Honey Consumption Helps Decrease Cholesterol Level

Bile Secretion in Albino Rat Following Chronic Honey Intake
Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences, 2009 Dec;24(2):203-6

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of honey intake on bile secretion, bile electrolytes, bilirubin and cholesterol levels including plasma cholesterol in albino rats...

The control was fed on normal rat feed and water while the test group was fed on normal rat feed with honey added to its drinking water (1ml of honey to every initial 10ml of water) for 22 weeks...

The results obtained showed a significant [P <0.05] decrease in the rate of bile flow in the test (0.30+/- 0.03ml/hr) compared with the control groups (0.45+/- 0.04ml/hr). There were no significant differences in the concentration of bile electrolytes and bilirubin in the two groups. However, there was a significant [P <0.05] increase in the bile cholesterol and decrease in plasma cholesterol levels in the test rats compared with the control. It is therefore concluded that chronic consumption of unprocessed Nigerian honey resulted in decrease bile flow, increase bile cholesterol and decrease plasma cholesterol in albino rats...

If the results obtained in rats are applicable to man, honey intake may be beneficial in preventing hypercholesterolemia which has been implicated in the etiology and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and stroke...