HONEY NUTRITION

The secret to honey nutrition: Why the rich array of complex sugars, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants are so beneficial.

One can eat honey directly, or put it on bread like a jam. You can mix it with juice or any drink instead of sugar. Alternatively, mix it with warm water, lime juice, cinnamon and other herbs to make a medicine.

So, what exactly does honey contain that make it such a healthful beverage?

Honey Nutrition #1:
Complex Sugar and Carbohydrates

Honey is made up of both simple sugars (called monosaccarides) such as glucose and fructose, and complex sugars (called oligosaccharides).

Complex sugars are present in all life forms and particularly in cell membranes and cell secretions. They form the basic components of:

o Hormones - made of links of complex sugars and proteins known as glycoproteins.

o Blood proteins - also made from glycoprotein links, with the only exception being serum albumin.

o Blood cells - especially if you have a blood group of ABO.

Which type of honey contains the most complex sugars? It depends on the type of nectar the bees collect.

Honeys that contain nectar from blackberry, chinquapin, coral vine, cranberry, holly, poison oak, mountain laurel, raspberry, rhododendron, Spanish needle, sumac, thistle, tulip trees, cedar honeydew, or hickory honeydew have higher complex sugars levels.

Honey Nutrition #2:
Complex Carbohydrates

The complex carbohydrates found in honey are made up of complex sugars.

They are considered prebiotic - i.e. these complex carbohydrates are non digestible, but by consuming them you encourage the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria in the body, which helps you digest food more easily.

Honey Nutrition #3:
Vitamins and Minerals

It may come as a surprise to many people, but 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!

Honey contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. The vitamin and mineral content of honey depends on the type of flowers used for agriculture. When bees are allowed free forage, the honey blend is higher in a wider variety of vitamins and minerals.

Honey is high in vitamin C, a variety of B vitamins such as niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid, as well as, minerals such as potassium.

Honey Nutrition #4:
Amino Acids

All varieties of honey are rich in amino acids. One study has found that the level of amino acids present in honey is a reliable indicator of the honey's antioxidant capacity.

Amino acids are the basic building blocks of life, essential to our very existence. When you examine the various properties and benefits of each amino acid, you will start to form a clearer picture as to why honey is so beneficial.

Tryptophan:

A natural relaxant, it helps alleviate insomnia by inducing normal sleep. It reduces anxiety and depression, relieves migraine headaches, boosts immune system, reduces the risk of artery and heart spasms, and works with Lysine to reduce cholesterol levels.

Honey may be a good remedy for insomnia.

Lysine:

It is one of the essential amino acids - your body cannot generate its own Lysine, meaning you must get it from your diet.

Recent studies have shown that Lysine may be effective against herpes by improving the balance of nutrients that reduce viral growth. Prolonged stressful situations increase our requirements for Lysine and it is important in the formation of collagen (the protein that forms the matrix of your bone, cartilage and connective tissue).

Methionine:

Another essential sulfur amino acids. As with other essential amino acids, you do not create your own so you must ingest it for survival.

Contributes to the formation of important compounds in your body and works as a sulfur donor to aid in your body's detoxification processes.

Cysteine:

Functions as an antioxidant and protects the body against radiation and pollution.

Histidine:

Another essential amino acid and is delivered mostly from our diets.

It has anti-inflammatory properties and is the only amino acid found to be consistently low in the blood of those with rheumatoid arthritis.

Glutamine:

This essential amino acid plays a key role in the metabolism and the gastrointestinal tract. It is the primary energy source for the cells that line your intestines and is essential to keeping them healthy.

It is considered also to be a brain food by improving mental capacity. It may also help speed the healing of ulcers and reduce fatigue.

Tyrosine:

Tyrosine is a natural mood enhancer due to its ability to convert to feel-good neurotransmitters nor epinephrine and dopamine in the brain. It helps with depression. It also may convert to thyroid hormone and to adrenaline which is produced by your adrenal gland in response to stress.

Honey Nutrition #5:
Antioxidants

Honey contains powerful antioxidants which fight free radicals and reverse aging.

Free radicals are everywhere - in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and even the sunlight we love so much. 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 the benefits to manifest in a myriad of different ways.