Health Tips: Four Interesting Facts about Honey

Honey is one of those foods that most of us take for granted without really knowing much about it.

Sweet, comforting and of course delicious, honey has universal appeal and is consumed around the world in vast quantities, but did you know it also has antiseptic qualities and has been used in medicines for over 5000 years?

We’ve conducted some research and found out there’s more to honey than most people realise.

Here are four interesting facts about honey:

– Honey is produced by honey bees using nectar from flowers. It is not, as some people believe, bee vomit or waste but a combination of nectar, bee saliva and wax. Honey is also produced by some other bee-related insects including bumblebees and honey wasps, but their honey is usually of a poorer quality.

– The medicinal properties of honey have been known for thousands of years and it was regularly used as a base for medicines and remedies in ancient times. The oldest written reference to the use of honey is thought to be Egyptian and from about 5500BC. Honey also has antiseptic and antibacterial properties and modern medical science has used it for chronic wound management and to fight infection.

– The taste and colour of honey depends on the flowers where the nectar was collected. There are around 300 different types of honey and all of them have different qualities. Blueberry honey is said to have the highest antibacterial properties, Eucalyptus honey is thought to be beneficial for respiratory health and Alfafa honey is good for your heart.

– Honey is said to aid sleeping. Research suggests a spoonful of honey before bedtime provides the body with enough glucose to ‘feed’ the brain during the night. This contributes to the release of the ‘sleep’ hormone melatonin; stablises blood sugar level and prevents or limits the early morning release of cortisol and adrenaline which can disturb sleep patterns.

And one more interesting fact: Honey is the only food in the world that never goes off. It might crystallise and harden but once it’s soft again it’s fine to eat.

Sources: Medical News Today / Just Fun Facts / Cure Joy