It is often said that eating anything sugary before bed actually does not end well. But raw honey is different because of its natural composition, to the point where some doctors are even recommending it to be taken before bedtime. Ron Fessenden, a medical doctor, is one of such health practitioners who has advised that raw honey contains “an ideal ratio of fructose to glucose,” to support the liver, an organ that works overtime even during the sleeping process.
According to him, eating honey ensures that the liver will have an adequate supply of liver glycogen throughout the day, and taking it before bedtime can serve as the perfect liver fuel at night. Combined with adequate, pure water, he noted, “body should have most of what it needs to perform its restorative and detoxing functions”. Fessenden also said honey promotes a truly deep and restorative sleep in two main ways.
First, it allows for an adequate supply of liver glycogen overnight while the body is fasting and stores are low. He notes that the average adult liver only has about 75 to 100 grams worth of storage space for glycogen, which varies between men and women of different body sizes.
Per hour the body consumes about 10 grams of glycogen during the day, leaving our stores quite low by the time our heads hit the pillow at 11pm. That leaves less liver glycogen than is needed for eight hours of sleep if one ate dinner at 6pm, Fessenden says.
However, taking a teaspoon or two of honey before bed will help restock the liver with glycogen so that one’s brain doesn’t activate a stress response, which often occurs when glycogen is low. Honey also contributes to the release of melatonin in the brain, as it leads to a slight spike in insulin levels and the release of tryptophan in the brain. Tryptophan leads to serontonin, which is made into melatonin in the dark.
Finally, adding honey to one’s diet at dinner will be a great support for healthy metabolism as the liver goes to work breaking down the toxins that are stored in the cells.
In addition to the ability to help us have a restful night sleep, honey has a wide range of benefits that have been tested throughout time.
Honey virtually never spoils, as it has been found in Egyptian tombs still intact after many hundreds of years.
The popular sweetener is also anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, excellent for reducing throat irritation, great for athletes, and much more.
In whichever way one chooses to use honey, it is advisable to buy organic and raw honey from a local farmer or a beekeeper.
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