Honey is golden nectar that has nutritional advantage of its composition and health benefits. Honey is not only a natural sweetener but it also promotes health by controlling several diseases and provides complete care for different part of the body. In this post we have discussed various nutritional benefits of honey.
Nutritional composition
- Honey is composed primarily of carbohydrates and water, and also contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.
- Honey also has the antioxidant content.
- Honey contains a variety of flavonoids and phenolic acids which act as antioxidants, scavenging and eliminating free radicals. Generally, darker honeys have higher antioxidant content than lighter honeys.
Energy provider
We all know that carbohydrates are the primary fuel of the body. Honey supplies 17 Gms of carbohydrates per 64 calories of tablespoon making it ideal for the working muscles.
Skin Care
Honey is a humectant and has antimicrobial properties. Therefore it attracts and retains the mositurersier, making it a natural fit in a variety of moisturizing products including cleansers, creams, shampoos and conditioners. Also several recipes can be prepared from it that will keep the skin hydrated and relax the soul.
Cough suppressant
Nutrition of Honey
Honey acts as a better cough suppressant than the other OTC cough suppressant available in the market containing dextromethorphan.
Unaltered on heat or filter
Heating and filtering honey does not completely eliminate all enzymes, nor does it have a negative effect on honey’s mineral and antioxidant levels.
Growth of bifidobacteria
The unique composition of honey suggests that it could enhance the growth, activity and viability of bifidobacteria in milk and thus, fermented dairy products.
Unaltered Glycemic Index
The change in glucose to fructose ratio due to the different composition of the honey does not affect the Glycemic index or the quality of the honey.
Selenium promoter
Frequent consumption of honey, tea and ham may be effective to improve selenium concentration in selenium-inadequate individuals. Selenium is a potent antioxidant that aid in preventing lipid peroxidation and membrane damage that can result from free radicals.
Sweetener in dairy products
Since honey significantly enhanced the growth/production of lactic acid from Bifidobacteria. These results indicate that honey could be a suitable sweetener for fermented dairy products such as yogurt
Carbohydrate replacement
Honey can serve as an effective carbohydrate replacement during the strenuous exercises.
Insomnia
Honey can help you sleep. Eating honey raises your blood sugar level slightly. This resulted in a controlled increase of insulin, which then causes the amino acid trytophan to enter your brain. The trytophan is converted into serotonin, which promotes relaxation. Finally, in the pineal gland, with the aid of darkness, the serotonin is converted into melatonin, a well know cure for sleeping disorders.
Honey also contains the ideal 1:1 ratio of fructose to glucose making it a super food for glycogen storage. Sufficient glycogen storage is necessary for restful sleep. When your liver runs out of glycogen at night, your brain starts to trigger stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin to convert protein muscle into glucose
Weight loss
Honey is rich in antioxidants with similar levels to fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants work to remove the damaging by-products from the body that are associated with human metabolism and thus lead to body weight loss.
Diabetes
Body’s resistance to the honey is higher than the glucose and fructose. Consuming honey which contains the glucose and fructose levels of 1:1 is beneficial in case of the Diabetes patients.
