Health Benefits of Honey

Honey, which is produced by honeybees, is not only sweet and good tasting, but it's good for you.

According to Read Age (realage.com), a study of Spanish varieties showed that a variety of honey called "honeydew" has a higher level of healthy antioxidants than from nectar. However, all varieties contain healthy antioxidants.

Real Age (realage.com) quoted the study co-author, Rosa Ana Perez, a researcher with the Instituto Madrileno do Invertigacion y Desarrolo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario in Madrid, as saying "Besides it's value as a great sweetening agent, honey has proved that is also has effective antioxidant and antibacterial activities. There is increasing evidence that free radicals contribute to the development of disease's, such as neurodegenerative disease, chronic inflammatory disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease and aging."

Touted as a health food for years. In recent years the reputation of honey as a health food has been backed up by scientific research. Research has suggested that honey has germ-fighting powers and in high in antioxidants (realage.com). Antioxidants are chemicals that appear to block free radical damage.

U.S. Researchers found, in 2004, that people who ate four to ten tablespoons of honey daily experienced a rise in antioxidant levels in their system. The variable in number of tablespoons of honey depended on the person's weight. The 2004 study didn't study which variety of honey had the most antioxidants.

The National Cancer Institute (cancer.gov) talks abort the potential benefits of antioxidants. "Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells form the damage caused by unstable Molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer." Antioxidants stabilize free radicals and may prevent some of the damage they may cause. Antioxidant substances include: beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamin C,E, and A. antioxidant rich foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts and other foods.