If you can't consume solid foods, your doctor may prescribe a liquid diet for you that includes honey to give you some calories and energy. In this case, your physician will monitor your progress to make certain you're getting enough nutrition while you cannot consume solid food. You might also have heard of using a honey-based liquid diet as a form of diet or fast to lose weight and detox your body, but you should know that there's no evidence that this works as a detox.
Significance
A honey liquid diet generally includes clear liquids, such as broth, clear bouillon, apple juice and weak tea, combined with honey as a source of calories, according to Drugs.com. Your physician may require you to follow a honey liquid diet to clear out your digestive tract prior to certain types of medical testing, or you may need to follow the diet after surgery to your digestive tract.
Types
Generally, you can have most types of clear liquid on a honey liquid diet, according to Drugs.com. For example, you can have clear juices such as apple or cranberry juice, strained citrus juices, clear soft drinks such as ginger ale and clear sports drinks. You can't have strong tea or coffee, nor can you consume milk.
Function
You can sweeten anything you want with honey for extra calories, according to Drugs.com. Since honey has about 64 calories per tablespoon and can be very easy for your body to digest, you can mix 2 or 3 tbsp. into a clear drink fairly easily to provide your body with some extra energy.
Theories/Speculation
It's also possible to use a honey liquid diet as a form of fasting. According to Vanderbilt University, liquid fasts can provide quick weight loss and may offer some spiritual benefits. By consuming some honey with your clear liquids, you'll be offering your body a few calories during your fast. However, you still may experience some negative effects of fasting, such as headaches, body aches, dizziness and nausea.
Considerations
If your physician has instructed you to follow a honey liquid diet for medical reasons, you should stick to that diet until you've been told it's safe to resume eating solid food, according to Drugs.com. If you're planning to follow a honey liquid diet for weight loss or cleansing purposes, you should check with your physician prior to starting the diet to make sure your body can handle it. Regardless, there's no medical evidence showing that fasting can help to cleanse your body of any accumulated toxins, according to Columbia University.
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