Does Honey Cause Cavities?

Does honey cause cavities?

In this brief article, we will answer the question does honey cause cavities and three health benefits of honey regarding teeth health

Yes, honey can cause cavities. Tooth decay happens when acid is produced by bacteria in combination with sugars. Although honey has lesser sugar as compared to table sugar, it can stick to the teeth for a longer time due to its viscous nature.

Honey’s nutritional value:

Honey is a sweet, viscous nectar made by honey bees themselves, they produce honey in raw form by enzymatic action. Honey is a very healthy, nutritional and natural sweetener with almost 304 calories in one serving.

Honey has antioxidant properties and is antibacterial in nature. It is also considered that consuming raw honey boosts the immunity and has anti-cancer benefits. It is rich in vitamins including ascorbic acid, pantothenic acid, niacin and riboflavin. It is also rich in calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphates, potassium and zinc.

Health benefits:

Honey is a sugar rich diet which is considered enough to fulfill calorie intake when taken in balanced amounts. Honey also has many nutritional benefits including:

Consuming honey with warm water aids in digestion of fat in body
Honey is rich in minerals like calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium and phosphates
Due to high calorie intake it is known to give sudden energy boost especially to athletes
It is also known to treat gum disease and prevent tooth decay if taken in a balanced amount

Honey and Gum health:

As mentioned above honey helps to prevent tooth decay and gum diseases, but honey may also cause cavities. Due to its contrary nature it is better to take honey in low amounts and not to consume it excessively in one sitting.

Many scientists recommend honey to prevent tooth decay because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Gum diseases like gingivitis, bleeding and receding gums can be treated with the help of honey. Gingivitis is a severe disease in which the inflammation causes the teeth to move.

To protect the gums from any diseases mix honey with warm water and drink it. When honey mixes with water an enzyme called Glucose oxidase initiates the production of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is an antiseptic that fights against bacteria and other microbes.

Honey and tooth decay:

Alongside curing gum diseases honey is also used to protect the enamel layer of teeth and prevent tooth decay. Tooth decay when bacteria in the mouth produces dextran, a polysaccharide which mixes with bacteria to form plaque.

Honey has antibacterial properties which prevents the bacteria in the mouth to form dextran. Honey also stops the acid production in the mouth that affects the formation of plaque as well. In this way honey prevents teeth from decay and cavities.

Honey and cavities:

Unlike popular opinion, not all sweet food leads to cavities, especially honey. Honey is a sweet compound but it only affects teeth health if consumed in excess for extended time. Otherwise honey protects teeth from decay and diseases.

Honey has antibacterial properties and fights against bacteria that produces plaque and decays the teeth. It is instrumental in protecting teeth of a healthy human being and anti-inflammatory too. Many dentists advise to use honey as a home remedy against cavities.

One thing to remember is to never feed honey to kids under the age of 12, as it has high initial bacterial count. The bacteria in honey may be dangerous for kids and will result in botulism. In adults, consumption of honey in a balanced amount is advised.

Other FAQs about Honey which you may be interested in.

Can you get sick from eating expired honey?

Honey as a sweetener:

In adults and children, tooth decay happens when the enamel layer over the teeth gets destroyed by bacterial attack and sugar. Even though honey is a sweet compound it is not that easy to break into its sugar monomers. Honey also has antibacterial properties so it indirectly prevents decay.

It is about time you switch honey as your sweetener instead of table sugar. Honey is much sweeter and that’s why it is used in lesser amounts than sugar too. Using honey also has many health benefits including anticancer effects

Which honey to use:

Honey is directly obtained from honey bees or indirectly manufactured from some plant source. So the variety of honey varies from region to region and also in processing. It is important to identify which type of honey you want to use when consuming honey for health purposes.

Manuka honey which is native to New Zealand has a special effect on plaque and stops the growth of bacteria. Ultra-fine honey is also good if it is coming from a reliable source. It is better to buy locally made honey, this honey is obtained from farm fed honey bees and packed in the farm too. This solves the concerns about authenticity and purity.