Does drinking honey water cause early puberty in boys?

Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
Updated on September 06, 2024
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00:00

Drinking honey water will not cause precocious puberty in boys, but it is important to note that honey should only be given to children over one year old. Although honey contains certain sex hormones, the amount is minuscule and not necessarily linked to precocious puberty, as the main component of honey is sugar, which constitutes a large proportion. Other components include proteins, organic acids, and pollen. There is no report from authoritative testing that has detected animal hormones in honey. Although pollen contains a considerable amount of plant hormones, these compounds are significantly different from the hormones found in animal bodies. Thus, plant hormones do not produce hormone-like effects in the human body, nor can they cause precocious puberty in children. However, it is important to note that the sugar content in honey water is relatively high and excessive intake can lead to obesity and cause abnormal development of dental health in children, including symptoms of tooth decay.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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What should I do if I find out my child is maturing early?

Interventional treatment for precocious puberty varies according to different causes. In principle, once diagnosed with central precocious puberty, aggressive pharmacological treatment is recommended, using inhibitory hormones to suppress development to pre-pubertal levels and inhibit further development of the ovaries and uterus. For peripheral precocious puberty or pseudoprecocious puberty, the cause must be removed. Clinically, if a child accidentally ingests their mother's contraceptive pills causing transient vaginal bleeding, it is essential to carefully inquire about the medical history, thoroughly understand the cause, and determine the treatment method. Also, ask if there has been any special dietary intake recently, including foods or drinks high in estrogen, and if so, remove the cause for treatment.

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Written by Quan Xiang Mei
Pediatrics
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Where is precocious puberty manifested?

Precocious puberty is primarily characterized by the development of breasts in girls before the age of 8, which leads to a diagnosis of precocious puberty. In boys, an increase in testicular volume and thickening of the penis before the age of 9 or 9.5 years also constitutes a diagnosis of precocious puberty. Once children show signs of precocious puberty, it is crucial to promptly take them to a hospital for the following relevant examinations to determine whether the condition is affecting the child's physical and psychological health. 1. An examination of bone age to determine if it impacts the child's height; 2. An ultrasound of the gonads to verify the severity of sexual development; 3. Under the detailed examination of a doctor, observe whether it affects the child's psychology, thereby providing further reasonable treatment based on the actual manifestations of the child.

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Written by Quan Xiang Mei
Pediatrics
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How can precocious children reduce estrogen levels?

Once children are diagnosed with precocious puberty, which usually refers to girls developing breasts before the age of 8 and boys showing signs of secondary sexual characteristics such as increased testicular volume and penile thickening before the age of 9, the method to reduce estrogen depends on the severity of the precocious puberty. This includes whether it affects the child's height and the maturity level of the sexual organs, as well as taking into account the estrogen levels at the time of examination for treatment. Mild cases usually do not require medication and can be addressed through dietary and exercise interventions. For moderate cases where hormone levels in the blood have not reached a severe state and there is some loss of height but not to the extent that requires treatment through injections, oral Chinese medicine can be used to reduce estrogen levels. In severe cases, where there is significant change in height, sexual organs, and high hormone levels in the blood, medication such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs can be used to control the child’s sexual development.

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Written by Tong Peng
Pediatrics
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Does drinking honey water cause early puberty in boys?

Drinking honey water will not cause precocious puberty in boys, but it is important to note that honey should only be given to children over one year old. Although honey contains certain sex hormones, the amount is minuscule and not necessarily linked to precocious puberty, as the main component of honey is sugar, which constitutes a large proportion. Other components include proteins, organic acids, and pollen. There is no report from authoritative testing that has detected animal hormones in honey. Although pollen contains a considerable amount of plant hormones, these compounds are significantly different from the hormones found in animal bodies. Thus, plant hormones do not produce hormone-like effects in the human body, nor can they cause precocious puberty in children. However, it is important to note that the sugar content in honey water is relatively high and excessive intake can lead to obesity and cause abnormal development of dental health in children, including symptoms of tooth decay.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Quan Xiang Mei
Pediatrics
45sec home-news-image

Can precocious puberty be inherited by children?

Precocious puberty may have a hereditary factor, but it is not very typical. This means that if the parents experienced early puberty or development, their children might also potentially display early signs of puberty or development, but it is not a certainty. Children with precocious puberty typically refer to those who undergo sexual development too early, which can affect their height or their sexual development. This usually impacts their adult height. If parents show signs of early puberty or development, we need to closely monitor the sexual development of their children, observing the development of the nipples in girls and the development of the testicles and penis in boys.