HEALTH BENEFITS OF HONEY

• Honey is a delicious viscous sweetener made naturally by bees for their own nourishment. Its flavor and texture vary with the type of flower nectar from which it was made. While the most commonly available honeys are made from clover, alfalfa, acacia flowers and lime flowers, honey can be made from a variety of different flowers, including thyme and lavender. Honey comes in a range of colors including white, amber, red, brown and almost black. Color of honey is a very useful tool to judge its quality. Light colored honey is more valued than dark colored honey as the former has a delicate flavor. It is also believed that polyfloral honey provides more benefits than monofloral honey.

Natural honey has been used by mankind since the past 2,500 years, all over the world, both as a food and as a medicine. Apiculture, the practice of beekeeping to produce honey, dates back to at least 700 years BC. For many centuries, honey was regarded as sacred due to its wonderfully sweet properties as well as its rarity. It was used mainly in religious ceremonies to pay tribute to the gods, as well as to embalm the deceased. Honey was also used for a variety of medicinal and cosmetic purposes. For a long time in history, its use in cooking was reserved only for the wealthy since it was so expensive that only they could afford it.

• The prestige of honey continued for millennia until - the "discovery" of refined sugar made from sugar cane or sugar beets. Once these became more widely available, they were in great demand since they provided a relatively inexpensive form of sweetening. With their growing popularity, honey became displaced by sugar for culinary use. Since then, although honey is still used for sweetening, much of its use has become focused on its medicinal properties and its use in confectionary.

• What makes honey so popular? It is the easy with which it can be consumed. One can eat honey directly, put it on bread like a jam, mix it with juice or any drink instead of sugar, or mix it with warm water, lime juice, cinnamon and other herbs to make a medicine. It is savored by all due to its taste as well as health benefits. While the numerous health benefits of honey have made it an important aspect of traditional medicines such as Ayurveda, scientists are also researching the benefits of honey in modern medicine, especially in healing wounds.

Among the health benefits of honey are included the following:

• 1. Honey is an excellent sweetener: Sugar can be substituted with honey in many food and drinks. Honey contains about 69% glucose and fructose enabling it to be used as a sweetener.

• Proper fueling of the liver is central to optimal glucose metabolism during sleep and exercise. Honey is the ideal liver fuel because it contains a nearly 1:1 ratio of fructose to glucose. Fructose "unlocks" the enzyme from the liver cell's nucleus that is necessary for the incorporation of glucose into glycogen (the form in which sugar is stored in the liver and muscle cells). An adequate glycogen store in the liver is essential to supply the brain with fuel when we are sleeping and during prolonged exercise. When glycogen stores are insufficient, the brain triggers the release of stress hormones - adrenalin and cortisol - in order to convert muscle protein into glucose. Repeated metabolic stress from cortisol produced when less than optimal liver glycogen stores are available during sleep, leads over time, to impaired glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, diabetes, and increased risk for cardiovascular disease and obesity.

• Experimental evidence indicates that consumption of honey may improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity compared to other sweeteners. The body's tolerance to honey is significantly better than to sucrose or glucose alone. Individuals with greater glucose intolerance like those with mild diabetes and Type 1 diabetes, showed significantly better tolerance to honey than sucrose.

• British researchers have discovered that honey slows the oxidation of 'bad' LDL cholesterol, which is responsible for causing arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Pure honey taken with food daily (instead of white sugar) relieves complains of cholesterol. This is beneficial for those of old age, sufferers of heart-disease, diabetes, high-blood pressure, stroke and others.

• Although honey is sweet, it helps to maintain and protect teeth! Its anti-microbial activity has been tested on several species of dental plaque bacteria. Studies show that honey has been proven to sharply reduce acid production, thus killing the bacteria responsible for dental caries, and blocking the growth of oral bacteria.

• 2. Honey is an energy source: Honey is also used by many as a source of energy as it provides about 64 calories per tablespoon. One tablespoon of sugar will give you about 50 calories. Further the sugars in honey can be easily converted into glucose by even the most sensitive stomachs.

• Honey is a source of complex carbohydrates• The benefits of honey go beyond its great taste. A great natural source

of carbohydrates which provide strength and energy to our bodies, honey is known for its effectiveness in instantly boosting the performance, endurance and reduce muscle fatigue of athletes. Its natural fruit sugars play an important role in preventing fatigue during exercise. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy. Honey facilitates in maintaining blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout.

• Studies at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sports Nutrition Laboratory found that honey may be one of the most effective forms of carbohydrate to eat just prior to exercise, because honey eaten before is digested easily and released into the system at a steady rate for use by the body.

• Though honey has more calories than sugar, honey when consumed with warm water helps in digesting the fat stored in the body. Similarly honey and lemon juice and honey and cinnamon help in reducing weight.

• 3. Honey is a source of vitamins and minerals: • Honey contains more than 180 different substances with complex interrelations

which makes artificial production of honey impossible. The composition and nutritional value of honey differ in relation to the floral sources honeybees have visited. For example, recent research supports the claim that dark colored honeys have larger amounts of antioxidants.

• Honey is an excellent source of vitamins. This is not equally true of vegetables and fruits. For example, spinach loses 50% of its vitamin C content within 24 hours after being picked. Fruits lose some of their vitamin content during storage. In contrast, honey keeps well. In fact, it is probably the only food that never expires!

• The vitamin and mineral content of honey depends on the type of flowers. Honey is high in vitamin C, in a variety of B vitamins and also A1, D, and E vitamins.

• Among trace-elements - the most important elements identified in dark color honeys - are iron, copper, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, manganese, magnesium, sodium, calcium, iodine, chlorine, zinc and high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. Honey also contains hormones, alcohols and essential oils.

• The inorganic contents of honey, minerals and other trace elements, play a significant role in human metabolism and nutrition. Owing to its choline content, honey is appreciated as an excellent tonic and helps people suffering from constipation and other enteric problems.

• All varieties of honey are rich in amino acids. The level of amino acids present in honey is a reliable indicator of the honey's antioxidant capacity. Essential amino acids found in honey are: tryptophan, lysine, methionine, cysteine, histidine, glutamine, and tyrosine.

• Honey also contains more than 18 different organic acids (gluconic, citric, malic, formic, etc.).

• 4. Honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties: Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and hence it can be used as a natural antiseptic.

• Honey has a distinct bactericidal power which is mainly due to its hygroscopic property. All living organisms require a certain amount of moisture to maintain their lives. When bacteria come in contact with honey they are deprived of the vital moisture and perish. The acid reaction of honey is also an unfavorable medium for the bacteria to grow in. Most micro-organisms which affect the human body are destroyed in honey.

• The external application of honey has an age-old history. The ancient Egyptians used it as a surgical dressing. The Papyrus Ebers recommended that wounds be covered for four days with linen dipped in honey and incense. They believed that cataracts yielded to treatments with honey. Honey dropped into the eyes was supposed to have cured inflammations and other ailments of the eyelids.

• The Chinese and Hindus cover the entire bodies of their small-pox patients with honey to hasten the termination of the disease and also to prevent the formation of scars. Galen (129-200) thought that "Honey warms and clears wounds and ulcers, attenuates and unloose excrescencies in any part of the body." The Talmud recommended honey for ulcerated wounds, especially for extensive sores of animals.

• During the Middle Ages honey was extensively used in the form of ointments and plasters for boils, wounds, burns and ulcers, plain or mixed with other ingredients. Charles Butler (1560 -1647; sometimes called the Father of English Beekeeping) thought that honey "will knit together hollow and crooked ulcers and likewise close other disjoined flesh." He highly praised the “Unguentum Aegyptiacum” which was made by boiling honey, vinegar and wintergreen. This plaster, according to Butler, would "open, clean, dry and digest all inflammations and resist putrefaction."

• The rural populations of the European continent, especially that of the Slavic countries, used honey for all kinds of wounds and inflammations. "Honey ointment", consisting of equal portions of honey and white flour, well mixed with a little water, had a wide usage. A good ointment should be more solidified than too liquid.

• The ancient Greeks often refer to "epomphalia", a navel ointment made from honey for the newborn. Old mead, which is almost extinct today, was also used as an antiseptic lotion.

• Dr. Shona Blair from the University of Sydney tested the antimicrobial capability of honey using problematic pathogens such as: Antibiotic resistant micro-organisms; Anaerobes (60 species); Fungi (Candida and Tinea); bio-films. Her paper entitled, The Grossly Underutilized Anti-microbial was presented to the First International Symposium on Honey and Human Health on 17 January 2008.

• Besides its antimicrobial properties, honey is a powerful wound healer because:

• *It topically numbs pain. • *It is osmotic and attracts water. Since bacteria are mostly made of water, it

is sucked dry in the presence of honey. Bacteria are further inhibited by honey because honey produces hydrogen peroxide and is acidic.

• *It activates the immune response by providing glucose for the white blood cells.

• *It speeds up the healing process. It creates a moist environment by drawing serum up through the skin tissues that helps “moist scab” formation.

• *Honey also reduces inflammation, helps shed dead tissue, and stimulates the development of new blood cells. Honey's antiseptic qualities also help prevent infections from moving to other wounds.

• 5. Honey is an antioxidants source: Honey contains nutraceuticals, which are effective in removing free radicals from our body. As a result, our body immunity is improved.

• Honey contains antioxidants, powerful compounds which fight free radicals and reverse ageing. Free radicals are everywhere - in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and even the sunlight. Every moment, the body absorbs oxygen and turns it into energy in a process called oxidation. This process also releases free radicals. Antioxidants slow down aging by neutralizing these free radicals. They perform healing at the deepest cellular level, allowing honey health benefits to manifest in a myriad of ways.

• Natural antioxidant from honey can destroy biologically destructive chemical agents which have been linked to many diseases such as cancer. These precious honey properties help protect the skin under the sun and help the skin to rejuvenate and stay young-looking. As such, there have been an increasing number of manufacturers of honey skincare products such as sunscreens and facial cleansing products for treating damaged or dry skin. A 2004 study conducted by the University of California concluded that honey contains as many antioxidants as spinach, apples, oranges or strawberries.

• There are at least four reasons why it is so effective in beautifying the skin:

• *It is a well known antibacterial and antifungal agent, and helps disinfect and speed the healing process in wounds, scrapes and burns.

• *It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, which are wonderful beauty aid that nourish the skin.

• *It contains powerful antioxidants which fight free radicals and reverse ageing.

• *It is rich and thick, making it an effective moisturizer. Like other humectants, honey binds moisture to the skin and helps it stay hydrated.

• Due to its humectant qualities, it is used in moisturizers, cleansers, creams, shampoos and conditioners. It does not only attract water but it retains it in skin. If skin loses its ability to retain moisture then it appears wrinkled and dry. In this way, honey it will prevent wrinkles and dryness. It maintains skin suppleness and elasticity.

6. Honey can cure children night cough• One of the better known health benefits of honey is that

it is able to help treat sore throats. Thanks to its antimicrobial properties, honey not only soothes throats but can also kill certain bacteria that cause the infection. Professional singers commonly use honey to soothe their throats before performances.

• Honey’s soothing qualities may help relieve sore throats and nighttime coughs in children. Since over-the-counter medicine may be harmful to children, a 2007 study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey may offer parents an effective and safe alternative. These findings are especially notable since an FDA advisory board recently recommended that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines not be given to children less than 6 years old because of their lack of effectiveness and potential for side effects.

7. Honey aid digestion• Eating honey is good for stomach and digestion. Dr.

Tobias Olofsson and Alejandra Vasquez from Lund University in Sweden showed evidence from their research that different varietals of honey possess a large amount of friendly bacteria: viable lactobacilli (6 species) and bifidobacteria (4 species), which may explain the "mysterious therapeutic properties of honey." Honey also contains complex carbohydrates which are probiotic. Consuming them encourages the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria in body. Also, honey contains large amount of enzymes. All these means eating honey will aid digestion and increase energy.

8. Honey can cure acne conditionsA 2008 study conducted by University of Amsterdam

investigated the antibacterial capability of medical grade honey (Revamil). The researchers concluded that honey "is a promising topical antimicrobial agent for prevention or treatment of infections, including those caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria". Honey is one of the best natural acne fighting ingredients. This is because honey actually kills the bacterium that causes acne. Honey also has anti inflammatory properties. It treats the inflammation associated with acne and calms the skin. Honey also soothes the skin and nourishes it providing a healthy glow to the skin.

9. Honey can cure insomnia• According to Michael McInnes of the Royal

Pharmaceutical Society, eating a tablespoon or two of honey at bedtime can improve sleep quality without causing weight gain. Unlike other sugary food, eating honey raises the blood sugar level slightly. It causes a controlled increase of insulin, which causes the amino acid tryptophan to enter the brain. In brain, tryptophan is converted into the hormone serotonin, which promotes relaxation. In darkness, serotonin is converted into melatonin in the pineal gland. Now, melatonin is a well-known cure for sleeping disorders. It is widely used for treating insomnia symptoms for elderly and depressive patients. It also enhances the quality of restorative sleep.

10. Honey is useful for hair - dermatitis and dandruff treatment • Honey is a natural conditioner for hair. Traditional use of honey on

hair has been widely known throughout the ages. A 2001 study conducted by the Dubai Specialised Medical Centre discovered that honey may be used to treat scaling, itching and hair loss. It can be added to conditioners, rinses and pomades.

11. Honey is a treatment for allergies• It may seem odd, because pollen often triggers allergies, but pollen in

the honey usually has the opposite effect. Recent studies show that raw honey is an excellent treatment for 90% of all allergies. A highly appreciated old remedy for hay fever is local honey and honeycomb. By eating raw honey produced by local bees, it can desensitize the immune system to local pollens. The recommendation is to start two months before the hay fever season to eat 2 tablespoons of honey a day and chew the beeswax for 5 to 10 minutes. It must continue until the hay fever season is over.

• On the other hand, there are more than 300 types of honey, and the pollen of one or more plants is likely present in the honey you consume. Therefore, if you are highly allergic to various flora, you may want to take extra precautions when consuming honey or strike this sweet condiment from your diet altogether.

12. Honey is an immunity system builder• Honey is considered from ancient times, the food of

foods, the drink of drinks, and the remedy of remedies. The ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians all kept honeybees, and extolled the virtues of honey. Some call honey a sweet medicine of heaven, others, elixir of long life.

• Amongst the many health benefits of honey, what is most impressive is that it can be a powerful immune system booster. Raw Honey contains 5,000 live enzymes, a full range of vitamins, 22 amino acids and 27 minerals. It is a powerful antioxidant, antiviral, contains natural antibiotics, stimulates the immune system into action and helps to fight respiratory conditions- especially when combined with apple cider vinegar. Honey’s antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help stay healthy and fight disease.

• Honey is proven more effective than any pharmaceutical antibiotic in the treatment of stomach ulceration, gangrene, surgical wound infections, and speedy healing of surgical incisions. Honey is unsurpassed for the protection of skin grafts, corneas, blood vessels, and bones during storage and transport. In fact, honey is such an excellent preservative of living tissue that it was commonly used to keep dead bodies from decomposing while being transported back to their homeland for burial.

• The healing powers of honey are not hyped. The Waikato Honey Research Unit provides details about the world-wide research that is being carried out on the benefits of honey in medicine. Further, BBC reported in July, 2006 that doctors at the Christie Hospital in Didsbury, Manchester are planning to use honey for faster recovery of cancer patients after surgery. Such research will provide scientific evidence to the so-called beliefs held by honey lovers all over the world and help in propagating benefits of honey to more people.