Honey, since age-old times, has always been considered an elixir. It has been passed on from generation to generation due to its ever-prevailing benefits. It is an extremely antibacterial, antiviral and remedial syrup that acts as an active agent in boosting your health and immunity. However, despite its numerous benefits, honey is not safe for infants under the age of 12 months.
Honey consists of enzymes, minerals and nutrients that are helpful to strengthen your immunity. But along with that, honey also contains dormant endospores of a bacterial species known as Clostridium botulism, which turn into bacteria in the bowel and produce harmful toxins in the body of an infant.
Bees collect pollen from a variety of different flowers and in the process may sometimes carry with them soil and other particles too that get mixed with honey. This could sometimes affect infants below the age of 1 year and cause chronic diseases like botulism, which poses a serious threat to their health.
Many parents think that since honey is considered an elixir, it has no harmful properties but it’s best to wait until your children turn 2 to feed them honey. Honey is also naturally sweeter than sugar and should hence be fed in limited quantities initially.
Once your children turn 2, it is vital to introduce raw, unfiltered honey in their diet for their proper growth and nourishment. Including honey in your child’s diet every day can help them in a number of ways.
Some benefits include:
1. Build Immunity
Honey is a rich source of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and other such nutrients that are necessary for children in their early stages of growth. It helps them develop a stronger metabolism and build greater resistance to viruses and diseases.
2. Heals Wounds
Honey has anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. This helps the wounds and burns heal quicker and prevent any kind of infection. At the same time, it also helps repair any damage to the skin and promote good health of the skin.
3. Eases Digestion
Babies often fall prey to digestive illness and face gastric problems. Honey acts as a perfect solution by removing unwanted toxins present in the body and boosting the metabolism that in turn eases digestion.
4. Instant Source Of Energy
At such a tender age, kids are always active and hence get tired easily. They need proper nutritional intake to help them keep up with their daily activities. Raw honey that is not heat processed maintains the nutritional value of honey which is a great source of instant energy to children.
Apart from these, honey has many other benefits like – an effective cough suppressant, heals toothache, protects the liver and prevents the threat of many other diseases. However it is important to make sure that the honey you consume is raw, natural and that the enzymes are not filtered out. Always look out for the ‘truly raw’ label when buying honey, especially for your children.
