup each). To thicken, place the mixture on the fire. Benefit – improvement of organ function.

Using only a bee product in its pure form will not give results, so it is recommended to combine honey for liver cleansing with other ingredients. For example, herbs will enhance the healing properties of nectar. Recipes in folk medicine for the treatment of liver diseases only work when the components are combined.

Can I take it if I have a diseased liver?

Honey can be considered one of the most effective therapeutic and preventive agents for liver diseases.

Cirrhosis. The use of bee products in the presence of cirrhosis of the liver helps prevent the accumulation of bile and the formation of stones in the bile ducts, as well as correct metabolic processes in the body. But the decision to include honey in your therapeutic course should be made only by your doctor.
Fatty hepatosis. For those suffering from fatty hepatosis, it will be useful to eat a spoonful of honey in the morning on an empty stomach, as well as drink pumpkin with honey and honey water. You can add garlic and lemon to these products, which will enhance the beneficial effects of drinks and honey mixtures.

Indications for honey treatment

Liver treatment with honey is carried out in the following cases:

Violation of metabolic processes.
Slowing blood circulation.
Damage to hepatocytes.
Slowing the outflow of bile, congestion in the gallbladder and its ducts, the risk of cholelithiasis.
Inflammatory processes.

In addition, honey therapy is indicated for diseases of the nervous system to normalize the patient’s mental state. Nectar is used for pathologies associated with impaired immunological reactivity that arise as a result of infection of the body with viruses or bacteria.

Honey cannot replace a medical drug, but it shows excellent results as part of complex therapy.

With hepatitis, liver cells are affected by viruses or toxic substances, causing the organ tissue to become inflamed. Honey therapy is allowed only after the end of the acute phase of the disease, then the product helps restore the functioning of hepatocytes.

For inflammation of the gallbladder and exacerbation of diseases of the digestive tract, a honey-viburnum mixture is used. Nectar is indicated for cirrhosis. It is used to maintain the structure of the liver.

This product is also used for inflammatory diseases of the pancreas. However, in this case, honey therapy is carried out only during the remission phase, strictly controlling the dosage of the product.

A few words about the benefits of propolis

Another interesting beekeeping product is propolis. Propolis is a resinous substance that is extracted from birch buds, poplar bark, conifer bark, and sunflower. Propolis is obtained after treating resinous gluten with bee secretions and pollen.

Due to its composition rich in vitamins and minerals, propolis is a useful product for the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

Propolis is capable of:

normalize metabolic processes in the body;
improve the absorption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates;
prevent cholesterol deposition and plaque formation;
speed up metabolism and normalize the synthesis of hemoglobin and histamine;
improve the functioning of the liver and kidneys in general, thereby improving the biliary function and increasing the body’s protective functions.

How to use?

Any treatment regimen that includes the use of propolis or tinctures from it must be compiled strictly individually. Each patient has a set of individual clinical symptoms, so there is no general treatment regimen.

There is a standard treatment regimen with propolis tincture, but again it is not suitable for everyone.

How to prepare propolis tincture with alcohol?

You need to take 25 g of raw material, mix it with 100 ml of high-quality vodka or alcohol.
The resulting mixture should be infused in a dark place for 3-7 days.
Once a day you should shake the container with the tincture.
The container for the tincture should be ceramic or dark glass.
The mixture should be infused in a cool, but not cold place with constant temperature and humidity.

Application scheme:

The tincture is taken drop by drop. You should take 25-45 drops per dose;
You need to take the medicine on an empty stomach, 20-30 minutes before meals;
You need to take the medicine 3-5 times a day;
The duration of the therapeutic course is 2-6 months.

All recommendations given are general and should not be taken as the only possible guide to action. Be sure to consult with your healthcare provider.

Honey and liver: beneficial properties

Honey has long been used to treat the liver. Due to the fact that the product contains vitamins, enzymes, natural antibiotics, phytoncides and other beneficial substances, its use has a positive effect on this important organ.

This aromatic delicacy, which children and adults love so much, has unique properties. It takes the load off the liver and improves its functioning, as it has the following effects:

cleanses the body of waste and toxins; promotes the restoration of liver cells; has wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties; strengthens the immune system; has a mild choleretic effect; improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

In addition, the waste product of bees replenishes reserves of vitamins and essential minerals, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the body at the cellular level. All this helps to avoid liver disease or speed up the healing process.

Despite the beneficial properties of honey for the liver, doctors recommend using it as an additional treatment. You should not stop taking medications without consulting a doctor.

Contraindications

Honey and other bee products are capable of performing a number of important functions in our body. But you need to take into account the fact that these products can cause an allergic reaction . Therefore, before using them, consult your doctor or do an allergy test.

For the test, you should eat a small amount of honey (precisely honey, since other products do not contain such a high concentration of active substances) and wait for the reaction. If after some time you notice a rash, hives, itching or swelling, do not continue treatment under any circumstances.

Honey and other products containing it may not always be beneficial. Various side effects may occur due to the presence of the following pathologies:

Allergic reactions . If you are predisposed to allergic reactions of various etiologies, it is prohibited to take any beekeeping products;
Diabetes . Since honey products are high in fructose and glucose, inconsistent consumption of these products can lead to high blood sugar levels. People suffering from diabetes should consult their physician before using honey for any purpose.
Obesity . Honey contains a large amount of carbohydrates, which are clearly not useful for a person suffering from excess weight or obesity.

Alternatives to bee products

Not only honey benefits the liver and pancreas. Among folk recipes there are many plants that have hepatoprotective properties:

It is useful to take decoctions of these plants in courses of 2-3 months. There are a large number of recipes both with and without bee nectar.

Bee products are good for the liver, provided that the disease is in remission. Apitherapy is an additional method of treatment, that is, it does not exclude the use of hepatoprotectors.

Honey is a very valuable natural product that has not only a pleasant taste, but also medicinal properties. This delicacy increases the body’s protective properties and is also used as part of a complex treatment for many diseases. Its healing properties have been known since ancient times, so the effectiveness of folk recipes has been tested for many generations.

Poor nutrition and alcohol abuse provoke liver dysfunction. Then the likelihood of such dangerous diseases as hepatitis, cholelithiasis, cirrhosis, etc. increases. To normalize the functioning of the gland, it is recommended to use honey. This product restores damaged hepatocytes and cleanses the organ of harmful substances. However, when using folk recipes with honey, it is important to know that the benefits and harms of a natural sweetener for the liver may not be equal.

Traditional medicine recipes

Treatment with honey for the liver includes such popular recipes as:

Mix it 1:1 with pureed viburnum berries and take 3 times a day, not exceeding the usual norm. You should not use sour berries - they affect liver balance.
Combining it with pumpkin, boiled or baked, is an almost universal way to treat the liver and gastrointestinal tract. This is possible due to the high fiber content of pumpkin.
Combination with walnuts.

When using choleretic agents, you can also add it - it will significantly enhance their effect.

With water and lemon

This is the optimal means of using this product for the preventative liver cleansing process. To prepare it, you need:

Honey, water and lemon are used to cleanse the liver.

1 tsp honey;
1 tbsp. water (it is acceptable to use mineral water, both carbonated and non-carbonated);
lemon juice in a small amount (no more than can be squeezed from one slice).

You can simply throw a slice of lemon into a glass of diluted honey and squeeze it out with a spoon. High liver acidity is completely unnecessary and even harmful. Take this remedy in the morning before meals. The course should last no more than a month.

On alcohol

Alcohol tinctures, even with the addition of honey, should only be used if the liver is completely healthy. Even minimal proportions of alcohol negatively affect its cells, destroy their membranes and can significantly aggravate existing diseases.

However, if there are no such pathologies in the body, then you can add this product to medicinal alcohol tinctures. This will have a positive effect on their properties and will soften the effects of alcohol on the body.