Can We Take Ashwagandha with Honey?

With its use dating back to over a millennium, ashwagandha is often considered to be a miraculous herb in the sphere of Ayurveda. Due to its phenomenal healing properties, ashwagandha has been used to cure people of their day-to-day woes, such as insomnia and stress, to name a few.

Honey, nature’s golden potion, also has been used for thousands of years, both as a natural sweetener and therapeutic. However, when we talk about honey, we mean raw honey, that is furnished directly from beehives to jars, without any processing.

As both ashwagandha and honey extraordinarily help in strengthening our body, the question does arise that can we take ashwagandha with honey? The answer is surprise, surprise, yes! Ashwagandha and honey is a powerful duo that reinforces our immunity and regulates our skin’s youthful appearance.

Before we move on to the benefits of ashwagandha and honey, we first need to understand what ashwagandha and honey individually bring to the table. So, here’s an overview of the benefits of ashwagandha and honey:

Benefits of ashwagandha

Officially recognized as an adaptogen, ashwagandha has proven benefits for the body. Also referred to as the Indian ginseng and winter cherry, ashwagandha has a unique color and aroma.  Here are the top four benefits of ashwagandha:

1. Lowers blood sugar levels

According to the US National Library of Medicine, ashwagandha helps in lowering the blood sugar levels in both healthy people and people with diabetes.

Studies have found that ashwagandha enhances the secretion of insulin and improves insulin sensitivity in muscle cells. While further studies are still required to strengthen this claim, initial results do speak in favor of ashwagandha and its positive effects on lowering blood sugar levels.

2. Reduces cortisol levels

Also known as the stress hormone, cortisol is released by the adrenal glands to respond to stress. When cortisol levels become chronically elevated, it paves the way for high blood sugar levels and increased storage of fat in the abdomen.

Recent studies published by the PubMed Central have revealed that ashwagandha helps in lowering the cortisol levels in the body. Hence, people who suffer from chronic stress can take ashwagandha to get relief from stress.

3. Increases muscle mass and strength

Another benefit of taking ashwagandha is that it contributes to the building of muscle mass and strength. Research has proven that people who took 750-1,250 mg of ashwagandha every day for a month experienced an increase in muscle mass and strength.

Thus, ashwagandha is effective for the reduction of body fat and an increase in muscle mass and strength.

4. Lowers inflammation

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, ashwagandha is effective for lowering inflammation in the body.

Studies have shown that ashwagandha accelerates the activity of natural killer cells (the immunity cells that offer resistance against infections). Hence, ashwagandha is helpful for lowering inflammation.

Apart from these benefits, ashwagandha also helps in lowering cholesterol and reducing the symptoms of depression.

Benefits of honey

Just like ashwagandha, honey, with its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, also helps in the alleviation of several medical conditions. Here is how honey benefits the body:

1. A powerhouse of antioxidants

The presence of free radicals in the body contributes to the process of ageing and can also lead to the development of severe conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Antioxidants help to counter these free radicals, protecting your cells from extensive damage.

Honey contains numerous plant chemicals that play the role of antioxidants for our body. By consuming honey on a regular basis, your body would get the necessary antioxidants it needs to fight off the free radicals.

2. Antifungal and antibacterial properties

Did you know that honey naturally comes with hydrogen peroxide that acts as an antiseptic? Due to its antibacterial and antifungal properties, honey is renowned for fending off infections.

It is because of these properties that honey is also commonly used to heal wounds (it accelerates the process of tissue regeneration and kills off the germs present in the wound).

3. Soothes your throat

Honey is an age-old remedy to soothe a sore throat. Renowned as an effective cough suppressant, honey is commonly used to fight the common cold. The reason behind its effectiveness is that it triggers the salivary glands to release more saliva. This saliva, in turn, smoothens the sore throat, giving relief to the patient.

Research has proved that honey is as effective as dextromethorphan, an ingredient commonly used in cough medications.

#4. Helps in keeping blood glucose levels in check

While honey is full of glucose and fructose, it has a low glycemic index (GI). It means that when compared to processed sugar, honey would have the ability to sweeten food items without resulting in a hike in blood sugar levels.

It is because of this reason that people with type two diabetes can also enjoy the goodness and sweetness of honey.

Besides the above-mentioned benefits, honey also contributes to weight loss and in the reduction of triglycerides (the most common form of fat found in the body).

Now, since we are aware of the benefits of honey and ashwagandha, let’s talk about the benefits they offer when they get combined with each other.

Ashwagandha with honey benefits

When you consume ashwagandha with honey, you derive both of their benefits. Its consumption not only rejuvenates your body but also gives it the necessary boost to ward off infections and diseases. Here are the top five benefits of taking ashwagandha with honey:

1. They help in the improvement of cardiovascular health

Over the past several years, studies have proven that both ashwagandha and honey help in the improvement of cardiovascular health. Where honey helps the arteries in your heart to dilate to increase the blood flow to your heart, ashwagandha helps in lowering the LDL cholesterol, VLDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

With the increased flow of blood to your heart and a lower concentration of cholesterol, both ashwagandha and honey would help in the improvement of cardiovascular health.

2. They support the digestive system

Several experts recommend ashwagandha with honey for digestive issues as they both work together to give you relief from digestive problems.

Honey contains specific enzymes that aid the process of digestion- these enzymes play the role of a catalyst and help in the process of breaking down of carbohydrates and sugars. On the other hand, ashwagandha helps in regulating norepinephrine, epinephrine, and cortisol (when these hormones reach high levels, they route the blood away from the digestive system causing stomach disorders).

Hence, when taken together, both ashwagandha and honey help in supporting the digestive system.

3. They give a boost to the immunity system

The combination of ashwagandha and honey also helps in giving a boost to the immunity system.

Ashwagandha helps the body’s defense system in several ways:

• Since it is a potent adaptogen, it increases the body’s resilience to stress and anxiety.  
• It enhances cell-mediated immunity, making your body more able to ward off diseases.
• Through its antioxidant characteristics, it also protects the body from cellular damage that is caused by free radicals.

While ashwagandha performs the above functions to improve your immunity, honey being a powerhouse of phytonutrients also gives a boost to your immunity system. The phytonutrients present in honey give it its antioxidant properties. Hence, it also aids in strengthening your immunity.  

4. They help in making your skin look more youthful

Both ashwagandha and honey help in making your skin look more youthful.

Ashwagandha, which is rich in bio-active principles, such as alkaloids, withanolides, and saponins, help in moisturizing and calming the skin. It contains naturally occurring anti-inflammatories and antioxidants that revive and rejuvenate the skin cells.

Honey, with its antioxidants, also helps in making the skin look younger. It assists in clearing out the pores, lightening scars, and exfoliating the skin. When ashwagandha and honey get used together, they help in slowing down the ageing process and make your skin look more youthful.

5. They help in the treatment of asthma

Yes, this phenomenal duo also has the ability to treat asthma!

Ashwagandha due to its immunity-enhancing and anti-inflammatory effects can relax the muscles present in the airway. This helps the patient to breathe easily without facing any difficulties.

Honey, on the other hand, has a long history of treating asthma and other respiratory conditions. The reason behind its effectiveness is that its sweetness results in the production of more saliva that smoothens the throat and relaxes the airway.

To conclude:

So, the answer to the question ‘can we take ashwagandha with honey’ is yes, we can! With benefits that range from improving your cardiovascular health to respiratory health, we can say that this duo would work wonders for your body.

Not only do they help your digestive and immune system, but they also make your skin look younger! But their benefits don’t end here- they also help in treating insomnia, improving cognitive functions and memory.