Honey: Our Old Friend Keeps Getting Better

[Guest guest]

But is honey not high in the glycaemic index?

Will it cause allergic reaction to those who are

allergic to white sugar?

Will honey cause rebound and hence low blood sugar as

the white sugar does or is honey a slow-releaser?

Ratan.

--- JoAnn Guest <angelprincessjo wrote:

> Honey: Our Old Friend Keeps Getting Better

> JoAnn Guest

> Jun 28, 2004 09:57 PDT

>

> Honey: Our Old Friend Keeps Getting Better

> By Gina Mohammed, Ph.D. moha-

>

http://www.herbsforhealth.com/index.php?page==article & story==8

>

>

> Moderator's Note:

> Many sources state that honey is contraindicated

> in candida.

> However, according to the following article,

> small portions of raw honey may be beneficial

> for the purpose of restoring " good " flora.

> Any yogurt or other fermented dairy, should always

> be from an

> organic source!

>

> JoAnn

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Comments?

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

Honey: Our Old Friend Keeps Getting Better

By Gina Mohammed, Ph.D. moha-

http://www.herbsforhealth.com/index.php?page==article & story==8

 

Moderator's Note:

Many sources state that honey is contraindicated in candida.

However, according to the following article, small portions of raw

honey may be beneficial for the purpose of restoring " good " flora.

Any yogurt or other fermented dairy, should always be from an

organic source!

 

JoAnn

 

 

One of my life's purest pleasures is a crockery mug of steaming tea

sweetened with golden honey. With that comfort in hand, I can tackle

just about anything — or gratefully do absolutely nothing. But what

really sweetens the pot is knowing the honey in my tea is at work

even if I'm not.

 

In this liquid gold, I find a cache of antioxidants, a digestive

aid, a *detoxifier* and even a soothing balm for wounds, all rolled

into one delightful concoction.

 

Honey is the ultimate in products derived from herbs. Fashioned

through an ingenious alliance between animal and plant kingdoms,

honey delivers a diverse array of phytochemicals in one package.

This bounty arrives courtesy of the industrious honeybee, who visits

some 2 million flowers to manufacture just one pound of honey.

 

Honey of a History

Since ancient times, people have used honey as medicine. Hippocrates

recommended it for optimal health. The Egyptians, and many people

since, used it as a wound treatment.

 

Old texts heralded honey as a salve for eye ailments and a

restorative in complaints of the heart, kidneys, liver and lungs.

Today, honey with lemon is still a favorite for colds and sore

throats.

 

Nowadays, we are uncovering much about the nature of honey and its

actions. For instance, it really does help heal wounds. A randomized

clinical study published in the journal Burns found honey salve

healed superficial burns more effectively and quickly, and with less

inflammation, than a standard treatment of silver sulfadiazine.

 

Honey helps wounds in several ways. Its high viscosity deters

infection; its sugar draws lymph out of the wound; it stimulates

formation of new blood capillaries and connective tissues; and it's

anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. A recent study found that

antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which can

infect wounds, succumb readily to honey.

 

Antibacterial Ally

Most common honeys derive their antibacterial activity from hydrogen

peroxide, produced by an enzyme naturally present in honey. But

others — notably the Leptospermum species from New Zealand and

Australia — battle bacteria with rather mysterious non-peroxide

components.

 

But honey is not antagonistic to all bacteria. Scientists at

Michigan State University added it to fermented dairy products and

found honey enhanced the growth, activity and viability of certain

bifidobacteria, bacteria believed to help sustain a healthy

gastrointestinal tract.

 

Fermented dairy products are used to deliver bifidobacteria to the

GI tract, but the products' microbial strength is often diminished

during dairy processing and storage.

 

The investigators suggest this could make honey the sweetener of

choice in many foods.

 

Honey's fermentable carbohydrates, including oligosaccharides, may

be the keys to this action.

 

Antioxidant Power

 

Honey also hosts a horde of antioxidants. These consist of a

symphony of phenolics (plant-based chemicals), peptides, organic

acids, enzymes and other constituents performing in concert.

 

For instance, the flavonoid pinocembrin is unique to honey and

supercedes other antioxidants in concentration.

 

From a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food

Chemistry, we now know the antioxidant activity of honey is

comparable to that of many fruits and vegetables on a fresh-weight

basis.

 

And while you likely will not devour a cup of honey in lieu of

broccoli, the golden liquid may be a respectable alternative to

sugar and a pleasant way to supplement your diet with antioxidants.

 

Researchers at the University of Illinois studied 25 healthy men who

consumed various combinations of hot water, buckwheat honey, black

tea and sugar.

 

They found that serum antioxidant capacity increased by 7 percent

within two hours of ingesting 2 cups of hot water containing about 4

tablespoons of honey.

 

Those antioxidants also may help your arteries: Honey reduces

oxidation of low-density lipoproteins (known as " bad " cholesterol),

a benefit which likely thwarts development of atherosclerosis.

 

The color of honey hints at its antioxidant capacity. The rule is:

Darker is better. For instance, buckwheat honey has 5.5 times more

antioxidant strength than the very light acacia variety, and other

honeys of intermediate color are arrayed in between.

 

But rules can be broken. A University of Illinois researcher found

that sweet-clover honey, though fairly light, was rich in

antioxidants, whereas a dark golden mesquite honey was relatively

poor.

 

Other factors that can influence antioxidant content, particularly

within a species, are climate, soil, processing, handling and

storage.

 

Color also indicates mineral content, which ranges from 0.04 percent

in pale honeys to 0.2 percent in some dark ones.

 

But the story doesn't end there. Pinostrobin, another flavonoid from

honey, apparently is a potent inducer of certain enzymes that

deactivate carcinogens. Known as mammalian phase 2 detoxification

enzymes, they help to destroy the reaction centers of carcinogens or

assist in their elimination from the body.

 

Researchers reporting in the Journal of Agricultural and Food

Chemistry tested 35 honeys and found they all elevated enzyme

activity, with buckwheat honey at the top of the list. (But note

that cruciferous vegetables were 10 times more potent inducers than

buckwheat honey.)

 

These benefits make honey a queen among sweeteners and are

enticements to sampling its myriad varieties — from more than 300

plant sources in the United States alone!

 

Use Honey Safely

Do not feed honey (even pasteurized honey) to children younger than

1 year old, as honey may contain the botulism agent Clostridium

botulinum. The bacterium, while inactive in honey, can multiply in a

baby's undeveloped digestive system. If you're pregnant or

breastfeeding, consult your doctor before using honey.

 

Getting the Best Honey

Honey can be damaged by too much heat, which can destroy its

antibacterial properties.

 

Pasteurization, in which honey is heat-treated to prevent

fermentation by yeasts and to delay crystallization, is therefore a

concern. Whipped honey also may be problematic, as a double-heating

method usually is used to produce these spreadable products.

However, the impact of heat treatment and filtration on antioxidant

capacity of honey is not well understood. Some antioxidants may be

destroyed, and others created. Storage temperature and the honey's

container also can have complex effects. A safe guideline is to

store honey either below 52 degrees or at 70 to 80 degrees, in

airtight containers.

 

Honey proclaimed as organic can be found, but it's almost impossible

to ensure against contamination, either by wind or by bee travel, of

the bees' forage by non-organic pollen. Newly proposed guidelines in

Canada, for example, specify a 3.5-km buffer between apiaries and

prohibited substances (including genetically modified organisms),

which beekeepers consider unfeasible.

 

A recent concern has been the contamination of bulk honey imported

from China with chloramphenicol, a potentially harmful human

antibiotic that can cause aplastic anemia.

 

Chinese honey or its blends have been recalled and are being

detained at Canadian and U.S. Customs if they contain this

antibiotic.

 

Gina Mohammed, Ph.D. moha-, is a plant physiologist in

Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. She is author of Catnip and Kerosene

Grass — What Plants Teach Us About Life (Candlenut Books, 2002).

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest

[Guest guest]

, psych doc

<psych_58> wrote:

> But is honey not high in the glycaemic index?

> Will it cause allergic reaction to those who are

> allergic to white sugar?

> Will honey cause rebound and hence low blood sugar as

> the white sugar does or is honey a slow-releaser?

> Ratan.

 

Dr Ratan,

There are many varieties. The unprocessed varieties (raw) are

the best in terms of how they affect glucose levels.

It is primarily the heated pasteurized blends which we want to avoid.

In our discussions several months ago, it was mentioned that refined

sugar, pasteurized heated honey and pasteurized juice are most

problematic in regards to elevated blood glucose. Raw honey with all

its healing enzymes, vitamins and minerals intact is much higher in

antioxidants. Refined sugar and heated honey do not hold the same

benefits since they are devoid of the essential antioxidants and

mineral components which make them more readily accessible to the

body. The reason that refined sugar is so problematic, is that it is

a processed refined food devoid of the other necessary mineral

components. Raw honey is a natural whole food and an

antioxidant, with all the phenolics (plant-based

chemicals), peptides, organic acids, enzymes and other constituents

that we need in order for the body to effectively put it to proper use.

The flavonoid " pinocembrin " is unique to raw honey and

supercedes all the other antioxidants in concentration.

 

From a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food

Chemistry, we see that the antioxidant activity of honey is

comparable to that of some fruits and vegetables on a fresh-weight

basis. Researchers at the University of Illinois studied 25 healthy

men who consumed combinations of hot water, buckwheat honey,

tea and sugar. They discovered that serum *antioxidant* capacity increased

by 7 percentwithin two hours of ingesting 2 cups of hot water

containing about 4 tablespoons of buckwheat honey. In addition, we see that the

color of honey hints at its antioxidant capacity.

 

The rule is:

Darker is better. For instance, buckwheat honey has 5.5 times more

antioxidant strength than the very light acacia variety, and other

honeys of intermediate color are arrayed in between.

Color also indicates mineral content, which ranges from 0.04 percent

in pale honeys to 0.2 percent in some dark ones. Pinostrobin,

another flavonoid from honey apparently is a potent inducer

of certain enzymes that eactivate carcinogens.

Known as mammalian phase 2 detoxification

enzymes, they destroy the reaction centers of carcinogens

or assist in their

elimination from the body.

 

Researchers reporting in the Journal of Agricultural and Food

Chemistry

tested 35 honeys and found they all elevated ENZYME

activity, with *buckwheat* honey at the top of the list.

 

Best Regards, JoAnn

[Guest guest]

the best I use as a Bee keeper is propolis which has altogetzer 56000

substances and antiradicals i used to give it to Patients in an 8 % Tinktur of

78

% Alkohol or as 6 % in Dandelion Honey which is exeptional for Liver problems

!!

 

Search for propolishonig

 

 

The human body is constantly under attack of free radicals. Free radicals are

highly reactive molecules by the biochemical redox reactions that occur as

part of normal metabolism and by exposure to environmental factors such as u.v.

light, cigarette smoke,environmental pollutants and gamma radiation. Once

formed, free radicals attack cell structures within the body. As a result, free

radicals have been implicated in numerous diseases examples of which are listed

below: Cancer, atheroscleroses rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, cataracts

conditions associated with premature birth, motor neurone disease, liver damage,

respiratory disease, central nervous system disorders.

In healthy individuals, the antioxidant system defends tissues against free

radical attack; three classes of antioxidant defend the body against free

radical attack. Primary antioxidants - superoxide dismutase, glutathione

peroxidase, cacruloplasmin prevent the formation of new free radical species.

Secondary

antioxidants - vitamin E, vitamin C, B carotine, uric acid, bilirubin and

albumin trap newly formed free radicals before they can initiate chain reactions

leading to cell damage and further free radical formation. Tertiary

antioxidants - DNA repair enzymes. Methionine sulphoxidereductase repair cell

structures

damaged by free radical attack. Deficiencies in the antioxidant system can

develop for a number of reasons low intake of dietary antioxidants, diseases

that

reduce the absorption of antioxidant nutrients from food (Crohn's Disease),

total parenteral nutrition renal dialysis.

In these situations the antioxidant system struggles to protect the body from

free radical attack and as a result the risk of free radical-mediated disease

increases. It is also known that bee venom, honey, royal jelly, pollen, bee

bread are also antioxidantic products and can be used by patients treated by

HBO.

PROPOLIS Propolis is a natural substance collected by honey bees from buds

and trees. Propolis contains tree resin, essential oils, waxes and

bioflavonoids. Biofiavonoids are one of the most important components in

propolis; the

antioxidant effects of bioflavonoids help maintain a healthy system.

The results achieved in Kaunas Academical hospital and in some other

hospitals are presented here:

Qualitative compositon of propolis:

* Flavonoids

* Chalcones, Dihydrochalcones

* Aliphatic acid and their esters

* Long chain aliphatic acids

* Esters of some short chain volatile oils

* Aromatic acids and their esters

* Benzoic acid and derivatives

* Aldehyds

* Alcohols

* Cinnamic acid and its derivatives

* Other acid and derivatives

* Ketones, phenols and heteroaromatic compounds

* Terpene, sesquiterpene alcohols and their derivatives

* Terpenoids and other compounds

* Sesquiterpenes and triterpene hydrocarbons

* Volatile compounds

* Hydrocarbons

* Alifhatic hydrocarbons

* Sterols and steroid hydrocarbons

* Sugar

* Lactones

* Alfa and Beta- amilass

* Amino acids

* Derivatives of nucleic acids

* Vitamins

* Minerals

* Anaerobic Transhydrogenases

* Other substances

* Insoluble in water and organic solvents part

* Pollutants

Propolis contains about:

* 55% resins and balsams

* 7,5%-35% waxes

* 10% volatile oils

* 5% pollen

* 5% fatty acids

* 4,4%-195 impurities

* terpenes

* tannin substances, salivary gland secretion of the bees and accidental

compounds

Flavones:

* acacetin

* chrysin

* tectochrysin

* apigenin

* pectolinaringenin

Flavonol

* galangin

* Galangin- 3-methyl ether

* isalpinin

* kaempferide

* kaemferol

* quecetin

* quercetin-3,3-dimethylether

* rhamnocitrin

* rhamnetin

* isorhamnetin

Lavonones:

* pinostrobin

* sakuranetin

Lavononols:

* pinobanksin etc.

An antioxidantic action of propolis has been an object of several studies.

The aim of this study is to investigate the action of propolis on lipid

peroxidation level in blood lipoproteins in vitro.

Methods. Free radical generation marker thiobarbituric acid reactive

materials (TBARM) was measured by fluorimetrical method in blood serum

lipoproteins

samples after their 20 min. Incubation with propolis (0,2 ml of 0,2%, 1%, and 2%

athanolic solution). MDA concentration was measured in samples after

incubation by fluorimetrical method (K. Yagi, 1976). Fluorescence intensity was

measured at 515nm, using " Hitachi " spectrofluorimeter. In serum samples,

incubated

with 0,2%. propolis, MDA concentration was significantly lower than in control

samples (Figure). In samples, incubated with 1 and 2 % propolis, MDA

concentration was higher than in control sample: in samples,incubated with 20%.

propolis, MDA concentration was significantly higher than in control

samples(p<0.05).

 

VITAMINS

B1, B2, B6, C, E nicotinic acid, panthothenic acid A

The vitamins in propolis are in very small amounts being related mainly to

the pollen content.

MINERALS

Sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), barium (Ba), boron

(B) (traces), strontium (Sr), zinc (Zn), cadium (Cd), aluminium silicon (Si),

lead (Pb),selenium (Se) (traces), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni),chromium (Cr),

manganese (Mn), titanium (Ti), silver (Ag), copper (Cu),cobalt (CO), molybdenum

(Mo), vanadium(V)