
Honey for Nutrition and Health: A Review
The glycemic index of honey varies from 32 to 87, depending on botanical origin and on fructose content. The main nutrition- and health relevant components are the carbohydrates, which make it an excellent energy source especially for children and sportsmen. Besides its main components, the carbohydrates fructose and glucose, honey contains also a great number of other constituents in small and trace amounts, producing numerous nutritional and biological effects: antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, antiparasitic, antiinflammatory, antimutagenic, anticancer and immunosuppressive activities
Different nutritional studies have confirmed various effects after honey ingestion, e.g. enhanced gastroenterological and cardiovascular health. Besides, honey showed physiological effects on blood health indicators as well as effects on hepatitis A and radiation mucositis patients. However, it should be pointed out that most of the studies in humans were based on relatively high honey intakes of 50 to 80 g. Honey compositions, and also its different biological effects, depend to a great extent on the botanical origin of honey. This fact was often not considered in the reviewed studies.
NUTRITION AND HEALTH EFFECTS
Oral Health
Due to its antibacterial activity honey ingestion inhibits the growth of bacteria, causing caries and might induce a carioprotective effect. But to be on the safe side, it is advised to clean the teeth after consumption of honey.
Gastroenterology
Honey is a potent inhibitor of the causing agent of peptic ulcers and gastritis, Helicobacter pylori. Honey is not involved in prostaglandin production, but it has a stimulatory effect on the sensory nerves in the stomach that respond to capsaicin.
Different Health Enhancing Effects
A positive effect of honey on hepatitis A patients was found after ingestion of clover and rape honey, causing a decrease of the alanine aminotranferase activity (by 9 to 13 times) and a decrease of bilirubin production by 2.1 to 2.6 times [133]. Honey has a supportive effect on patients who have undergone a cancer radiation therapy by reducing the incidence of radiation mucositis. Patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy were given honey. There was a significant reduction in the symptomatic grade 3/4 mucositis among honey-treated patients compared to the controls; i.e. 20% versus 75%. The compliance of the honey-treated group of patients was better than the controls. 55% of the patients treated with honey showed no change or a positive gain in body weight compared to the controls, the majority of which lost weight. Honey was administered to chemotherapy patients with neutropenia and was found to reduce the need for colonystimulating factors. Febrile neutropenia is a serious side effect of chemotherapy.
Allergy
Honey allergy seems relatively uncommon; allergies reported can involve reactions varying from cough to anaphylaxis. In this study it was reported that patients allergic to pollen are rarely allergic to honey, although there is one reported case of combined honey pollen allergy. The incidence of honey allergy, reported in a group of 173 food allergy patients was 2.3%.
Source:
Journal of the American College of Nutrition (2008)