1. Honey: Nutritional and Medicinal Points of ViewHoney: Nutritional and Medicinal Points of View
Dr. Sreekanta Sheel
B.Sc. Agril. Engg - with major in Food Technology
M.Sc. (Agril. Engg) in Food Technology,
Ph.D in Food Technology

2. Introduction
Humans apparently began hunting for honey at
least 8,000 years ago, as evidenced by a cave
painting in Valencia, Spain.
So far, the oldest remains of honey have been
found in Georgia.
Archaeologists have found honey remains on the
inner surface of clay vessels unearthed an ancient
tomb, dating back to some 4,700–5,500 years ago.

3. Honey Properties
Honey is Hygroscopic
Naturally absorbs moisture in from the air.
Help prevent scarring by keeping the skin
moist, Encourage the growth of new tissues,
Honey's hygroscopic properties also make it an
ideal ingredient in a lot of cosmetics
When used in skin and hair treatments, honey
trap and seal in the moisture leaving skin soft
and supple, and hair glossy and healthy

4. Honey Properties (Contd…)
Honey is Antibacterial
Healing properties of honey in the early part of
the 20th century.
The effective antimicrobial agent in
honey prohibits the growth of certain bacteria.
It contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen
peroxide which is believed to be the main
reason for the antimicrobial activity of honey.
As such, honey is a useful treatment for
wounds and scalds.
Honey can help treat minor acne by attacking
the bacteria

5. Honey Properties (Contd…)
Honey is a Source of Antioxidants
Honey contains natural antioxidant properties that can
destroy biologically destructive chemical agents which
have been linked to many diseases such as cancer.
Not only could honey's antioxidants help to eliminate
free radicals in the body, they are also part of the
nutrient supply for growth of new tissue.
These precious honey properties help protect the skin
under the sun and help the skin to rejuvenate and stay
young-looking.
Skincare products such as sunscreens and facial
cleansing products for treating damaged or dry skin.

6. Honey Properties (Contd…)
Honey is Antibacterial
Healing properties of honey in the early part of
the 20th century.
The effective antimicrobial agent in
honey prohibits the growth of certain bacteria.
It contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen
peroxide which is believed to be the main
reason for the antimicrobial activity of honey.
As such, honey is a useful treatment for
wounds and scalds.
Honey can help treat minor acne by attacking
the bacteria

7. Honey Nutrition Facts
How honey is made of?
Nectar itself is composed mainly of
sucrose and water.
Bees add enzymes that create additional
chemical compounds, inverting the
sucrose into fructose and glucose, and
Then evaporate the water so that the
resulting product will resist spoiling.

8. Honey Nutrition Facts
Honey is a source of carbohydrates
80% natural sugar -- mostly fructose and
glucose. Due to the high level of
fructose, honey is sweeter than table
sugar.
18% water.
2% minerals, vitamins, pollen and
protein.
Free of fat and cholesterol.

9. Honey Nutrition Facts
Honey is a mixture of sugars and other compounds
With respect to carbohydrates, honey is mainly fructose (about
38.5%) and glucose (about 31.0%), making it similar to the
synthetically produced inverted sugar syrup, which is
approximately 48% fructose, 47% glucose, and 5% sucrose.
Honey's remaining carbohydrates include maltose, sucrose, and
other complex carbohydrates.
As with all nutritive sweeteners, honey is mostly sugars and
contains only trace amounts of vitamins or minerals.
Honey also contains tiny amounts of several compounds thought
to function as antioxidants, including chrysin, pinobanksin, vitamin
C, catalase, and pinocembrin
The specific composition of any batch of honey depends on the
flowers available to the bees that produced the honey.

10. Honey Nutrition Facts
Detection of Adulteration
Isotope ratio mass spectrometry can be used
to detect addition of corn syrup and cane
sugar by the carbon isotopic signature.
Addition of sugars originating from corn or
sugar cane skew the isotopic ratio of sugars
present in honey,
As low as 7% level of addition can be detected

11. Quality Indicators of Honey
High-quality honey can be distinguished by fragrance, taste, andHigh-quality honey can be distinguished by fragrance, taste, and
consistency.consistency.
Ripe, freshly collected, high-quality honey at 20Ripe, freshly collected, high-quality honey at 20
°C (68 °F) should flow from a knife in a straight stream, without°C (68 °F) should flow from a knife in a straight stream, without
breaking into separate drops.breaking into separate drops.
After falling down, the honey should form a bead.After falling down, the honey should form a bead.
The honey, when poured, should form small, temporary layersThe honey, when poured, should form small, temporary layers
that disappear fairly quickly, indicating high viscosity. If not, itthat disappear fairly quickly, indicating high viscosity. If not, it
indicates excessive water content (over 20%) of the product.indicates excessive water content (over 20%) of the product.
Honey with excessive water content is not suitable for long-termHoney with excessive water content is not suitable for long-term
preservation.preservation.
In jars, fresh honey should appear as a pure, consistent fluid,In jars, fresh honey should appear as a pure, consistent fluid,
and should not set in layers. Within a few weeks to a few monthsand should not set in layers. Within a few weeks to a few months
of extraction, many varieties of honey crystallize into a cream-of extraction, many varieties of honey crystallize into a cream-
colored solid.colored solid.

12. Honey Nutrition Facts
Some varieties of honey, including tupelo, acacia,Some varieties of honey, including tupelo, acacia,
and sage, crystallize less regularly. Honey may beand sage, crystallize less regularly. Honey may be
heated during bottling at temperatures of 40–49°Cheated during bottling at temperatures of 40–49°C
(104–120°F) to delay or inhibit crystallization.(104–120°F) to delay or inhibit crystallization.
Overheating is indicated by change in enzymeOverheating is indicated by change in enzyme
levelslevels
A 2008 Italian study determined nuclear magneticA 2008 Italian study determined nuclear magnetic
resonance spectroscopy can be used to distinguishresonance spectroscopy can be used to distinguish
between different honey types, and can be used tobetween different honey types, and can be used to
pinpoint the area where it was produced.pinpoint the area where it was produced.

13. Quality of Factors of Honey
Water content
Can be measured using refractometer, is greater than 19%.
All unpasteurized, raw honey contains wild yeasts.
Due to the high sugar concentration, these yeasts will pose little
risk in low moisture honey
In high moisture content, the yeast may cause fermentation in
storage, whereby the increase of acidity can become a quality issue
for the honey.
Raw honey's moisture content can be as low as 14%, and is
deemed by some as more valuable.
Honey containing up to 20% water is not recommended for mead-
making. One simple way of judging the relative quantity of water
(not purity) in honey involves taking two same-size, same-
temperature, well-sealed jars of honey from different sources. Turn
the two jars upside-down and watch the bubbles rise. Bubbles in
the honey with more water content will rise faster.

14. HMF (Hydroxymethylfurfural)
HMF is a break-down product of fructose (one of the main sugars
in honey) formed slowly during storage and very quickly when
honey is heated. The amount of HMF present in honey is therefore
used as a guide to storage length and the amount of heating which
has taken place.
HMF's occurrence and accumulation in honey is variable
depending on honey type. High levels of HMF may indicate
excessive heating during the extraction process.
Honey that is traded in a bulk form is usually required to be below
10 or 15mg/kg to enable further processing and then give
some shelf life before a level of 40 mg/kg is reached.
You may also want to note the colour of the honey as it sometimes
may be an indicator of the length of storage or amount of exposure
to heat.
Quality of Factors of Honey

15. Quality of Factors of Honey
Inverted sugarsInverted sugars
High levels of HMF (greater than 100 mg/kg) canHigh levels of HMF (greater than 100 mg/kg) can
also be an indicator of adulteration withalso be an indicator of adulteration with invertedinverted
sugarssugars..
Cane sugar orCane sugar or sucrose,sucrose, is "inverted" by heatingis "inverted" by heating
with a food acid, and this process creates HMF.with a food acid, and this process creates HMF.
Many food items sweetened withMany food items sweetened with high fructosehigh fructose
corn syrups,corn syrups, e.g. carbonated soft drinks, cane.g. carbonated soft drinks, can
have levels of HMF up to 1,000 mg/kg.have levels of HMF up to 1,000 mg/kg.

16. Quality of Factors of Honey
Impurities
Good quality honey is expected to be visually free of defect
-- clean and clear.
Honey which has a very high pollen content appears cloudy,
and the presence of many other contaminations such as
particles of wax, bees, splinters of wood, and dust certainly
does make it look unappetizing and unappealing for anyone
to buy and consume, and hence it appears as if it's of very
low value.
Unfortunately, no matter how much food value or health
benefits some of these particles like pollen can offer, this
kind of honey is hard to be associated with good quality
honey and is immediately rejected by most consumers at the
super-mart. And this explains why it's almost impossible to
find unfiltered, raw honey on the shelf. Its cloudy appearance
makes them commercially unattractive.

17. Honey Properties
Colour
Honey is color graded into light, amber, and dark
categories which do not really have any bearing on
quality.
Honey color is measured on the Pfund Scale in
millimeters. While it is not an indicator of honey quality
and there are exceptions to the rule, generally speaking,
the darker color the honey, the higher its mineral
contents, the pH readings, and the aroma/flavor levels.
Minerals such as potassium, chlorine, sulfur, iron,
manganese, magnesium, and sodium have been found
to be much higher in darker honeys.

18. Medicinal Properties of Honey
Historically, honey has been used by humans to treat a
variety of ailments, from gastric disturbances to ulcers,
wounds and burns, through ingestion or topical
application, but only recently have the antiseptic and
antibacterial properties of honey been chemically
explained.
Different honeys have different properties, which was
known since ancient times.
Much scientific research has been done, with emphasis
of late on fighting infections in wounds. The antibacterial
mechanisms known to date are H2O2, methylglyoxal
(MGO), bee defensin-1, the osmotic effect and the pH.

19. Medicinal Properties of Honey
In Ayurveda, a 4000-year-old treatise on medicine originating from
India, honey is considered to positively affect all three primitive
material imbalances of the body. "Vaatalam guru sheetam cha
raktapittakaphapaham| Sandhatru cchedanam ruksham kashayam
madhuram madhu||
"It has sweetness with added astringent as end taste.
 It is heavy, dry and cold. Its effect on doshas (imbalances)
is that it aggravates vata (air / moving forces),
scrapes kapha (mucus / holding forces) and
normalizes pitta (catabolic fire) and rakta (blood).
It promotes the healing process."
Some wound gels which contain antibacterial raw honey
One New Zealand researcher says a particular type of
honey (manuka honey) may be useful in treating MRSA
infections.

20. Medicinal Properties of Honey
As an antimicrobial agent honey is useful in treating a
variety of ailment.
Honey appears to be effective in killing drug-
resistant biofilms which are implicated in
chronic rhinosinusitis.
The ancient Egyptians not only made offerings of
honey to their gods, they also used it as an embalming
fluid and a dressing for wounds.
Today, many people swarm to honey for its
antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Holistic
practitioners consider it one of nature's best all-around
remedies.

21. Medicinal Properties of Honey
Never Give Honey to an Infant
Honey is natural and considered harmless for adults. But
pediatricians strongly caution against feeding honey to children
under 1 year old.
"Do not let babies eat honey," states foodsafety.gov, a web site of
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That's because
of the risk of botulism.
The spores of the botulism bacteria are found in dust and soil that
may make their way into honey. Infants do not have a developed
immune system to defend against infection
"It's been shown very clearly that honey can give infants
botulism," a paralytic disorder in which the infant must be given
anti-toxins
The National Honey Board, which the USDA oversees, also agrees
that infants should not be given honey. "The concern for babies
stems from the fact that infants lack the fully developed
gastrointestinal tract of older humans," the Board's web site states.

22. Medicinal Properties of Honey
Honey and Wound Care
Manuka honey is sometimes used to treat
chronic leg ulcers and pressure sores.
Manuka honey is made in New Zealand from the
nectar of Leptospermum scoparium. It's the
basis of Medihoney, which the FDA approved in
2007 for use in treating wounds and skin ulcers.
It works very well to stimulate healing, says
wound care specialist Frank Bongiorno, MD, of
Ann Arbor, Mich.

23. Medicinal Properties of Honey
Honey and Allergies
Some laboratory studies suggest honey has the
potential to clear up stuffy noses and
ease allergies triggered by pollen.
Bowser says she doesn't consider the studies on
honey and congestion to be adequate, for a few
reasons: most allergy sufferers are sensitive to wind-
carried pollens like grass and ragweed -- the kind not
carried by bees and transformed into honey.
"If you want to treat someone for common allergies, it's
not commonly found in bee honey," Bowser says.

24. Medicinal Properties of Honey
Honey and the Common Cold
Maryland family doctor Ariane Cometa, MD, who describes herself
as a holistic practitioner, likes to use buckwheat honey-based syrup
to ease early symptoms of a cold. She says it calms inflamed
membranes and eases a cough -- the latter claim supported by a
few studies.
In a study that involved 139 children, honey beat
out dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) and diphenhydramine
(an antihistamine) in easing nighttime cough in children and
improving their sleep.
"If you're suffering from a cold or something going on in the throat
or upper airways, getting on board with honey syrup will help fight
infection and soothe membranes," says Cometa, who also
recommends a buckwheat honey-based allergy medicine.

25. Utilize the healing power of honey
Burns -
Bed Wetting
Insomnia -
Hyperactivity
Nasal Congestion
Fatigue
Facial Deep Cleanser
Poor Digestion
Hair Conditioner
Sore Throats
For Stress
Anemia
Food Preservative
Baby's Bottle
Cough Mixture
Longevity -
Migraine
Conjunctivitis
Osteoporosis

26. How much honey is enough?
As per Dr Ron Fessenden, MD, MPM, The Honey
Revolution
Generally, three to five tablespoons of honey a day is
sufficient.
 A good regimen to follow is to consume a tablespoon
or two of honey in the morning with fruit or yogurt or
cereal.
Another tablespoon should be consumed at bedtime.
In between, another one or two tablespoons can be
ingested with fruit snacks, in baked goods, or as used in
cooking.