Honey Nutrition
Honey nutrition is just one of the benefits of honey, however, we must not get carried away thinking we can live on honey alone.
The nutritional value of honey has been vastly overstated if we are to believe the legend of Zeus who was said to be raised on a diet of milk and honey. That is not to say that honey is not nutritious because it certainly is and can be be very useful as a drink along with milk for those who have been unwell. Honey is very easily digested which makes those vitamins and minerals very important during times of convalescence. There are wide ranges of values for each component of honey nutrition which extend beyond its health benefits. However, unlike sugar, honey has the amazing ability to heal you from within and continually help to keep you healthy. Just as the color and flavor of nutritious honey varies by floral source, so does the vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and amino acid content.
One of the main benefits of eating nutrious honey is it contains natural sugars which have been pre-digested by honey bees which in turn makes it a superb sugar substitute which we can then very easily digest.The main sugars in honey are glucose and fructose, unlike sugar these sugars are natural and healing. As many flower nectars have a high sucrose content bees use the enzyme invertase to convert the sucrose into fructose and glucose. This lowers the pH which stabilizes the honey making it resistant to fermentation. Increasing the acidity which we then enjoy as the nutritional value of honey.
The average composition of
nutritious honey is as follows:
Moisture 17.2%
Fructose 38.4%
Glucose 30.3%
Sucrose 1.3%
Maltose 7.3%
Higher sugars 1.4%
Acid as Gluconic 0.57%
Ash 0.169%
Nitrogen 0.041%
pH 3.91%
The combination of a low moisture content and hydrogen peroxide not only make honey nutrition resistant to spoilage but increase its uses for the medical benefits of honey and the nutrition of honey. Because honey is nutritious in its own right it is far sweeter than refined sugar therefore if we were to use it in place of we would be naturally cutting unnecessary calories in our daily diets.
The benefits of using nutrious honey in cooking will help to make our food healthier and keep foods more moist for longer such as cakes and buns. The nutrition of honey is wonderful when used as an energising drink to start the day and as a quick energy booster. Because the nutrition of honey is quick to be absorbed into the bloodstream it also has the ability to keep on slowly and continually releasing its nutritional benefits. As a carbohydrate, the nutritional value of honey supplies energy at 64 calories per tablespoon so we use less to sweeten our food and drinks and nutrious honey provides the fuel to work our muscles. A study at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sports Nutrition Laboratory found honey to be one of the most effective forms of carbohydrate gels to ingest just prior to exercise. According to Dr. Richard Kreider, the study’s lead investigator, “honey appears to be a carbohydrate source that is relatively mild on its effects upon blood sugar compared to other carbohydrate sources. This is a good thing. Continuing research is examining the effects of honey in comparison to different types of carbohydrate gels prior to weightlifting on the effect on glucose, insulin and markers of protein breakdown. However, most athletes today swear the nutrition of honey taken with water prior to their sport enhances their performance. They do not need a scientist to tell them. Only ever use Raw Honey or Organic Honey for its true benefits.
In addition to the nutrients that are involved in normal metabolic activity, foods contain components that may provide additional health benefits. These nutrients are referred to as nutraceuticals. Phytochemicals are one broad category of nutraceuticals found in plants that are actively being investigated by scientists for their health-promoting potential. Nutritional Honey has a phytochemical profile which includes polyphenols that can act as antioxidants. See the Benefits of Eating Honey here. Antioxidants perform the role of eliminating free radicals, which are reactive compounds in the body. Free radicals are created through the normal process of metabolism and contribute to many serious diseases. Researchers at the University of Illinois, led by Nicki J. Engeseth, Ph.D. and May R. Berenbaum, Ph.D., are studying the antioxidant capacity of common honey varieties. Very simply put Honey nutrition is a source of simple carbohydrates. Its composition on average is 17.1 percent water, 82.4 percent total carbohydrate and 0.5 percent proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The average carbohydrate content is mainly fructose (38.5 percent) and glucose (31percent). The remaining 12.9 percent of carbohydrates is made up of maltose, sucrose and other sugars. And is honey nutrition good for you? It sure is......dump the sugar honey.......get to know the nutritional value of honey and enjoy the benefits of honey.
Take a Peek Below
Back to Health Benefits from Honey Nutrition
Enter my Competions each Month
Top of Page
Please use the Site Map or alternatively:
|
