Sweet on Honey? It May Be the Easiest Way to Lower Your Cholesterol

In All Health Watch, Cholesterol, Diet and Nutrition, Featured Article, Heart and Cardiovascular

Is it possible to improve your heart health just by eating honey?

Dr. Noori S. Al-Waili says it is. And he’s published proof to back it up.

As we explained in Tuesday’s message, he’s conducted a study that shows people who drink a honey solution lower their “bad” cholesterol by over 10 percent. It also lowers their C-reactive protein (CRP) levels by a whopping 57 percent.

“Muslims believe that honey is a healer for human illnesses,” says Dr. Al-Waili. “In 1996 I was [working] in the Republic of Yemen. I noticed that people applied natural, unprocessed honey on postoperative wounds. And the wounds healed without complication. This prompted me to study the effects of natural honey.”

He’s been conducting research into both honey and the heart ever since.

Groundbreaking Research

That research has led to his new study. It shows that a certain type of pure honey can improve heart health.

Dr. Al-Waili and his team conducted no fewer than seven trials to be certain of their findings. Each trial studied five to 10 people, split into three groups. Each group drank a 1-3 ounce solution.

  • Group one drank a pure, all-natural, dark honey solution.
  • Group two drank a glucose solution.
  • Group three drank an artificial honey solution. (A mixture of glucose and fructose.)

Each trial was conducted for 15 days. Participants reported to the clinic each day to drink their solution. Every day their blood was taken before and after drinking it. Their final results were compared to their first morning on the test… across the 15 days… and in follow-up tests after the study was over.

Only the pure honey group yielded results. Those results were dramatic and almost immediate in healthy people. But they were even more so in people with high cholesterol levels.

After 15 days people drinking the pure honey solution had:

  • 11 percent lower LDL levels
  • 57 percent lower CRP levels

At that point all participants stopped taking the honey solution.

After the study, Dr. Al-Waili took their blood again. Everyone’s levels were back to normal.

Experts Support Findings

Dr. Maureen Williams says the results are very clear. They’re good news for people trying to combat heart disease.

“These results show that honey has a unique positive effect on risk factors for heart disease,” says Dr. Williams. “This study shows that eating honey is not only safe, but is actually good for the heart.”

And Dr. Hen Lee Tsno has also published a study on honey and its benefits for the heart. It appears in the Journal of Natural Medicines.

Dr. Tsno notes that honey is made up of a minimum of 31 nutrients and 13 minerals. It also has nine vitamins and enzymes. He says it is the perfect food.

He published findings showing that an all-natural honey drink reduces high blood pressure and cholesterol. In less than seven days.

How Honey Works

It’s unclear why honey affects cholesterol so much. But the Universiti Sains Malyasia has published a study on the subject. The study was led by Dr. Abdul Khalil.

“Honey is a complex natural liquid that contains at least 181 substances,” says Dr. Khalil.

He says it’s loaded with antioxidants. Specifically those that cut inflammation. And strengthen heart health.

“Research shows a correlation between color and antioxidant capacity,” says Dr. Khalil. “The darker honeys provide the highest levels of antioxidants.”

And that fits with Dr. Al-Waili’s study. He used dark buckwheat honey with his patients.

So what’s the best way to strengthen your heart?

It’s pretty easy. Go to the store and pick up a jar of 100 percent pure buckwheat honey.

Then mix it into a diluted drink. You can use the same recipe that Dr. Nikki Engeseth used for her study…

Simply stir four tablespoons of honey into 16 oz. of water. And drink!

To your best health,
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Ian Robinson
Managing Editor
NHD “Health Watch”