Honey is a very useful and accessible product for everyone. Several facts are widely known about it: honey in boiling water releases poison, and on its own, it is a vitamin bomb. Let’s find out why you can’t heat honey and if it’s true.
Hot honey in tea – harmful or useful
It is believed that honey in hot tea begins to release toxic substances. Scientists decided to study this question and came to the conclusion that when heated, octimethylfurfural is released. That this substance is present in sugar-containing products even without heating – it is just formed there more slowly.
Further research revealed that oxy-methyl furfural is not a toxic substance. Scientists conducted experiments on living beings and found no harm to health.
How to drink tea with honey when you have a cold
Despite the fact that the statement “honey with boiling water gives off poison” is nonsense, you should not add it to very hot tea, but for another reason. For example, in boiling water, honey can lose some of its health benefits and even slightly lose the fullness of its flavor. To get the most out of this golden product, it is best to add it when the tea is already suitable for drinking.
To turn the drink into a cold remedy, you can add lemon, cinnamon, cardamom, or ginger to taste. Also honey goes well with herbal, berry, and fruit teas.