THE BENEFITS AND USES OF HONEY

What is honey: Natural honey is the product of the transformation, carried out by bees, of the secretions of flowers (nectar) and the excretions of some insects (honeydew). Processing by bees is a very careful process in which the substance produced is then stored in the cells of honeycombs (hives) or hives - depending on whether the bees are in the wild or in beekeeping.

The quality of honey is influenced by numerous factors, including human intervention that can favor a correct production trend by helping bees and facilitating them in their natural processes.

The quality of the food honey therefore depends on numerous factors such as the work of the bees, the environmental conditions (the climate, the flora, etc.) and, as already mentioned, on human intervention.

In order to facilitate its production, extract it and make it available to the consumer, he must in fact carry out various procedures.

To give life to a good product, careful dedication and knowledge by beekeepers is therefore important. To date, about 300 different types of honey are recognized, the variety of which depends on the nectar of the different flowers foraged by bees. It consists mainly of carbohydrates, but has other compounds such as proteins, vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids. In addition, pure raw honey also contains polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides and volatile compounds.

In short, it is a super food whose components have been indicated by various studies to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anticancer and anti-metastatic effects.

Nutritional properties

Honey is an extremely caloric animal product. With its 300 kcal per 100 g of product, deriving almost entirely from simple sugars, it is not a food to be underestimated as regards the energy aspect. As for minerals, someone claims that the quantity of iron is appreciable. Fair concentration of some B vitamins and vitamin C.

Honey is also rich in nutritional factors with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, decongestant and cholagogue action, such as certain polyphenols and essential oils; these, combined with the well-known emollient effect of the food, make honey a good solution for the treatment of pharyngitis - especially some varieties.

Highly energetic and easily digestible because it is composed mainly of simple sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose), it is also rich in minerals, vitamins and phytotherapeutic active ingredients of the plants from which bees extract nourishment.

It is a "live" and "revitalizing" food, because it contains: enzymes, vitamins, trace elements, antibiotic-like substances and other substances.

In theory, honey can provide several benefits to many organs and tissues in the body; however, scientific research has not always managed to demonstrate these effects. In summary, honey could benefit: Upper respiratory tract:

decongestant, soothing cough;

• Muscles: increase in physical power and endurance;
• Heart: cardiotropic action;
• Liver: protective and detoxifying action;
• Digestive system: protective, stimulating, regulatory action;
• Kidneys: diuretic action;
• Blood: anti-anemic action;
• Bones: fixation of calcium and magnesium.

Types of honey and health effects

As we have said, honey acquires many of the phytotherapeutic properties of plants to which the producing bees draw. So, the various types of honey can have different health claims:

• Linden honey: in case of nervous excitability, insomnia;
• Thyme and eucalyptus honey: in case of respiratory infections;
• Citrus honey: antispasmodic and sedative properties;
• Rosemary honey: liver failure, colescistopatie;
• Chestnut honey: restorative, remineralizing.

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