Honey antioxidant properties

on August 17, 2021

Honey antioxidant properties

Honey boosts antioxidants - your body's natural defence against disease

In our blogs so far, we have looked at the effects of honey in many different ways, investigating how honey can help you sleep, what is the best honey to buy, can honey help an upset stomach?, what is acacia honey good for, and much more. Honey Heaven’s Pure Organic Honey is clearly nature’s gold and is the best honey you can choose to play a role in your diet for enhanced nutritional value and health.

Honey has been used medicinally throughout the course of history. We have looked at how Pure Organic Honey not only has antibacterial properties speeding up wound healing and can soothe a sore throat, but that it has antifungal properties too, killing unwanted bacteria and fungus. It contains the natural antiseptic, hydrogen peroxide - but note its effectiveness as an antibacterial and antifungal depends on the honey - but it’s definitely more than a folk remedy for various treatments.

Honey also acts as a probiotic, helping feed the good bacteria in your digestive system to keep your gut healthy. Honey is a natural sweetener that is enriched with many essential nutrients to aid digestion and can help counteract nausea. And of course, it’s also absolutely delicious!

But, most importantly, the contents of honey is rich in antioxidants, Phytonutrients and Polyphenols. Honey serves as a source of natural antioxidants, which play an important role in both food preservation and human health by combating damage caused by oxidising agents, namely reducing the risk of heart disease, cataracts, immune-system decline, different inflammatory processes, etc.

Here we look at the benefits of honey antioxidant properties in full, how they are good for you long term, and how our Pure Organic Honey can deliver them to you.

Firstly, what are antioxidants, Phytonutrients and Polyphenols?

Antioxidants are thought to protect us from disease by slowing potentially dangerous disease processes in the human body. Compounds work by scavenging free radicals, unstable compounds that can damage healthy cells, and compromise their function. They are unique molecules. Their chemical structure allows them to do their main job which is neutralising free radicals. Antioxidants are molecules that can give or take an electron, which is important because free radicals have unpaired electrons that make them very reactive.

Electrons want to be in pairs. If they aren’t, these molecules with unpaired electrons try their hardest to solve that problem. Antioxidants don’t mind helping out free radicals by donating or taking on an electron. With all the electrons paired up, these free radicals are neutralised and can be safely eliminated from the body.

Researchers say honey contains varying concentrations of polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants thought to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Polyphenols are micronutrients that naturally occur in plants. The body cannot manufacture these micronutrients, so they must be acquired by diet. In addition, there are many plant-derived nutrients (phytonutrients) that can act as powerful antioxidants in the human body. They’re included in many supplements, though they’re also easy to get in your diet from foods like honey, fruits, vegetables, teas and spices. More on these miracles later…

Phytonutrients are concentrated in the leaf tissue of plants. They deter predators and help keep plants healthy and help protect the plant from harm by keeping insects away or shielding the plant from ultraviolet radiation.

The phytonutrients in honey are responsible for its antioxidant properties, as well as its antibacterial and antifungal power. They are also thought to be the reason raw honey has shown immune-boosting benefits.

The honey effect

Studies showed that a daily dose of Pure Organic Honey raised levels of disease-fighting antioxidants in the blood.

According to WebMD; ‘In the study, researchers fed 25 participants about 4 table-spoons of buckwheat honey per day for 29 days in addition to their regular diets. Two types of honey containing different amounts of polyphenols were tested.
Blood samples taken at the beginning and end of the study showed a direct link between honey consumption and levels of disease-fighting polyphenols. The more polyphenol containing honey they ate, the higher the levels of antioxidants were in their blood.’

Food chemistry has found polyphenols in vegetables, fruits, olive oil and some teas, especially green tea. It is important to note that antioxidants are not found in all honeys - most of the honey you find in shops is produced using a high heat to kill unwanted yeast, which can improve the colour and texture, and remove any crystallisation extending shelf life. But many of the beneficial nutrients are also destroyed in this process.

Which honey has most antioxidant properties?

In the study, they used Buckwheat honey produced only in Minnesota, New York, Ohio and a few other American States, as well as in eastern Canada. It is highly nutritious, being made by bees that collect nectar only from buckwheat’s tiny flowers, in these specific areas, meaning they must work extra hard to collect enough nectar. Some of its properties are similar to Tualang honey and the well-researched Manuka honey (New Zealand and/or Australian monofloral honey).

Why choose Honey Heaven Organic Honey

We take pride in producing the highest-quality organic honeys from the Hungarian countryside an area of pristine natural beauty where you will find an impressive landscape, unique net of rivers and channels, fresh and nice nature free of pollution, dotted by wild acacia forest and flowery meadow of fragrant lavender flowers, provides the perfect setting for collecting the finest single-flower honey.

The organic honey is ethically extracted using the old traditional methods in a sustainable manner and in total harmony with nature. The result is unpasteurised, unprocessed and unhomogenised organic honey, teeming with mother nature's natural goodness.

Hungarian honeys are well known all over the world for their outstanding quality and amazing health benefits. All our honeys are 100% pure, natural, organic, and therefore are GMO free - to be organic means we are certified free of chemicals.

Honey Heaven offer both single flower pure honey and gourmet creamed honeys with herbs and spices, to make exclusive top-quality healthy products with many delicious flavours. Our Organic Honey with Javanese Turmeric, for example, is a convenient and tasty way to use honey as an all-round traditional remedy. Not only do you get the consistent antioxidant properties of a single flower honey, but the added turmeric is another natural miracle with a myriad of health benefits. Its most important compounds are called curcuminoids, natural polyphenol compounds derived from turmeric, so it has powerful healing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal properties, plus the same benefits deriving from the honey!

Health benefits of Honey in more detail

Organic honey has been used as a remedy throughout history and has a variety of health benefits and medical uses. Many of these health benefits are specific to our Hungarian Honey.

Studies have shown organic honey provides a myriad of medicinal attributes, including:

  • Improved wound healing: Organic honey is used in medical settings for treating wounds because it’s been found to be an effective germ killer and aids in tissue regeneration. Studies show that organic honey can boost healing time and reduce infection.
  • Treatment of coughs and smoother a sore throat: Have a cold? Try a spoonful of organic honey as a sore throat remedy. It also works as a cough suppressant. Research has suggested that organic honey is as effective as dextromethorphan, a common ingredient in over-the-counter cough medication.
  • Gastrointestinal and digestive issues: Organic honey acts as a probiotic, helping feed the good bacteria in your digestive system to keep your gut healthy. Organic honey is a natural sweetener that is enriched with many essential nutrients, pure glucose and levulose which aids for proper digestion and helps counteract nausea. Organic honey may also help with digestive issues including acid reflux and peptic ulcers. Read our full article on ‘Can honey help with an upset stomach?’.
  • Antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties: Research has shown that organic honey can kill unwanted bacteria and fungus. It naturally contains hydrogen peroxide, an antiseptic. Its effectiveness as an antibacterial or antifungal varies depends on the honey, but it’s clearly more than a folk remedy for these kinds of infections.
  • Help with sleep: Organic honey is so good you might want to keep some beside your bed because eaten just before sleep, it helps you in three ways! Read our page on ‘Can honey help you sleep?’.
  • Preventing heart disease: Free radicals contribute to the aging process and may also contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease. Research shows that antioxidant compounds in honey called polyphenols may play a role in preventing these.
  • Immune boosting: The phytonutrients in honey are responsible for its antioxidant properties, as well as its antibacterial and antifungal power. 
  • Helping cardiovascular issues: Honey is a rich source of phenols and other antioxidant compounds and many of these have been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular issues by helping the arteries in your heart dilate, increasing blood flow.
  • Maintaining healthy cholesterol: Science is emerging that suggests that eating high quality, organic honey helps to lower bad LDL cholesterol and therefore also lowers total cholesterol but can also increase levels of good HDL cholesterol.

And of course, it tastes delicious too!

What is the best honey to buy for medicinal purposes generally?

We believe that prevention is better than cure and that the key to good health is a strong immune system. Whilst there are medicinal benefits to all honey, in our sets we combine the best properties to help maintain the strength of your immune system naturally!

Immune Booster Organic Honey Set: Turmeric, Black Seed, Bee pollen and Propolis

Optimise your body natural immunity with Honey Heaven's Organic immune booster trio of Turmeric Honey, Black seed Honey and Bee pollen and propolis in Honey.

  • Protects against radicals and foreign toxins
  • Naturally supports normal immune function
  • Supports gut health and digestion Reduces inflammation

Organic Immune Booster Set: Organic Bee pollen and Propolis honey, Honeycomb and Propolis extract

Honey Heaven's Immune booster set is a must for cold winter days. Perfect healthy gift to your loved ones!

  • Propolis is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, antiviral and regenerating effect
  • Honeycomb is extremely nutritious and packed with vitamins
  • Bee pollen has been used for thousands for its medicinal properties

Organic 1500mg CBD Infused Honey with boosted pure CBD Distillate

There are so many health benefits for both organic CBD and organic honey, it just makes sense to combine the two. Plus, CBD honey is easier to ingest than straight up CBD oil because of the herbal nutty taste; it mixes well with the oil and tastes a lot better and sweeter. You can't get any more direct and healthier than this!

1500mg full spectrum CBD extract CO2 extracted from the stem, leaves and flowers of the sativa L (hemp) plant suspended in Virgin Hemp oil mixed with our raw acacia honey for you to enjoy all the benefits that nature can provide, plus it doesn't get you high.

Choose natural honey today and experience a dramatic improvement in your health and wellness. All our products are 100% pure, natural and certified organic. View all our products, including Organic CBD Products here.

Phytonutrient Function in Your Body

In plants, phytonutrients act as pigments, giving fruits and vegetables their vibrant colour. They also fortify, protect and strengthen healthy plants. But these compounds can also play a role in helping maintain your health.

Phytonutrients act as antioxidants, helping protect your body from free radicals. Your body needs to maintain a balance of oxidants (free radicals, etc.) and unreactive molecules. When this balance shifts in favour of oxidants, damage can be done to your healthy cells.

These plant compounds help neutralise oxidants and help maintain a healthy balance, by neutralising unpaired electrons on potentially dangerous molecules. This chemical interaction stabilises the oxidant and keeps oxidative damage from taking place.

The science of Polyphenols

Polyphenols have a distinctive shape and a name that describes their chemical makeup. To understand them a bit more, we need to dive deep into their chemistry.

Chemical compounds come in all shapes and a variety of unique organisations, with the order and placement of atoms in each molecule determine its function. Polyphenols are made primarily of two kinds of atom patterns: benzene rings and alcohol groups.

Benzene rings are cyclical chemical rings made of carbon and hydrogen with alternating double bonds. Alcohol groups consist of oxygen and hydrogen attached to another atom, like carbon. Together, one benzene ring plus one alcohol group equals one phenol. When multiple phenols are strung together, polyphenols are born. This chemical shape is important because it literally lets polyphenols absorb and neutralise extra electrons.

Polyphenols are the most numerous antioxidants in your diet. They are known to promote cardiovascular health. Two polyphenols, resveratrol and curcumin, are especially important in a healthy diet and are key ingredients in dietary supplements.

Are You Eating Enough Antioxidants?

It may seem reasonable that a consistently healthy and varied diet could provide high doses of antioxidants. But the average adult gets a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables each day, when dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen serving each day.

Due to this low intake, 93 percent of adults fail to get even the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamin E. More than half of adults fail to get even the EAR for vitamin A. Intake of numerous other antioxidants are sure to be well under optimal and beneficial levels.

Eating enough fruits and vegetables is the best way to make sure that you are getting enough antioxidants in your diet. Evaluate your diet, and make sure that you get at least five servings per day. Additionally, a good multivitamin can increase your intake of antioxidant vitamins and minerals, and as well as honey containing antioxidant plant compounds.

Despite the health benefits that may be associated with honey, it's high in sugar, so it is important to note that excess intake of honey might lead to side effects due to its fructose content. Studies show that high-sugar diets may be linked to obesity, insulin resistance and liver issues.

DISCLAIMER:

Products discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This disclaimer provides that all medical information is merely information – not advice. If users need medical advice, they should consult a doctor or other appropriate medical professional. The disclaimer also provides that no warranties are given in relation to the medical information supplied on the website, and that no liability will accrue to the website owner in the event that a user suffers loss as a result of reliance upon the information.

Due to UK Regulation, we recommend that you do your own research on CBD products.

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