Why Honey is Such a Special Food
Honey – The Functional Food
Honey is truly a special food. Whether you want to use it as a sweetener or are looking to it for it potential health benefits, honey can find a place in any pantry. Have you ever had honey and lemon tea when you’re sick? Or tried honey mustard dressing? From sweetening beverages and foods to helping wounds heal, it has so many uses.
Medicinal Uses of Honey
Honey is a simple sweet treat that can be enjoyed on its own or as a sweetener for cooking and baking. While honey is high in sugars, including fructose, it has a complex composition that includes enzymes, amino acids, proteins, flavonoids and phenolic acids among other components (Ahmed 2018). These compounds give honey potent antioxidant effects and are likely at least part of the reason honey has been used medicinally for thousands of years.
Interest in honey as medicine has been increasing with numerous studies supporting a number of beneficial effects. The medicinal effects of honey appear to include (Ahmed 2018):