HONEY

HONEY

According to Codex Alimentarius Honey defined as the natural sweet substance, produced by honeybees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants, or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in honeycombs to ripen and mature.

According to the EU definition

Honey is the natural sweet substance, produced by Apis mellifera bees from the nectar of plants or from secretions of living parts of plants, or excretions of plant-sucking insects on the living parts of plants, which the bees collect, transform by combining with specific substances of their own, deposit, dehydrate, store and leave in honeycombs to ripen and mature.

EU definition states that honey is only honey according to the definition when it is produced by Apis mellifera honeybees.

Generally Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies.

Honey starts as flower nectar collected by bees,which gets broken down into simple sugars stored inside the honeycomb. The design of the honeycomb and constant fanning of the bees' wings causes evaporation, creating sweet liquid honey. Honey's color and flavor vary based on the nectar collected by the bees.

Bees make honey from the nectar that they collect from flowers; other plant saps and honeydew are used to a minor extent. The color, aroma and consistency of honey all depend upon which flowers the bees have been foraging. Forager honeybees are always female worker bees. The queen bee and drone bees never forage for food. Some of the most commercially desirable honeys are produced from clover by the domestic honeybee.

Colour of honey is measured using a "Pfund grader" (named after the inventor Dr Pfund). In this instrument, a sample of the honey is placed in a wedge-shaped glass container. (Only liquid honey can be graded for colour; granulated honey must first be liquefied).

The sample is viewed through a narrow slit and the "wedge" of honey moved until the density of colour visible through the slit matches with a piece of standard amber-coloured glass. A scale on the instrument gives a numerical value for the colour of the honey, and using this, the colour category of the honey can be determined. Colour descriptions range from “water white” through shades of amber to dark.

FORAGING BY BEES

 Bees commonly forage on flowers within two kilometers of their nest, although they can travel much further – bees have been recorded foraging 14.4 kilometers from their home, and foraging distances of five kilometers are common. Assuming a foraging range of just two kilometers, the honey produced in one hive may have therefore come from flowers in an area of 12.6 square kilometers. How bees detect flowering plants and make decisions about which plants the colony should use is very complex and interesting but it beyond the scope of this portion.

                    THE USE OF HONEY 

For bees 

Bees produce honey to act as a food store for the colony for periods when there are no flowers, or the climate is adverse. In tropical countries, bees need to survive through seasons when there are no flowers, periods of drought, or when bees are not able to forage because of rain or other adverse weather.

As food for humans 

Honey is a useful source of high-carbohydrate food, and usually contains a rich diversity of minor constituents (minerals, proteins, vitamins and others), adding nutritional variety to human diets.

As a medicine or tonic

In many countries, honey is regarded more as a medicine or special tonic, rather than as an every-day food. Honey does have medicinal properties that are acknowledged increasingly by modern medicine.

"Honey's advantages over sugar include a slightly lower glycemic index (i.e. it doesn't affect your blood-sugar levels as much)," Dr. Dixon says. "It also contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin C, zinc, phenolic acids, and flavonoids.

Other uses

In addition to its use as a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent. People commonly use honey orally to treat coughs and topically to treat burns and promote wound healing.

Additionally, honey may promote melatonin formation due to its possible tryptophan content (a precursor to melatonin) that both helps to initiate sleep as well as promote release of hormones that facilitate whole body recovery during sleep.

Research suggests that honey supplementation can have protected from neuro inflammation, reduce oxidative stress, and increase brain-derived neurotropic factors. On a cognitive level, honey has been shown to improve memory and learning, slow down cognitive decline associated with aging and reduce anxiety.

Honey, specifically raw, is considered a super food. Below are just a few of its numerous benefits: Boosts immunity: Raw honey has antibacterial and antiviral properties that can help boost your immune system and fight sickness.

Honey is one of nature's most revered skin remedies. Thanks to its antibacterial and antiseptic abilities, it may benefit oily and acne-prone skin. Honey is also a natural humectant, so it helps keep the skin moist but not oily. This is because humectants draw moisture from the skin without replacing it.

Honey helps sleep well this is because honey contains tryptophan which is a hormone that helps relax and send sleep signals to the body. Because tryptophan is an essential amino acid but cannot be produced naturally in the body, supplementing through honey before bed brings many benefits to the body.

Is raw honey safe to eat?

It is safe for people to consume both raw and regular honey, though it is a good idea to avoid types of honey that contain added sugars. Both raw and regular honey may contain tiny amounts of bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum.This bacteria can cause botulism, which is a rare form of food poisoning.

Does honey expire?

In general, honey doesn't spoil. However, it can go bad if it's contaminated or incorrectly stored. If your honey has visible mold, or if it smells fermented or "off," then it's time to toss it. So it should store in clean, dry buckets with tight fitting lids. As long as it is kept away from heat, it can be stored this way until it is packaged for consumption or sale.

What happens if we eat honey daily?

Honey has been linked to health benefits like improved heart health, wound healing, and blood antioxidant status. However, consuming too much may cause adverse effects due to its high sugar and calorie content. Thus, it's best to use honey to replace other forms of sugar and enjoy it in moderation