The Health Benefits of Honey
Maasai Honey bees having “a taste of their own medicine…”
Honey has long been revered, not only for its delicious flavor, but also for its health benefits. Records of its use date back to the stone age; scientists estimate that people have been using honey for over 9000 years! Hippocrates in the 5th century B.C. extolled honey for its healthful properties, including the food in his famous advice, “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Still to this day, honey is used all over the world as a nutritious food and health remedy.
What makes honey so healthy?
First, honey’s positive health benefits depend largely on how the honey has been processed. Raw honey contains beneficial enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants and other organic compounds that are destroyed when honey is heated to a high temperature. Many commercial honeys are heated for rapid processing, but the end result is far less nutritious. Because of this, only raw, natural honey should be used in order to obtain the full health benefits.
It is also true that the chemical compounds of honey vary, depending on the environment in which bees are foraging. Where acacia trees are plentiful, honey will contain compounds from the acacia nectar. In an environment with baobab trees, the honey will inherit unique compounds from its flowers. This diversity from pollination makes all honeys (and their health benefits) slightly different, but all raw honeys have some common health benefits.
The sugars of honey are more easily digested than those of table sugar.
The dry weight of honey is 95% carbohydrates, which include the sugar molecules fructose and glucose; however, table sugar (refined cane sugar) is solely sucrose. Glucose and fructose are more easily digested than sucrose and they are also chemically different. Sucrose is a complex sugar (a compound of glucose and fructose together), but in order to break down sucrose, acids or enzymes are needed. This is how bees convert the complex sugars of flower nectar into the simple sugars found in honey - they secrete a special enzyme for the process. The end result contains simple sugars that are easily absorbed by body. Because fructose is actually sweeter than sucrose, honey can taste sweeter than ordinary sugar!
Honey contains a diverse nutrients array of vitamins, minerals, and other organic compounds.
In addition to carbohydrates, honey contains small amounts of organic acids, proteins, amino acids, minerals, polyphenols, vitamins and aroma compounds. These include minerals such as potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, zinc and selenium. Honey also contains the full range of B vitamins as well as vitamin C. These are just to name a few; in fact, honey has around 180 different compounds! These vary depending on the flower source, geographical area, climate, and bee species.
While these constituents are highly nutritious, it is necessary to consume larger amounts of honey in order to obtain significant quantities. Still, the broad spectrum of honey’s constituents contributes to a diversified, nutritious diet.
There is evidence that honey supports a healthy immune response.
There are multiple compounds in honey that benefit the immune system in different ways. Some of these (mainly short-chain fatty acids and certain sugars) are “immunopotentiating”, meaning that they provide a direct boost to the immune system. Other organic compounds in honey act as “immunomodulators”, helping to balance the system. This means that the immune response could be increased or decreased, depending on what is needed by the body. This allows the immune system to be toned and ready for action. If a negative threat is perceived, like a virus or bacteria, honey increases the system’s ability to produce defense cells, such as antibodies.
These are just a few of the ways that honey consumption supports human health. Because it contains such a wide variety of constituents, scientists are continually researching honey’s medicinal properties. Traditionally, it has been used to treat a number of diseases and, through modern science, it has shown anti-bacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. As with all foods, honey’s effect on the body varies for each individual, but it is generally considered to be a nutritious part of a balanced diet.
Remember - not all honeys are alike! Choose a raw, unprocessed honey in order to obtain the full health benefits.
