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Natural honey is the product of the incessant work of bees, who produce it starting from the collection and subsequent transformation of flower secretions (nectar). The food, which also happens to be a powerful antibacterial and an allied antibiotic of the immune system, has been used by man for many millennia now. Its beneficial properties are innumerable, but a Excessive consumption can also lead to serious consequencesthe. The substance, extremely sweet and sticky, is appreciated and widely used in the kitchen and in cosmetics. In Italy, as well as in Turkey, China, Spain, Greece, Mexico and the United States, it is widely consumed also for its healing properties.
The beneficial properties of honey
Honey stimulates memory, improves concentration and can even relieve anxiety by reducing stress levels. Thanks to its ability to act on intestinal bacterial flora it can also improve the health of the intestine. Given its antibacterial characteristics it is widely used as a remedy against cough and sore throat (and in general against diseases of the upper airways). In the cosmetics sector it is used for eliminate impurities from the skin and to give brightness to the hair.
The side effects of honey
As always, exaggerating can lead to problems, even serious ones. Moderation is always the best way in all fields. The consumption of honey in moderate quantities, except for specific limitations determined by particular health conditions, is considered beneficial for human health. If you go overboard, however, you expose yourself to important risks. Here are the most important ones:
1. Being very rich in sugars and carbohydrates, people suffering from diabetes must consume them in small doses;
2. Helps control blood pressure, but overdoing it can cause hypotension (low blood pressure);
3. It can cause digestive problems, and high fructose levels can cause bloating, constipation or even diarrhea;
4. Not recommended if you are trying to lose weight: Honey is high in calories;
5. It can promote the onset of caries;
6. In the diet of the little ones it should be used in moderation. In infants younger than one year, it can cause a rare gastrointestinal condition called infant botulism;
7. Some particularly sensitive subjects, such as people with pollen allergies for example, can develop even significant reactions;
8. The ingravescence of any glycemic condition in type 2 diabetes mellitus and also in gestational diabetes.
9. In principle, in any case, 50 ml of honey should not be exceeded per day.
Honey, this is how it is produced by bees
Honey is born from the collaboration of a multitude of highly specialized bees who work towards a common goal. The first part of the work is done by foraging bees, female workers, who have to leave the hive every day (even several times a day) in search of nectar, honeydew, pollen and water. When they find it, and it is neither simple nor obvious, they return to the hive where they deliver the nectar to their “chewing” colleagues, who have to chew it for about 30 minutes. The operation makes it possible to obtain a malleable dough, a homogeneous mixture of honey and water which is taken over by other worker bees who will deposit it in the combs. However, the percentage of water contained in the mixture is still too high, to reduce it the intervention of other specialists will be needed who, with their own little wings, will have to ventilate, making the excess humidity evaporate. Once the operation is completed, the precise worker bees will seal the cells of the honeycombs with wax.
Beekeepers don’t “steal” honey from bees
Beekeepers, let’s say it right away, don’t steal honey from bees. Indeed, beekeepers are so in love with bees that they protect them from any visible and invisible threat: they would really do anything for them. When the honey is ripe, however, they take part of the product from the hive: usually one third of the total. The remaining parts are used by the swarm to survive, especially during the winter, when the flowers don’t bloom and nectar is scarce. Bees also use it to feed the larvae, in this case the mixture also contains pollen and glandular secretions and is called “bee bread”.
The chemical composition of honey
It is not possible to accurately describe the chemical composition of honey. There are many variables in the field, and among these also the type of flowers selected for the collection of nectar, the geographical region, the climate and even the subspecies of bees examined. However, it can be said that the base of the honeys are similar, and contain:
• A blend of sugars (38 percent fructose, 32 percent glucose and the rest a mix of sucrose, maltose and other sugary carbohydrates);
• Water (about 17-18 percent);
• Minerals (calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc and magnesium);
• Vitamins (small amounts of B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, and vitamin D);
• Enzymes (invertase and glucose oxidase);
• Antioxidants;
• Organic acids (gluconic acid and phenolic compounds such as flavonoids).
The nutritional properties
The nutritional properties vary according to the honey examined. On average, 100 grams of honey develop 304 calories and contain:
• 18 g of water
• 0.6 g in proteine
• 80 g of carbohydrates
• 80 g of sugars
• 5 mg of calcium
• 0.5 mg of iron
• 11 mg of sodium
• 51 mg of potassium
• 6 mg of phosphorus
• 3 mg of magnesium
• 0.04 mg in vitamin B2
• 0.3 mg of vitamin B3
• 1 mg of vitamin C
IMPORTANT
The information provided represents general indications and does not in any way replace medical advice. To ensure a healthy and balanced diet it is always good to rely on the advice of your doctor or a nutrition expert.