According to the University of Arkansas, honeybees, also known as winged insects with their origins in Africa, produce honey, a delicious, thick liquid. The nectar, a sweet liquid generated by flowers, is sucked up by the insects and partially digested in their stomachs before being converted into honey.
According to the University of Colorado Boulder, they then regurgitate the nectar into honeycomb cells (i.e., the hexagonal apertures in a beehive), where it is then dried out by their wings and tongues. Honey is the end outcome, and honey is food for both people and bees.
According to the abovementioned 2020 study, honey contains 75 to 80 percent carbohydrates (i.e. sugar) and 15 to 20 percent water. Along with niacin, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in lesser concentrations, it also includes folate and vitamin C.
Honey doesn’t exactly include a lot of healthy macro- and micronutrients when it comes to nutrition. Additionally, because it contains a lot of sugar, it should only be drunk in moderation. But unlike regular white table sugar, honey contains some noteworthy antioxidants that are proven to be good for the body and brain.
According to Charmaine Jones, MS, RDN, LDN, registered dietitian and founder of Food Jonezi, the sweet substance contains flavonoids and polyphenols, both of which are strong antioxidants that “neutralise free radicals and other toxins that could lead to cell and tissue damage,” aka oxidative stress. (Free radicals are dangerous, unstable chemicals that are formed by things like poor diets and environmental pollutants.) This is significant because, according to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, oxidative stress can eventually contribute to chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease. However antioxidants like those found in honey can help fend off these free radicals.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, both the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend honey as a natural cough cure – and for good reason. According to popular belief, the golden liquid functions as a demulcent, a chemical that coats the throat to calm mucous membranes.
According to the peer-reviewed book Honey Analysis – New Advances and Challenges, honey has been used to treat wounds, burns, and other topical conditions since ancient Egypt. And even though the world has advanced significantly over the past 4,000 years, honey has persisted in demonstrating its effectiveness as a topical medicine.