Honey is a thick dark brown sweet syrupy secretion by the honey bees (Apis mellifera). The bees suck nectar from the flower and consume it as their food.
Honey is a wonder by nature. Its preparation by the queen bee is really a great wonder.
The worker bee travel within a circle of 5 to10 kilometer radii from its hive and when it gets attracted by a flower on the way for pollination it sucks the nectar (1/12 of a teaspoon/bee) from that flower contaminated with some pollen grains.
During the return journey, the process of digestion begins in various stages.
During the consumption and digestion, the nectar undergoes various processes and manipulations in the stomach of the bee such as reformations, additions of some specific substances, deposits, dehydration to a syrupy form, and finally secreted out and stored in the honeycomb.
The wonderful honey is made by concentrating the flower nectar so that 80% of the contents are in a simple 18% water by the worker bee and transferring it to the tiny house bee. The tiny house bee receives the concentrated honey and places it into the hexagonal compartment of the honeycomb. The honey is hygroscopic and the bee flaps its wings to ventilate the compartment and thereby let the honey to absorb some more moisture from the atmosphere in order to expand its water content from 18 to 36%. Finally, the house bee seals the compartment by wax to prevent further absorption of moisture.
The total carbs in 100gm of honey:-
Total carbs =80gm (80%)
Free Glucose (Active carbs) =35gm
Free Fructose (Non-Active carbs) = 40gm
Sucrose (Glucose+ Fructose) =5gm
Only glucose from sucrose (60%) =[60/100]x5
=3gm
Hence total active carbs (n)35+3 =38gm
The glycemic index (GI)of honey =55
ஃThe glycemic load (GL) = [nxGI]/100
=[38x55]/100 =20.9❌
For 100gm honey the GL =20.9
For 100gm honey the GL =20.9
Hence for 40gm [20/100]x40 =8✔️
Therefore a diabetic can take pure raw honey up to 40gm. Logically one can take 2 tablespoonfuls twice daily mixed with juices, tea, milk, or water.
Honey is available as pure and natural raw honey and adulterated processed honey.
Pure and unprocessed honey is a dark-colored and viscous syrup.
It contains 30 to 40% fructose. Its glucose content is lesser than sucrose (60%). Hence its glycemic index is 30 to 55 while the GI of sucrose is 60 (fixed). But honey's calorific value is 65 and table sugar's calorific value is only 39 albeit honey is the better choice for a diabetic patient than table sugar because of its glycemic index which is lesser than that for the table sugar.
Moreover honey contains molasses that act like fibers, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and phytochemicals while the table sugar contains only sugars.
Honey's GI value is varying according to the source from which it is obtained.
Some variety of honey contains higher concentrations of natural fructose. The more the fructose concentration the less the glucose concentration and the less GI value. Because glucose is the active carb and it gives the GI value for honey.
Much of the honey's sweet taste is due to the presence of fructose as fructose is five times sweeter than glucose.
But in the market honey is mostly available in adulterated and processed form.
The processed honey looks like a clear, light, and pale brown or brownish-yellow color. This is because of the filtration and the addition of syrupy fructose to it.
Added sugars in any form like fructose, glucose, or sucrose are not good for health in general.
Natural fructose is not harmful rather it is more beneficial. The presence of natural fructose decides the GI and GL values of the sweet. But added fructose produces many harmful effects such as fatty- liver, obesity, and suppress and damages insulin-secreting cells.
Hence when you buy honey from the market take care of its texture and color.
Check the label for its contents. If it contains more natural fructose its glucose content must be within the range so that the total carbs are 60 to 80% of fructose + glucose.
For example if
If fructose is 40% then the glucose must be within 30-35%. But if either or both of them exceed this limit then it is to be considered as either or both of them are added sugars and the honey is processed and diluted.
Pure and natural honey contains protein, fat vitamin, enzymes, and minerals but in fractional quantities.
Hence honey is better than table sugar because table sugar contains only sugars with calories and has no vitamins and minerals.
Honey contains many enzymes and other phytochemicals which give the benefits of antioxidant, antiseptic, antimicrobial properties that contribute to a better immunity system.
Raw honey is a good cough suppressant and relieves sore throat.
Pure honey can also promote better digestion and sleep.
Honey should not be heated directly or mixed with any hot drinks as heat destroys most of the honey's nutritional values.
The maximum heat level allowed for honey is 95´-130 degrees Fahrenheit. Heating honey more than this limit will destroy its nutritional values may turn the product into poison which will have detrimental effects on the body's health.
Pasteurized Honey:-
Honey can be pasteurized but within 140 deg.F. As honey is more acidic (pH=<4) it is not necessary to heat honey at higher temperatures during pasteurization. Pasteurized honey is good for children but it must be raw honey. Almost all microbes can be killed at <140 deg F including the spores of Clostridium Botulinum which is the main bacterial contamination in honey. Pasteurizing honey can be done by heating honey in water or steam to 130deg F for 3 to 10 minutes and rapidly cooling it by storing it in a cool and dry place. Do not refrigerate. Honey should not be heated directly on fire.
Some Health Recipe by Honey:-
Ŕ-1-To shed off extra fat.
Light warm water (<40degC) =1glass (50ml)
Pure honey =1-2 teaspoon
Mix and drink on an empty stomach every day morning and night in an empty stomach half an hour before breakfast to shed off extra fat.
Ŕ-2-As A Cough and Cold Remedy
Light warm tea =1glass (50ml)
Pure honey =1table spoon
Lemon juice =2table spoon
Ginger juice =2table spoon
Mix and take every day at night after dinner to get relieved from sore throat, dry and productive cough.
R-3-As A Cold Remedy
Lemon water -1glass
Pure honey -2teaspoon
Mix and take morning and evening after meals.
Honey can be used as a skin rub for pruritus, and skin wounds.
Thanks to its peroxide activities as honey can be used for acne treatments.
Honey can be used as a skin moisturizer.
Honey can be used as antibacterial.
Some times to some people applying pure honey may irritate the skin, in that case, it can be mixed with milk, turmeric, coconut paste, or skin creams before applying on the skin.
Applying honey on the face and leave it for a while and wash it will give a clear and fresh look.
Honey is a good humectant that can well moisturize dry and damaged skin and hair.
Disadvantages of Honey:-
1. The main disadvantage is raw and pure honey should not be given to infants of age below one year as it contains the microbial impurity Clostridium Botulinum or botulin poison.
Symptoms of Botulin Poison in infants:-
1.Constipation
2.Unable to cry (very weak cry)
3.Muscle weakness (unable to crawl)
4.uncontrolled head shakes
5.Irritability
6.Drooling
7.Drooping eyelids
Clostridium Botulinum is not doing much harm to adults and babies above 1year of age.
2. Processed and refined honey is free from molasses and hence it gives more calories followed by high GI and GL values.
Normally honey has high calories in a tablespoon(21gm) =64calories
21gm of honey contains 17gm of sugars
But in raw honey, there are molasses, vitamins, minerals, phenols, and peroxides that mask these high sugar values and its Glycemic Load is very low and hence it is safe.
3. Honey is a humectant for dry and damaged hair. But if applied to normal healthy hair it may discolor the hair in sunlight. Also, it may cause hair to fall.
This is because honey contains many enzymes like invertase and glucose oxidase.
Invertase converts sucrose into glucose and fructose.
Glucose oxidase in the presence of sunlight oxidizes glucose into hydrogen peroxide which is a bleaching agent and will convert your hair color into white.
Pasteurization of Honey
Raw honey is good for health albeit it is pasteurized to inactivate spores of Clostridium botulinum which causes botulism poisoning in infants.
Pasteurized honey has no nutritional values as high heat (140 to 170 F) may destroy many valuable minerals. But this can be given to babies as it has no fungus and bacterial spores
In general, honey is good if handled properly.
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