A Review of 18 Human Trials Found Honey Raised Good Cholesterol

• A review pooling 18 controlled trials in 1,105 people found honey raised HDL cholesterol, the kind linked to lower cardiovascular risk, with high certainty evidence
• The same review found honey lowered fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, though this evidence was rated low certainty
• Clover and robinia honey produced stronger effects on cholesterol and blood sugar than honey blended from many flowers
• Raw, unprocessed honey outperformed heat treated honey on nearly every outcome measured
• Honey intake also raised two inflammation markers, interleukin 6 and TNF alpha, a result researchers could not fully explain

A tablespoon of honey a day did more than sweeten tea for the volunteers across eighteen separate trials. It moved their cholesterol numbers.

A meta-analysis pooling data from 1,105 participants found that regular honey consumption raised HDL cholesterol, the kind associated with lower cardiovascular risk, with high certainty evidence. The same analysis found honey lowered fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, though these effects were rated low certainty, since results varied considerably from trial to trial.

Researchers combined eighteen controlled feeding trials lasting between one and twenty four weeks, comparing honey against participants' usual diet, sucrose or high fructose corn syrup. Participants consumed a median of 40 grams of honey a day, about two tablespoons, for a median of eight weeks, and nearly all the trials were randomized.

The results were not uniform across all honey. Clover and robinia honey produced stronger reductions in cholesterol and blood sugar than honey blended from many flowers, and raw honey outperformed heat treated honey on nearly every measure. The researchers pointed to heat sensitive compounds, such as the diastase enzyme and various antioxidant phenolics, as a likely explanation, since pasteurizing honey appears to strip away some of these components. That distinction between floral source, processing and outcome echoes something honey has represented in traditional medicine for centuries. Not all honey behaves the same way in the body.

The review also turned up something harder to explain. Honey intake raised two inflammation markers, interleukin 6 and TNF alpha, a finding the authors flagged for further study rather than interpreted. And aside from the HDL cholesterol increase, most of the other benefits were graded low certainty, meaning larger and more consistent trials are still needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.

It is a reminder that when it comes to honey, the specific variety and how it was handled can matter as much as the fact that it is honey at all, a distinction Tayab pays close attention to in verifying what is inside every jar it sources.