Honey; Nature's Magical Elixir

Jan 24, 2024

4 min read

Benefits

Honey is an amazing, well rounded product! According to the Mayo Clinic, honey might offer antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits. In some studies, honey has been shown to help prevent memory disorders. It can also be used for wound care. Topical use of medical-grade honey has been shown to promote wound healing, particularly in burns.

Minimally processed honey contains many important plant compounds and antioxidants, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids. Antioxidants help neutralize reactive oxygen species in your body, which can build up in cells and cause damage. This damage can contribute to conditions like premature aging, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Researchers have found that honey may increase adiponectin levels, a hormone that reduces inflammation and improves blood sugar regulation. There’s also evidence that daily honey intake may improve fasting blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Though honey may be better than traditionally refined sugar, it should still be consumed in moderation.

Honey may also help prevent heart disease. According to one review, honey may help lower blood pressure, improve blood fat levels, regulate your heartbeat, and prevent the death of healthy cells; all factors that can improve your heart function and health.

One review of several studies on honey and cough in children found that honey appears more effective than diphenhydramine for cough symptoms. It may also help reduce cough duration

Differences in Color

If you’ve ever visited your local farmer’s market or supermarket in search of honey, you may have noticed that it comes in several varieties. Honey is available in a wide variety of colors and shades. But what you won’t find in the store is an explanation of what those colors mean. And that is more important to your purchase decision than you think. That’s because a honey’s color correlates somewhat with its taste.

Plants produce nectar, and bees remove the nectar and bring it back to the colony. If the bees forage on various plants that are all blooming, this is wildflower honey. If the nectar source is 51% or more from the same type of plant, then it can be called a variety like sage honey, orange blossom or clover honey. After a bee brings the nectar back to the hive, it is stored in the honey comb. Over time, the stored liquid loses most of its water content to evaporation, resulting in thick honey. But the color and flavor of that honey depends almost entirely on the flowers and pollen the bee visit and collect.

Generally, light honey will have a milder and more delicate taste. Most clover honey is categorized as light honey. Darker honey like buckwheat honey tends to have a bolder and earthy flavor. But as with anything else, there are exceptions to those rules. Certain types of nectar and pollen will yield dark honey with a mild taste.

Bees rarely make monofloral honey, meaning bees collect nectar and pollen from a variety of sources to create their honey. Beekeepers label their honey by the predominant source of nectar and pollen the bees collect. Goldenrod pollen can darken a light clover honey. So, it’s not always a good idea to judge a honey’s flavor solely by how it looks.

The USDA honey color categories depend on a continuous grading system known as the Pfund scale. It is a scale that groups honey based on color.

Water White – <9 Pfund
Extra White – 9-17 Pfund
White – 18-34 Pfund
Extra Light Amber – 35-50 Pfund
Light Amber – 51-85 Pfund
Amber – 86-114 Pfund
Dark Amber – >114 Pfund

But be cautious because large honey producers produce blended honey from multiple sources. They claim it is to help produce consistent flavor and color. But some investigations have shown that some commercial honey producers might also be misleading consumers in a cost-cutting strategy where they blend the honey with cheaper ingredients like sugar syrup and water. This process has been dubbed “Honey Laundering”.

Honey can change colors after harvesting and processing. Light colored clover honey, harvested in the spring can turn dark amber if stored in warm climate conditions. The previously light honey turned into amber or dark honey is still good honey. But the darker colored honey will have a stronger taste than it did in its lighter colored form. Honey color will also change as it ages, even in a well controlled environment. As raw honey ages, it loses moisture content and crystallizes. The honey crystals reflect more light and appear lighter in color. This process has little effect on the flavor other than to make it sweeter.

What To Do If It Crystalizes

If your jar of honey crystalizes, it is still perfectly safe to eat. But if you do not prefer the grainy texture then you need to heat the honey. The best way to do it is to use a double broiler method.

Put water into to a pot and begin heating the water to a boil.
Place water in a bowl and place the bowl over the pot. The steam from the pot boiling will heat the water in the bowl.
Place your jar of honey in the bowl of water. Make sure that the water is not at risk of getting into the honey.

Heat the bowl of water to about 100°F. Heat the honey for approximately 15min and the honey should decrystalize.

Does It Expire?

Honey isn't a perishable product. As long as it's stored in an air-tight container and isn't exposed to excess moisture, it will be safe to consume for decades. It's important to keep honey clean. Make sure you are using a clean utensil when getting your honey out of the jar. Don't double dip!

Studies

Analytical Methods in Tracing Honey Authenticity

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28527183/

Phenolic Compounds in Honey and Their Associated Health Benefits: A Review

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6225430/

A Review on the Protective Effects of Honey against Metabolic Syndrome

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6115915/

Cardioprotective Effects of Honey and its Constituent: An Evidence Based Review of Laboratory Studies and Clinical Trials

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7277934/

Honey as a Topical Treatment For Wounds

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9719456/

Honey for Acute Cough in Children