The following a collection of articles and
studies that have been done and have found great benefits and
properties. Please enjoy and learn more about honey.
New Study Finds That Honey May Aid in Absorption of Calcium
A new study conducted at Purdue University showed that
consuming honey along with supplemental calcium enhanced calcium
absorption in rats. In addition, the absorption of calcium was increased
as the amount of honey was increased. The study, led by Dr. Berdine
Martin of Purdue University, was presented at the Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology meeting, April 2-5, 2005 in San
Diego.
“Many
adults struggle to get the recommended amounts of calcium in their
daily diet,” said Dr. Katherine Beals, nutrition consultant to the
National Honey Board.
According
to the recently released Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and
Osteoporosis (Oct 14, 2004), "By 2020, half of all American citizens
older than 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis and low
bone mass if no immediate action is taken by individuals at risk, health
care professionals, health systems, and policymakers."
Osteoporosis
is often referred to as a “silent” disease because many of those
afflicted are completely unaware that they suffer from it. In fact, four
times as many men and three times as many women have osteoporosis than
report it.
One
of the key strategies for reducing the likelihood of developing low
bone mass (and subsequent osteoporosis) is to consume the recommended
amounts of calcium. It is also important that the calcium consumed be
absorbed by the body. Dietary factors that have been shown to enhance
the absorption of calcium include vitamin D and the sugars found in
honey.
In the Purdue University study, rats were given a
“labeled” dose of calcium alone, or with 200 mg. of honey, 500 mg. of
honey, 800 mg. of honey, 800 mg. of a glucose fructose mixture made to
resemble honey, 10.75 mg. of raffinose, or 200 mg. of raffinose. After
two days, the calcium absorption into the hind leg bones of the rats was
measured. Compared to the control group, rats given 800 mg. and 500 mg.
of honey showed a 33.6% and 25.5% increase in calcium absorption,
respectively. These results indicate that honey and its carbohydrate
constituents, specifically glucose, fructose and raffinose, may enhance
calcium absorption.
“Although
this study was done with rats, the preliminary results are very
compelling” said Dr. Beals. “Of course we would have to replicate the
experiment in a human sample to see if the same holds true for people.”
Funding
for this study was provided by the National Honey Board. Based in
Longmont, Colorado, the National Honey Board provides consumers with
honey information and recipes at www.honey.com, and serves U.S. honey
producers, packers and importers through honey research, promotion and
marketing.
Uses of Honey:
Honey contains antioxidants, a wide array of vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
Heals wounds, burns, cataracts, skin ulcers, sores and scrapes.
Provides a protective barrier for wounds.
Kills bacteria and germs.
Reduces inflammation.
It's amino acids and vitamin C speed the growth of healthy tissue.
It's
a natural source of energy. It enlivens the body, makes muscles
stronger, refreshes nerves, cheers up, Sharpens the mind, and gives
sound sleep.
Helps reduce chest disorders, coughs, heavy breathing, and insomnia.
Soothes sore throats.
http://www.ebeehoney.com/
Honey
Six medical journal articles over the past three years have also described the antibiotic properties of honey. A physician at the medical college in Maharashtra, India, recently explored the use of honey-soaked gauze to treat burn patients. The 40 patients treated with honey healed in about half the time - and with half the scar tissue - compared with patients treated by other means. (Subrahmanyam M, Burns, Aug. 1994;20:331-3). A team of researchers from the department of surgery, University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, reported that unprocessed honey "inhibited most of the fungi and bacteria" causing surgical and wound infections. In a remarkable conclusion in the journal Infection (Jul.- Aug. 1992;20:227-9),Dr. S. E. Efem and his colleagues wrote, "Honey is thus an ideal topical wound dressing agent in surgical infections, burns and wound infections." Perhaps most remarkable is the effect of honey on Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium now known to cause gastric ulcers. Because honey has long been a folk remedy for dyspepsia, or stomach upset, a team of researchers from the University of Waikato, New Zealand, tested whether honey would have any benefit. Within three days, honey stopped the growth of H. pylori colonies obtained from patients.
Written by Jack Challem, The Nutrition Reporter
Clinical Observations
It has been reported from various clinical studies on the usage of
honey as a dressing for infected wounds that the wounds become sterile
in 3 - 6 days (19, 34), 7 days (7, 13, 20) or 7 - 10 days (28). Others
have reported that honey is effective in cleaning up infected wounds
(21, 44). It has also been reported that honey dressings halt advancing
necrosis (20, 36).
Honey has also been found to act as a barrier preventing wounds from
becoming infected (7, 14, 15, 24, 45), preventing cross-infection (23),
and allowing burn wound tissue to heal rapidly uninhibited by secondary
infection (7, 42).
It has been reported that sloughs, gangrenous tissue and necrotic
tissue are rapidly replaced with granulation tissue and advancing
epithelialisation when honey is used as a dressing (7), thus a minimum
of surgical debridement is required (19). It has been observed that
under honey dressings sloughs, necrotic and gangrenous tissue separated
so that they could be lifted off painlessly (7), and others have noted
quick and easy separation of sloughs (10, 21) and removal of crust from a
wound (10).
Rapid cleansing (9) and chemical or enzymic
debridement resulting from the application of honey to wounds have also
been reported (14, 15, 17, 20, 36), with no eschar forming on burns
(18). Several other authors have noted the cleansing effect of honey on
wounds (21, 23, 29, 35, 40, 46). It has also been noted that dirt is
removed with the bandage when honey is used as a dressing, leaving a
clean wound (39). Honey has also been reported to give deodorisation of
offensively smelling wounds ( 7, 13-15, 20, 36, 45).
Honey used as a wound dressing has been reported to promote the
formation of clean healthy granulation tissue (7, 10, 18-20, 23, 28, 29,
34, 35, 41, 46), allowing early grafting on a clean clear base (9). It
has also been reported to promote epithelialisation of the wound (7, 16,
18, 20, 36, 41). Dumronglert (29) commented that the rapid growth of
new tissue is remarkable. Improvement of nutrition of wounds has been
observed (7), also increased blood flow has been noted in wounds (29),
and free flow of lymph (21).
Several authors have commented on the rapidity of healing seen with
honey dressings. Descottes (38) refers to wounds becoming closed in a
spectacular fashion in 90% of cases, sometimes in a few days. Burlando
(47) refers to healing being surprisingly rapid, especially for first
and second degree burns. Blomfield (40) is of the opinion that honey
promotes healing of ulcers and burns better than any other local
application used before. Bergman (24) has observed clinically that
healing in open wounds is faster with honey, as has Hamdy (48) who also
found that it accelerated making wounds suitable for suture.
It has been noted that dressing wound with honey allows early grafting
on a clean clear base (9), with prompt graft taking (23, 35). It has
also been reported that it reduces the incidence of skin graft areas
(45) and helps skin regenerate, making plastic reconstruction
unnecessary (20, 36). Others also have noted that skin grafting is found
to be unnecessary (18, 19). It has also been reported that dressing
wounds with honey gives little or no scarring (20).
Another effect of honey on wounds that has been noted is that it reduces
inflammation (18, 47) and hastens subsidence of passive hyperaemia
(41). It also reduces oedema (7, 17, 20, 29, 41) and exudation (7, 20,
47), absorbing fluid from the wound (36). Honey is reported to be
soothing when applied to wounds (15, 39, 49)] and to reduced pain from
burns (15, 47), in some cases giving rapid diminution of local pain
(41).
Honey is reported to cause no pain on dressing (21, 45) or to cause only
momentary stinging (21), to be non-irritating (17, 19, 21, 46), to
cause no allergic reaction (7, 13, 16, 23), and to have no harmful
effects on tissues (7, 13, 17, 21, 23).
It has been noted that honey dressings are easy to apply and remove (23,
35, 40). There is no adhesion to cause damage to the granulating
surface of wounds (18, 21, 45), no difficulty removing dressings (15),
and no bleeding when removing dressings (15). Any residual honey is
easily removed by simple bathing (44).
No adverse effects have been noted in any of the studies in which honey
has been applied topically to experimental wounds on animals (12, 24,
26, 51, 53, 54).
Advantages of using Honey as a Wound Dressing
Honey provides a moist healing environment yet prevents bacterial
growth even when wounds are heavily infected. It is a very effective
means of quickly rendering heavily infected wounds sterile, without the
side-effects of antibiotics, and it is effective against
antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria (33). Its antibacterial
properties and its viscosity also provide a barrier to cross-infection
of wounds. It also provides a supply of glucose for leucocytes,
essential for the 'respiratory burst' that produces hydrogen peroxide,
the dominant component of the antibacterial activity of macrophages
(64).
Furthermore it provides substrates for glycolysis, which
is the major mechanism for energy production in the macrophages, and
thus allows them to function in damaged tissues and exudates where the
oxygen supply is often poor (64). The acidity of honey (typically below
pH 4 (65)) may also assist in the antibacterial action of macrophages,
as an acid pH inside the vacuole is involved in killing ingested
bacteria (64).
Whether it is through this action, or through
preventing the toxic unionised form of ammonia from existing that is
involved (66), topical acidification of wounds promotes healing (67).
The high glucose levels that the honey provides would be used by the
infecting bacteria in preference to amino acids (68) from the serum and
dead cells, and thus would give rise to lactic acid instead of ammonia
and the amines and sulphur compounds that are the cause of malodour in
wounds.
Honey gives a fast rate of tissue regeneration and suppression of
inflammation, oedema, exudation and malodour in wounds, as evidenced in
clinical observations and the results of animal studies and clinical
trials. The antibacterial properties clearing infection could alone
account for these effects by preventing the production of the products
of bacterial metabolism which are responsible for the contrary
conditions. But honey has a direct trophic and anti-inflammatory effect
on wound tissues, as evidenced by the results of animal studies in which
there was no bacterial infection involved, particularly in those where
the honey was administered systemically.
Honey can be expected to have a direct nutrient effect on regenerating
tissue because it contains a wide range of amino acids, vitamins and
trace elements in addition to large quantities of readily assimilable
sugars (65). (The vitamin C content of honey, which is typically more
than three times higher than that in serum, and may be many times
higher, could be of particular importance as because of the essential
role of this vitamin in collagen synthesis.)
In addition, the
high osmolarity of honey causes an outflow of lymph which serves to
provide nutrition for regenerating tissue which otherwise can only grow
around points of angiogenesis (seen as granulation): healing is delayed
if the circulation to an area is poor, or if a patient is poorly
nourished. Also it has been suggested that the decreased turgor
resulting from the application of honey may increase oxygenation of
tissues (7).
This osmotically induced outflow will also assist in lifting dirt and
debris from the bed of a wound. It also ensures that the dressing will
not stick to the wound, as what ends up as the material in contact with
the wound tissue is a fluid solution of honey, which can be easily
lifted off and any residue rinsed away.
Thus there is no pain on
changing dressings, and no tearing away of newly formed tissue. The
cleansing effect of the osmotic flow and the chemical or enzymic
debriding effect of honey makes surgical debridement unnecessary, thus
saving the patient pain or the risks associated with anaesthesia. It has
also been noted that by reducing in surface area oedematous and soggy
wounds, or making them more clearly defined, it enables a definite
decision on limb amputations to be made, which would be of particular
advantage in the case of diabetic and malignant ulcers (7).
There is also an economical advantage to using honey as a wound
dressing. This is seen both in the direct cost savings when compared
with conventional treatments, and in the savings in ongoing costs when
consideration is given to the more rapid healing rates that are
achieved. Cost comparisons that have been made are: 480 F for treatment
with Debrisan compared with 7.5 F for treatment with honey (38); $70 for
treatment with antibiotics compared with $2 for treatment with honey
(23); $40 for treatment with Duoderm compared with $8 for treatment with
honey (8).
Other observations on cost savings have been: use of
antibiotics ceased (28), length of hospitalisation reduced (23, 28, 38)
(by at least half (13, 19)). In addition there are the savings in the
costs of surgery where debridement and skin grafting become unnecessary
when honey is used.
Honey is also an ideal first-aid dressing material, especially for
patients in remote locations when there could be time for infection to
have set in before medical treatment is obtained: it is readily
available and simple to use. It would be particularly suitable for
first-aid treatment for burns, where emergency dousing or cooling
frequently involves the use of contaminated water which then leads to
heavy infection of the traumatised tissue. As well as providing an
immediate anti-inflammatory treatment the honey would provide an
antibacterial action and a barrier to further infection of the wound.
Source: Honey as a dressing for wounds, burns,and ulcers: a brief review of clinical reports and experimental studies.
Honey's Nutritional Profile
Raw honey 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 (31 percent). The remaining 12.9 percent of
carbohydrates is made up of maltose, sucrose and other sugars.
Source of Energy
As a carbohydrate, raw honey supplies energy at 64
calories per tablespoon, providing fuel to working muscles. A limited
study at the University of Memphis Exercise and Sports Nutrition
Laboratory found raw 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.” Continuing research is
examining the effects of raw honey in comparison to different types of
carbohydrate gels prior to weightlifting on the effect on glucose,
insulin and markers of protein breakdown.
Other limited studies performed in Dr. Kreider's lab have
shown that raw honey may comprise half of the secret to post-workout
recuperation. Many post-workout products on the market combine a large
amount of carbohydrates with protein. The most common carbohydrate
source used is maltodextrin, a mildly sweet carbohydrate usually derived
from corn. Upon comparison of a honey-protein vs. a
maltodextrin-protein shake taken after a vigorous weightlifting workout,
the honey-protein combination fared as well in promoting markers of
muscle recuperation. The honey group's blood sugar was sustained for at
least two hours post-workout. “Our data suggest that honey functions
well in all of the aspects associated with post-workout recuperation and
energy repletion. In addition, raw honey appears to stand out as
perhaps a better source of carbohydrate to ingest with post-workout
protein supplements. These findings support our previous study presented
at the annual Experimental Biology meeting in April 2000,” added Dr.
Kreider.
“In addition to promoting muscle recuperation and glycogen
[carbohydrates stored in muscle] restoration, honey-protein combinations
also seem well suited to sustain favorable blood sugar concentrations
after training.”
Honey's Nutrition and Health Facts
Vitamins, Minerals and Amino Acids in Every Bite
Raw
honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals,
amino acids and antioxidants. The vitamins found in honey may include
(depending on floral variety) niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid;
minerals present include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese,
phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Just as the color and flavor of honey
varies by floral source, so does the vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and
amino acid content.
Antioxidants in Honey
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. Honey has a phytochemical profile which
includes polyphenols that can act as antioxidants.
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.
Honey's Antimicrobial Properties and Benefits to Wound Healing
The use of honey as a wound dressing goes back to ancient
times and has now been ‘rediscovered' by modern medicine, according to
Dr. Peter Molan of the University of Waikato, New Zealand. “It is a
common observation in the many reports in medical journals that numerous
benefits result from using honey to dress wounds,” says Dr. Molan. The
antibacterial properties of honey may help clear infection in wounds,
and the anti-inflammatory action of honey may reduce pain and may
improve circulation which hastens the healing process. According to Dr.
Molan, “Honey stimulates the re-growth of tissue involved in healing,
making healing faster and reducing scarring.
http://www.champlainvalleyhoney.com
Extra links
http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2001/november/Molan/honey-as-topical-agent.html
