Honey was known for its health benefits millennia and honey bees have featured in cave paintings as early as 15000 BC, with Sumarians and Egyptians documenting its healing properties. Honey has been reported to have an inhibitory effect on around 60 species of bacteria, some species of fungi and viruses. Antioxidant capacity of honey is important in many disease conditions and is due to a wide range of compounds including phenolics, peptides, organic acids, enzymes, and Maillard reaction products.

Honey composition

Natural honey contains about 200 substances, including a mix of both simple and complex sugars, as well as vitamins, minerals, acids and enzymes (proteins).

Table 1: Average composition of honey

Honey (Nutritional value per 100 g)
Component					Average
Carbohydrates					82.4 g
Fructose					38.5 g
Glucose					31 g
Sucrose					1 g
Other sugars					11.7 g
Dietary fiber					0.2 g
Fat					0 g
Protein					0.3 g
Water					17.1 g
Riboflavin (Vit. B2)					0.038 mg
Niacin (Vit. B3)					0.121 mg
Pantothenic acid (Vit. B5)					0.068 mg
Pyridoxine (Vit. B6)					0.024 mg
Folate (Vit. B9)					0.002 mg
Vitamin C					0.5 mg
Calcium					6 mg
Iron					0.42 mg
Magnesium					2 mg
Phosphorus					4 mg
Potassium					52 mg
Sodium					4 mg
Zinc					0.22 mg

Honey has antibacterial properties

The Western cultures have only recently investigated the health promoting properties of honey. The antibacterial activity of honey is the most researched and better understood the effectiveness of honey in killing many types of bacteria, having an inhibitory effect to around 60 species of bacteria.

Antibiotics and honey work differently to kill bacteria. One one hand, antibiotics destroy the bacteria’s cell wall when these are in growing phase, while on the other honey fights infections on many levels, making it therefore difficult for the bacteria to develop resistance to it.

In order to grow and reproduce bacteria require water. Therefore, when bacteria is exposed to honey, through the process of osmosis honey draws the water away from the bacteria in an attempt to dilute its sugars. Even when honey is diluted as far as 2-12% it can still inhibit the growth of bacteria as shown by several studies. This suggests that honey can still have therefore an antibacterial effect after it’s been eaten and diluted in the gut.

Honey contains a number of enzymes (proteins that can speed up the chemical reactions). The enzyme glucose oxidase produces hydrogen peroxide (which provides antimicrobial properties) along with gluconic acid from glucose which helps in calcium absorption.

Honey is good for cardiovascular conditions

One study showed that in 38 overweight individuals that took 70g of natural honey for 30 days reduced their risk of heart disease, particularly having an effect on total cholesterol, LDL-C or “bad” cholesterol, triacylglycerole (what basically constitutes body fat) and CRP (an inflammatory marker) which can lead to building of “plaque” on the walls of blood vessels.

Another study showed that the phenolic compounds in honey (compounds that have antioxidant properties – like the ones found in berries and wine for example) helped the blood vessels supplying the heart to relax, decreased the ability of the blood to clot both of which reduce the risks of coronary heart disease and heart attacks.

Honey is good for the blood

When honey is mixed with lukewarm water it has a beneficial impact on the red blood cell (RBC) count in the blood which helps carry the oxygen to our organs and tissues. The lack of red blood cells leads to fatigue, breathlessness, and sometimes depression and other problems. Honey can negate these issues by building the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Building the level of oxygen in the blood is extremely important because how healthy the body is and how easily it rejuvenates itself depends on the level of oxygen in the blood.

Honey is good for digestion

Ayurveda (translated roughly as ‘knowledge of life’), a natural system of medicine practiced for centuries in India, has explored honey’s health benefits in great depth and considers it a fundamental tool in the healing cupboard. At the heart of Ayurveda is the sacred acknowledgment of our interdependency with nature, and the belief that our own health is connected to the health of the natural world around us. This paradigm has therefore empowered people to understand honey’s health benefits way before modern Western culture. In fact a lot of the observed benefits are now shown through a plethora of small scale studies.

Not only it said to build our natural immunity and acts as a catalytic carrier drawing healing substances deep into the tissue, it is also a stimulant for agni, the digestive fire. Therefore, honey is perfect for those with weak digestion.

Honey features in Islamic medicine as well, being recommended in the treatment of diarrhoea, fact that has been subsequently shown in some studies.

Other studies have shown that consumption of honey protected against gastrointestinal infections such as gastritis,  duodenitis and gastric ulceration caused by bacteria and rotavirus.

Honey also increased and supported the growth of bifidobacterium, a beneficial bacteria needed for our gut health, which is mainly due to the presence of a variety of oligosaccharides.

Honey helps with skin conditions

The healing effect of honey on wounds is well known.  Due to its antimicrobial properties it helps with reducing bacteria levels and inflammation. In fact, Manuka honey dressings are available as an over the counter product.

Then, there was a small scale study that have looked into the effectiveness of treating chronic seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. The treatment administered was rubbing the problematic area with diluted medical grade honey and leaving it for 3h before washing off. The itching was relieved and scaling disappeared in 2 weeks.

Some other studies have looked at if eczema responds well to honey. A small 2017 study found that atopic dermatitis lesions significantly improved after applying manuka honey for 7 consecutive days.

The researchers talked about Staphylococcus aureus bacteria which colonize the skin of 70–90% of people with atopic dermatitis. S. aureus produces inflammatory toxins, which may lead to infections. The research suggested therefore that honey was effective due to its antibacterial properties.

Heating honey is toxic

The most known literature on honey turning toxic comes from Ayurveda (the natural system of medicine practiced in India). According to this literature, heating honey alters the natural composition (as vitamins, minerals and phenols are not heat resistant). The output is in the form of toxic molecules that then stick to the mucuous membranes of the digestive system leading to a form of un-metabolized waste that cannot be utilized by the body (called Ama).

In the western medical research literature, researchers talk about 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a compound which forms during the heating and preservation process of honey.

A regular practice in beekeeping is spraying the hive with honey water to calm the bees. When pasteurised honey water was used instead the bees died after a few days.

There has been some research to assess if HMF is toxic to bees and consequently to humans. Three studies that used different concentrations of HMF revealed that bees died when fed with syrups containing the compound.

It has been reported that HMF may be mutagenic, carcinogenic and cytotoxic in the mucous membranes, skin and upper respiratory tract.

According to the Codex Alimentarius Standard the safe levels of HMF for humans is below 40 mg/kg. Honey processed at 203°F for 90 minutes and 194°F for 75 minutes shows HMF levels lower than 40 mg/kg. So if wanting to use honey in your drinks, use tepid water to avoid higher levels of HMF.

Contraindications

It is indicated to not feed honey to babies under one year. This is because honey may contain Clostridium bacteria that leads to infant botulism – a condition where the nervous system is compromised.