Health Benefits Of Honey

Overview

Honey is a natural product made by honey bees from the nectar of flowers. Humans started the use of honey around 8000 years ago as shown in Stone Age paintings. Around 300 types of honey have been known. Honey has many nutritional and medicinal benefits.¹

Honey has been used for centuries to treat diseases like piles, eczema, worm infestation, hepatitis, exhaustion, dizziness, bronchial asthma, throat infections, TB, and eye disorders. There have been observations indicating antibacterial, antioxidative, antiproliferative, anticancer, and antimetastatic properties from the different components of honey. Since honey is rich in antioxidants, it has been suggested in modern scientific literature that it may be useful and protective for a variety of diseases including diabetes mellitus, respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and nervous system disease.¹

Nutritional composition of honey

Natural honey derived from honey bees has about 200 substances which include vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and minerals in it, but it primarily contains water and sugars. Water is present in  very small amounts. Sugar represents a total of  95 to 99% of dry matter present in honey.²

Carbohydrates 

The main carbohydrate constituents of honey are fructose which is 32.56 to 38.2% and glucose which is 28.54 to 31.3 %. This accounts for 85 to 95% of total sugars that are easily absorbed in the human blood via gastrointestinal tract. Honey also has fructooligosaccharides (4 to 5%), which act as probiotics.²

Vitamins and minerals

The vitamins in honey are in very less amounts and do not even come close to the recommended daily dietary intake. Additionally 35 various types of minerals are found in honey, including all of the major minerals, such as potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, sulphur, magnesium, and chlorine.¹

Antioxidants

Flavonoids and polyphenols are two of the main bioactive compounds present in honey which are very well known for their antioxidative properties. Recent evidence from research studies show that nearly 35 various types of polyphenols are there in honey. The polyphenols present in honey can vary depending on several factors like  flowers, climatic, and geographic conditions.¹

Organic acids( 0.57%) of honey are responsible for the acidity and its unique and characteristic taste. Apart from this honey also has some important amino acids, such as all 9 essential amino acids and all nonessential amino acids except  glutamine and asparagine. Enzymes like invertases, glucose, catalase, diastase, oxidase, and acid phosphatase make up for the main protein part of honey.²

Honey and health benefits

Honey is very well known for its health benefits and some of them are listed below:³

• Strengthens the immune system
• Fight colds
• Helps in clearing sinuses
• Prevents infection
• Treat burns and wounds
• Fights acne
• Soothe toothaches
• Helps in fertility
• Reduces cholesterol levels
• Clears bladder infection
• Reduces arthritis pain
• Helps with weight loss
• Aids in digestion
• Fights fatigue

Antimicrobial properties of honey

Honey's antimicrobial effects differ from antibiotics, which work by  breaking the bacteria's cell wall or stopping the intracellular metabolic pathways. Honey has four important features that play a role in its antibacterial efficacy.²

1. Honey pulls moisture from the environment which in turn dehydrates the microbes. Its sugar content helps in preventing the growth of the microbes.
2. Honey has a pH of 3.2 to 4.5, and this PH is low enough to prevent most of the microbes from growing.
3. Third, and maybe most importantly, hydrogen peroxide produced by the glucose oxidase is an antibacterial agent.
4. Lastly, honey has several phytochemical compounds which are believed to have antimicrobial effects.

Honey has been widely used as a topical antibacterial agent to treat infections in a wide range of wound types like:³

• Infected wound resulting from injury or surgery 
• Leg ulcers 
• Diabetic foot ulcers 
• Pressure ulcers 
• Burns 

Wound healing properties of honey

Among honey's countless health benefits, its wound healing abilities are the most efficient and thoroughly studied. Honey dressings have been shown to respond well to many types of wounds, such as abrasions, abscesses, amputations, burns, chilblains, burst abdominal wounds, fistulas, cracked nipples, fistulas, diabetic wounds, leprosy, traumatic, cervical, and septic wounds, varicose and sickle cell ulcers, surgical wounds, and wounds of the abdominal wall and perineum.

Inflammation, swelling, and pain efficiently lessen, and unpleasant odours and debridement improves as the honey dressings remove dead tissue without discomfort and without causing harm to the regrowing cells. Honey has quick healing properties with minimal scarring. Honey can also be used as a first-aid treatment for burns because of its powerful anti-inflammatory qualities.³

Antioxidant properties of honey

Free radicals can cause molecular changes and gene mutations in a variety of organisms.This change can increase the risk of cancer and other heart disease. Antioxidants interrupt free radicals before they may cause damage.

Natural honey contains many flavonoids, phenolic acids, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, catalase, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, Maillard reaction products, and peptides, with the majority of these components working together to give a synergistic antioxidant effect. As a result, many claim that honey, as a natural antioxidant, might be used instead of various preservatives. Honey's ability to offer antioxidant characteristics correlates to its brightness; so, darker honey has a higher antioxidant value.^{1, 2}

Honey and asthma 

The potential of honey to reduce asthma symptoms and act as a preventative agent for asthma has been studied. According to a study, honey can efficiently avoid ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation by lowering asthma-related histological changes in the airway, as well as preventing the onset of asthma.¹

Honey and heart diseases

Honey has antioxidants like flavonoids and polyphenols.These antioxidants have the ability to lower the risk of heart failure.¹ Flavonoids reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by three mechanisms:  

1. Boosting coronary vasodilation
2. Reducing the ability of platelets to clot
3. Blocking low-density lipoproteins from oxidising.

Honey and diabetes

Honey consumption in type I and type II diabetes was linked to a much lower glycemic index than glucose or sucrose in normal diabetes. Honey causes a low spike in plasma glucose levels in people with diabetes when compared to dextrose. Honey can also promote insulin secretion, lower blood sugar, increase haemoglobin, and improve lipid levels. ²

Honey and gastrointestinal diseases

Honey when taken orally can help in the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal infections, such as gastritis, duodenitis, and stomach ulcers caused by rotavirus and bacteria.² Honey has been shown to relieve diarrhoea and gastroenteritis rapidly. In a clinical study, infants and children brought to the hospital with gastroenteritis showed greatly reduced durations of diarrhoea when treated with honey. Honey has also been used to treat antral and peptic ulcers.¹

Honey adulteration and contamination

Honey adulteration is introducing foreign substances into honey. This is usually done to increase the quantity while compromising quality. The most commonly known adulterants are cane sugar, beetroot sugar, glucose syrup, fructose syrup, corn syrup, inverted syrup and high fructose inulin syrup.⁴

Honey contamination is the presence of foreign contaminants like pesticides, radioactive elements, or heavy metals, in honey from the environment, beekeeping practices, or external factors. These contaminants are not usually present in honey.⁴

Adulterated and contaminated honey creates concerns of consumer safety, food security, and environmental sustainability. Contaminated honey can lead to genetic changes, allergic reaction, carcinogenic effects and can also cause antibiotic resistance in some microbes. Consumers should buy products from reliable vendors with correct labelling and certificates.⁴

FAQs

What are the benefits of honey?

Honey has antibacterial, antioxidative, antiproliferative, anticancer, and antimetastatic properties from the different components of honey. Honey can help with piles, eczema, worm infestation, hepatitis, exhaustion, dizziness, bronchial asthma, throat infections, TB, and eye disorders. Due to its antioxidant effects it may be useful and protective against a variety of diseases like diabetes mellitus, respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and nervous system disease.

Is honey 100% safe?

Honey can be adulterated or contaminated so it is also important for consumers to buy honey from reliable vendors with correct labelling and certificates. 

Can diabetics eat honey?

Honey is made of water and sugars. As per studies honey consumption in type I and type II diabetes had a much lower glycemic index than glucose or sucrose in normal diabetes. Honey consumption causes a low spike in plasma glucose in people with diabetes. It can be a safer option for people with diabetes.

How to use honey as an antibiotic?

Honey has antimicrobial properties. It acts as an antibiotic when applied to the affected area. Honey dehydrates the microbes and its rich sugar helps in preventing the growth of the microbes. Honey has a pH of 3.2 to 4.5, and this PH is low enough to prevent most of the microbes from growing. Several phytochemical compounds present in honey are also believed to have antimicrobial effects.

Summary

Honey is one of the most cherished and valued natural products known to mankind. Honey has about 200 ingredients which include vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, and minerals in it, but it primarily contains water and sugars. Honey also has antibacterial, antioxidative, antiproliferative, anticancer, and antimetastatic properties. Additionally, It also helps in wound healing, prevention of asthma, treating gastrointestinal disease, strengthening immune system, fighting colds, clearing sinuses, weight loss, fatigue and digestion. Eating contaminated and adulterated food often creates concerns of consumer safety, food security, environmental sustainability, genetic changes, allergic reaction, carcinogenic effects and antibiotic resistance. Hence, consumers should buy products from reliable vendors with correct labelling and certificates.