Novel Insights into the Health Importance of Natural Honey (original) (raw)

Pharmacological Insights and Therapeutic Potentials of Honey; An Updated Review

https://www.ijhsr.org/IJHSR\_Vol.12\_Issue.12\_Dec2022/IJHSR-Abstract13.html, 2022

A natural sweetener, honey has innumerable pharmacological properties in addition to its nutritive value. Honey has been in human use since 8000 years and has been traditionally used by almost all systems of medicine including Islamic medicine. Although chemical composition varies according to the botanical source, carbohydrates constitute a major portion of its composition. Fructose is in abundance followed by glucose. There are many other constituents present in small amounts like proteins, enzymes, amino acids, minerals, trace elements, vitamins, aromatic compounds and poly-phenols which contribute to various medicinal properties of honey. Honey has been in use traditionally for treatment of various ailments like gastritis, diarrhoea, ophthalmic conditions, skin infections, wounds etc. Enough evidence is now present supporting antimicrobial, antioxidant, wound healing and other potentials medicinal properties of honey. We systematically searched published papers on the subject in the databases of Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Crossref and Google Scholar between 1st January 2000 and July 2022 with an aim to review pharmacological and therapeutic potentials of honey. Owing to investigated pharmacological and therapeutic potentials of honey we conclude that honey can be looked upon as a safe and efficacious alternative in management and prevention of various disorders.

Pharmacology of Honey: A Review

Honey has been extensively used as healing agent throughout the human history in addition to its widespread usage as popular food. Honey is a sweet substance produced as a food source mainly from the nectar and secretions of plants by honey bees. Honey is used to feed bees during the winter. For centuries, honey has been used as food and as natural medicine, being prescribed by physicians of many ancient cultures for the treatment of a wide variety of ailments. In most ancient cultures honey has been used for both domestic and medical purposes. The belief that honey is a nutrient, a drug and an ointment has been carried into our days and thus, an alternative medicine branch, called apitherapy has been developed in recent years, offering treatments based on honey and other bee products against many diseases including bacterial and fungal infections. The present review focussed on the pharmacological properties of honey. The topics covered in this present review includes: History of honey as medicine, Composition of honey, Medicinal properties of honey, Antimicrobial activity of honey and Uses of honey.

Therapeutic Properties of Honey-A Review

2019

Honey is a by-product of flower nectar and the upper aero-digestive tract of the honey bee, which is concentrated through a dehydration process inside the bee hive. Honey has a very complex chemical composition that varies depending on the botanical source. The major components of honey are sugars, which include fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose and other diand trisaccharide sugars. Besides sugars, honey contains a wide variety of chemical components such as proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, volatile aromatic substances, etc. The diverse nature of these ingredients means that honey is not just a simple sweetener, but a nutritionally worthwhile product. It has been used both as food and medicine since ancient times. In addition to important role of natural honey in the traditional medicine, during the past few decades, it was subjected to laboratory and clinical investigations by several research groups and it has found a place in modern medicine. Honey has ...

Biological Properties and Uses of Honey: A Concise Scientific review

Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Research

The global prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atherosclerosis, cancer and Alzheimer's disease is on the rise. These diseases constitute the major causes of death globally. Honey is a natural substance with many medicinal properties such as antibacterial, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, reproductive, and antihypertensive and antioxidant. This review presents findings that indicate honey may ameliorate oxidative stress in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), liver, pancreas, kidney, reproductive organs and plasma/serum. Besides, the review highlights data that demonstrate the synergistic antioxidant effect of honey and antidiabetic drugs in the pancreas, kidney, and serum of diabetic rats. These data suggest that honey, administered alone or in combination with conventional therapy, might be a novel antioxidant in the management of chronic diseases commonly associated with oxidative stress. In view of the fact that the majority of these data emana...

Traditional and Modern Uses of Natural Honey in Human Diseases: A Review

Honey is a by-product of flower nectar and the upper aero-digestive tract of the honey bee, which is concentrated through a dehydration process inside the bee hive. Honey has a very complex chemical composition that varies depending on the botanical source. It has been used both as food and medicine since ancient times. Human use of honey is traced to some 8000 years ago as depicted by Stone Age paintings. In addition to important role of natural honey in the traditional medicine, during the past few decades, it was subjected to laboratory and clinical investigations by several research groups and it has found a place in modern medicine. 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 has also been used in some gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, inflammatory and neoplastic states. This review covers the composition, physico-chemical properties and the most important uses of natural honey in human diseases.

Recent advances of honey in modern medicines: A review

Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2017

Honey is used frequently due to its nourishing and healing values. China, Turkey, Argentina, Ukraine, and United States are the main honey producing countries. The most imperative component of honey is carbohydrates. It is present in the form of monosaccharide, fructose and glucose. It plays a vital role as an antioxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. This amazing rich golden fluid is much better alternative to sugar. It is an instantaneous energy booster and is used in skin care, hair care and various health linked aspects. The role of honey has been accredited in literature and there is considerable evidence in support of its antioxidant and antiseptic nature, cough avoidance, fertility and wound healing characteristics. However, its use has been controversially deliberated and has not been sound acknowledged in the modern medicine. So the present review is to explore and highlight the role of honey in modern medicine.

Role of honey in modern medicine

Use of honey has a very long history. Honey has been used since ancient time due to its nutritional and therapeutic values. There had been varied ways of consumption honey including its use as a sweetener and flavoring agent. Honey is produced all over the world. The most important nutriment of honey is carbohydrates present in the form of monosaccharides, fructose and glucose. Honey plays an important role as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial agent and augments the adherence of skin grafts and wound healing process. The role of honey has been acknowledged in the scientific literature and there is convincing evidence in support of its antioxidant and antibacterial nature, cough prevention, fertility and wound healing properties. However, its use has been controversially discussed and has not been well accepted in the modern medicine. The aim of this review was explore and highlight the role of honey in modern medicine.

Medicinal uses of honey: a review on its benefits to human health

Progress in Nutrition, 2018

Honey often referred to as ‘the drink of the gods’, is naturally sweet and a substantially rich source of carbohydrates, amino acids and antioxidants. In spite of being rich in carbohydrates, honey has a low glycemic index and therefore effectively used as a dietary compliance by diabetics. The fructose content of honey has hepatoprotective capability, while the antioxidants present in it provide effective protection against oxidative damage. The therapeutic attribute of honey makes it the food of choice even in infants and diabetics. Honey is endowed with antioxidant, immune modulating, and wound healing, anti-inflammatory, therapeutic, nutritional, antimicrobial and antidiabetic qualities. The present review aims at discussing these capabilities of honey with special reference to its antidiabetic benefits under one dome.

Therapeutic Properties of Honey

IntechOpen, 2019

Honey has been used traditionally for ages to treat infectious diseases. These amazing properties of honey are complex as a result of the involvement of various bioactive compounds. Honey is becoming sustainable as a reputable and effective therapeutic agent to practitioners of conventional medicine and to the general public. Its beneficial role has been endorsed due to its antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflam-matory, and antioxidant activities as well as boosting of the immune system. Also, other medical conditions discussed here which can be treated with honey include but not limited to diarrhea, gastric ulcer, canine recurrent dermatitis, diabetics, tumor, and arthritis, and honey can also be used for skin disinfection and wound healing. Most of the known factors that give honey these properties include its acidity, high sugar, hydrogen peroxide, and other non-peroxide properties. Some factors may affect the therapeutic properties of honey such as exposure to heat and light.

Natural Honey Beneficial to Health, Its Chemical Composition, and Biochemical Activities: A Review

Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 2022

Since early antiquity, honey has been utilized worldwide as a balanced meal and in supplementary treatment. It contains over 200 different substances, the majority of which are water, sugars, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, minerals, and phytochemicals. It has health advantages, including microbial inhibition, healing, and its influence on other disorders. Additionally, it stimulates the immune system and helps immune cells mature. The nutritional value of honey is substantially influenced by the type of plants in the region, the climate, and the production process. Different types of honey were examined by various workers, they found a strong relationship between honey type and HMF, saccharose, and phenolic content, as well as acidity and antioxidant activity. For the level of vitamin C, glucose, and fructose, the combination of variety and manufacturing technique has a substantial influence. The focus of this study is on the biochemical processes and its potential health benefits. However, the precise mechanisms of honey's influence on many illnesses and activities have not yet been fully defined, and more study is necessary to understand their precise contributions.