A cup of tea next to a honey jar.
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Tea with honey conjures up images of home and hearth, and rightly so. Honey-sweetened coffee is less common, though the smooth sweetness nicely counteracts coffee's slight bitterness. Using raw honey to sweeten beverages is a healthy choice for many reasons, though adding honey to hot tea and coffee does destroy some of its nutrients.
Nutrients in Honey
Fresh, raw honey is loaded with antioxidants, though it contains only trace elements of other nutrients. The main advantage to using honey instead of refined sugar is that the natural sugars in honey take longer to digest than refined sugar. That means that your pancreas does not have to secrete as much insulin to capture and store the extra sugar. When the insulin scours the sugar out of your blood, your brain signals that it will need more sugar and you feel hungry. Honey can help you avoid that spike and drop, whether taken alone or added to tea or coffee.
Raw Honey vs. Pasteurized Honey
Raw honey is not subjected to any sort of heat processing, though it is sometimes strained for a more pleasing presentation. This means that it still contains all of its natural nutrients. The best temperature for pasteurization of honey is 145 degrees Fahrenheit, according to "The Beekeeper's Association Newsletter" at Mississippi State University. This destroys many of the nutrients in the honey the same way that cooking vegetables at high temperatures breaks down their vitamins and minerals. Adding pasteurized honey to tea or coffee will have no effect on its nutrients, because they are already destroyed. For raw honey, it depends on the temperature of the beverage.
Hot Tea & Coffee
Tea and coffee are generally made with water that is either boiling or close to it, which is around 212 F, though that temperature is lower at high altitudes such as Denver, Colorado. That temperature is high enough to burn your mouth, and it is also high enough to destroy the nutrients in raw honey. Letting your tea or coffee cool to a drinkable temperature may help raw honey keep its nutritional value.
Iced Tea and Coffee
Adding either raw or pasteurized honey to iced tea or coffee should have no effect on its nutrients. The cold may make the honey harder to dissolve, so using a small whisk is helpful.
FAQs
Adding either raw or pasteurized honey to iced tea or coffee should have no effect on its nutrients. The cold may make the honey harder to dissolve, so using a small whisk is helpful.
Does honey lose its nutrients in coffee? ›
It is a good idea to allow the coffee to cool down a bit before adding the honey because if it is too hot, you may lose the nutritional value of the honey. Note that there is a high chance that you may not enjoy the taste of your coffee the very first time you add the honey.
Does honey lose nutrition when heated? ›
Excessive heat can have detrimental effects on the nutritional value of honey. Heating up to 37°C (98.6 F) causes loss of nearly 200 components, part of which are antibacterial. Heating up to 40°C (104 F) destroys invertase, an important enzyme.
Can you mix honey with coffee? ›
Honey has a strong flavor that doesn't always go well with coffee. While a few people like the taste of honey in their coffee, many find that honey's flavors clash with coffee's. If you're looking for a healthy alternative to processed sugar, try sweetening your coffee with honey.
Is tea still healthy with honey? ›
Lavender, clover, and alfalfa honeys are ideal for various green teas. Other honeys include avocado and linden, which elevate green tea's grassy and minty flavors. The health benefits of honey with green tea include reducing the risk of heart disease, as both green tea and honey are good for the heart.
Does putting honey in tea destroy nutrients? ›
Adding either raw or pasteurized honey to iced tea or coffee should have no effect on its nutrients. The cold may make the honey harder to dissolve, so using a small whisk is helpful.
Why not put honey in hot drinks? ›
Honey is packed with antioxidants and essential nutrients, but mixing it with hot water is believed to reduce its efficacy. As per Ayurveda mixing honey with hot water can release toxins like Ama, which impacts health in long run and causes digestive and respiratory ailments.
What not to mix with honey? ›
- Honey should not be mixed with hot foods or water. - Honey should not be consumed when you are working in a hot environment. - Honey should never be combined with ghee or mixed with hot, spicy foods; fermented beverages (e.g., whiskey, rum, brandy); or mustard.
Does honey become unhealthy when heated? ›
Heating honey to high temperatures – generally above 45-50°C – eliminates these benefits by killing the bacteria, enzymes, and antioxidants that make honey so powerful. Heating honey – whether at home in the cooking process, or by commercial producers – seems like a huge waste of an incredible natural product.
Does hot water destroy the benefits of honey? ›
As per experts, adding honey to warm water does not significantly reduce its efficacy, but it is advisable to keep the water temperature around 37-43°C for the best results. It's best to use warm, not hot, water. Extremely hot water can destroy some of the beneficial enzymes and nutrients in honey.
Some natural and healthy ways to sweeten coffee include:
- Honey. Raw honey is a great natural sweetener for coffee as it contains amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that are all great for you. ...
- Agave. ...
- Vanilla. ...
- Cinnamon. ...
- Maple Syrup. ...
- Date Syrup. ...
- Stevia.
Coffee helps to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells while honey keeps the skin hydrated. This face mask helps tighten your skin as caffeine present in coffee tightens the pores of the skin. It keeps your skin revitalized.
Can I put honey in tea? ›
Final verdict. Honey does not just add sweetness to your tea but also to your health. It shoots antioxidants into your body to combat infections and diseases. Drinking tea becomes pleasurable when honey is in it; try some exotic, sweet, and unimaginable flavors to treat your taste buds!
Is 2 tablespoons of honey a day too much? ›
Honey is still a form of sugar and intake should be moderate. The American Heart Association recommends that women get no more than 100 calories a day from added sugars; men no more than 150 calories a day. This is a little over two tablespoons for women and three tablespoons for men.
At what temperature does honey lose its health benefits? ›
The ugly begins at around 122°F. At this temperature nutritional degrading speeds up. If held at this temperature for more than 48 hours the honey turns into caramel.
Does filtering honey remove nutrients? ›
Some commercial honeys are additionally processed by undergoing ultrafiltration. This process further refines it to make it more transparent and smooth, but it can also remove beneficial nutrients like pollen, enzymes and antioxidants (2, 3, 4).
Can I use honey instead of sugar in coffee for weight loss? ›
05/7It increases metabolism
Just like coffee, honey is a great source to boost metabolism. It contains antioxidants that boost heart health and metabolism, and better metabolism means that your body will work more efficiently when it comes to burning fat, thus quickening the process of weight loss.
