UN-BEE-LIEVABLE HONEY
the benefits of raw honey
Honey is produced by the greatest chemists and regurgitators in the world. That’s right, alongside humans, birds and some four legged hoofed animals, the honey bee (Apis mellifera) transforms nectar into honey from flowers, herbs and trees by passing the honey back and forth from bee to bee.
Bees extract nectar through its tube shaped tongue into their second stomach known as the crop, which acts like a mixing bowl to transform the nectar using enzymes. When the bee returns to the hive, it passes the liquid into another bee and this continues to happen for about 20 minutes until it has reached its final chemical composition and is deposited into a honeycomb. At this point the honey is about 20% water so the bees need to use their wings to fan and evaporate the liquid to lower the concentration to about 17-18% water.
The honeycomb is then sealed to protect the honey from microbes and fungi so it stays preserved.
Bees make honey to use as food to keep them alive and in some cases just the queen throughout the colder months in winter. Humans discovered the sweetness of the liquid in the hives as well as utilizing the beeswax over 9,000 years. The domestication and sophistication of beekeeping actions date back to the Egyptians over 4,500 years ago.
This golden liquid contains about 180 different compounds including phytochemicals, antioxidants, enzymes, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates and water.
Each of these compounds work synergistically with each other to allow for absorption and proper utilization of the nutrients in your body.
Raw honey is honey that is unpasteurized which means it has not been heated to kill the beneficial antioxidants and enzymes.
Bees produce honey all over the world and the chemical makeup as well as colour of honey all depend on the climate, geographical area, species of bees and the source of flower.
BEE Chemistry
Sugars and Carbohydrates
Bees have the ability to change the complex sugar in the nectar and turn it into simple sugars. In order to change sucrose into glucose and fructose, heat, acids and enzymes must be added. This happens from the secretions of the cephalic glands of honeybees, which is the reason for their regurgitation of the nectar. The more the regurgitation, the more enzymes are produced to break down the nectar into the consistency they bees are looking for.
Honey is made up of fructose, glucose, maltose and other complex carbohydrates. The percentage of each of these sugars depends on the flowers foraged by the bees.
Honey is easy to digest as it has been converted from a complex carbohydrate to a simple sugar as well as the natural enzymes that it contains to help digest the sugars.
The Power of Enzymes
Honey contains several enzymes and each one has a specific job to break down the nectar and turn it into honey. These enzymes are, mostly, invertase, diastase and glucose oxidase. There are others present in smaller amounts, but they vary depending on when and where the honey was produced.
Invertase is the enzyme that converts sucrose (a complex sugar) into simple sugars, fructose and glucose. This is the first step the bees make to change the nectar into honey.
Diastase is found in the nectar and also added by the honeybee itself. Diastase digests starches into smaller compounds. The flower used to make the honey greatly influences the amount of diastase in the honey. Buckwheat honey contains the highest amount of diastase. Diastase is beneficial for human digestion to help make carbohydrates digestible. By turning the carbohydrate into sugar, they help the body process the carbohydrates properly. Glucoamylase and amylase are the enzymes in human saliva that make this work. By taking a scoop of raw honey before a meal, it can help those who suffer from minor acid reflux.
Glucose oxidase breaks down the glucose and stabilizes the PH of the honey by catalysing the oxidation of glucose to hydrogen peroxide. The bees synthesize the enzyme and deposit it into the honey, where it acts as a natural preservative. This reaction helps to protect the honey against bacteria, microbes and fungi so it can last a long time over the winter.
Glucose oxidase is what contributes to the anti-bacterial properties of honey. By using honey topically as a salve for various wounds, it can help to protect the wound from infection.
Phyto nutrients, Vitamins & Minerals
Phytochemicals
Here is where honey really shines and provides so many amazingly beneficial benefits. Flavonoids and polyphenols are important phytochemical components present in honey and contain antioxidant properties. There are numerous antioxidants and chemical compounds in honey, such as luteolin, galangin, vanillic acid, isorhamnetin, rutin, quercetin, cinnamic acid, kaempferol and caffeic acid, only to name a few.
These phytochemicals have important pharmacological activities that are anti-allergic, anti-biotic, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-carcinogenic, and hypoglycaemic.
Vitamins & Minerals
There are not a lot of vitamins and minerals in honey but the most represented are ascorbic acid (C), thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, sodium, selenium, zinc, and iron.
COntraindications
Speak to your healthcare provider if you have never been stung by a bee before consuming any bee products to make sure you do not have an allergy. This includes all bee products.
Raw honey contains beneficial bacteria and nutrients. But it can also contain harmful bacteria that causes botulism. This is especially dangerous for babies. Speak to your doctor or healthcare provider before adding raw honey to your child’s diet.
People with a weakened immune system are also at higher risk of getting sick from raw honey. Speak to your health care provider or doctor before consuming.