Honey Composition
Honey is made up of both simple sugars (monosaccharides) such as glucose and fructose, and complex sugars (oligosaccharides), vitamins and minerals, amino acids, antioxidants.
Recent research by Analytica Laboratories NZ and Univeristy of Sunshine Coast in Australia found over 15000 different compounds and trace elements in Manuka Honey.
Avatar® Manuka is a very complex food, containing thousands of totally natural compounds. We believe these substances work synergistically with other. We call it natures Super-Food.
While much of the beneficial properties of the honey has been explained by the existence of one compound in the honey (e.g. It’s antimicrobial efficacy is directly linked to its methylglyoxal concentration), there is a belief that compounds in the honey may work in synergy with each other so that the total effect its greater than the effect of any individual component.
A study by Molecules 2012, 17, 10540-10549; doi:10.3390/molecules170910540, showed Manuka Honey had the highest concentration of Polyphenols in honey tested.
Complex Sugar and Carbohydrates
It has been shown that oligosaccharides are helpful in maintaining and promoting beneficial bacteria in the gut (probiotic bacteria), particularly after treatment with antibiotics.
Amino Acids
Honey contains amino acids, the basic building blocks of life. One amino acid, Tryptophan, present in honey is known to help insomnia.
Antioxidants
Honey contains antioxidants including Vitamins and polyphenols/bioflavonoids which fight free radicals.
Dr. Nicki Engeseth of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign conducted a five-week study of blood in 25 men aged 18 to 68. The results showed that drinking a 16-ounce glass containing four tablespoons of honey each day improved the antioxidant levels in their blood. Engeseth claims that this shows that honey could potentially reduce the risk of heart disease. According to the Nutrition Reporter, reducing cholesterol alone is not enough to prevent coronary heart disease. To maintain heart health, the body also needs antioxidants.
Further information can be found at:
www.ibra.org.uk/downloads/20120109_22/download
www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/3/3/420
Antibacterial
Professor Molan (2012) states that "honey has antimicrobial activity that is effective against all types of bacteria and some fungi." In particular, he indicates that "it is fully effective against antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria (the so-called superbugs). In this paper, Molan summarises an extensive range of studies showing the inhibitory response of a wide variety of bacteria (including antibiotic-resistant strains) towards honey. A large and growing application for Manuka Honey is for treatment and prevention of infection in wound care:
Vitamins and Minerals
It may come as a surprise to many people, but honey is an excellent source of vitamins. That is especially true of raw, unheated honey. Unlike fruits and vegetables whos Vitamin concentration declines after harvest and or cooking, honey is high in vitamin C, a variety of B vitamins such as niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid, as well as, minerals such as potassium.
Vitamin C
Raw honey is rich in vitamin C. VitC boosts the immune system, helping to protect the body from infections and disease. Vitamin C rich diets have also been associated with decreased risk of developing certain cancers. It is also great for the skin and can be topically absorbed. Vitamin C is essential for the production of a protein called collagen This means that raw honey can be smoothed onto the skin as a face cleanser and also to ease topical symptoms such as burns, rashes and dry skin
Vitamin B6
Raw honey also has a high Vitamin B6 (pyridoxamine, pridoxal and pyridoxine) content. Vit B6 is important to the human body as it is involved in chemical reactions that take place each minute. This combination works in tandem with enzymes within the body to ensure that your body's metabolism is functioning properly.
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3 or Niacin is found in raw honey. .Niacin releases energy into the body’s cells but its most important benefit is its ability to lower cholesterol levels and control them. Itcan help to reduce levels of bad cholesterol LDL, (low-density lipoproteins), and increase levels of beneficial cholesterol or HDL -.
In a yearlong animal study at Waikato University, in Hamilton, New Zealand, and published in the January 2008 in the "Journal of Food Science," rats on a honey-based diet showed significantly reduced weight gain and percentage of body fat than did rats on sugar or sucrose diets. As an added bonus, the honey-fed rats had higher levels of the beneficial HDL cholesterol, as well as increased bone mineral density, compared to rats on either the sugar diet or even a sugar-free diet. A separate 2008 study at the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, in Tehran, Iran, found that body weight decreased in a group of diabetic patients fed honey over an eight-week period versus a control group that didn't consume honey.
Other health benefits of niacin include maintaining good blood circulation, healthy skin, healthy brain function including boosting memory power, aiding the digestive tract to absorb sufficient carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, reducing the effects of arthritis.
Vitamin B2
Raw honey contains vitamin B2, also known as riboflavin. Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin that helps to fuel the body's energy by converting carbohydrates into sugar. It also helps with the break down of fats and amino acids.
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1, or thiamin, is also present in raw honey. Thiamin helps to break down carbohydrates to fuel the body. It also neutralizes free radicals which can compromise the immune system and speed up the aging process.
Vitamin B5
Known as pantothenic Acid. Vitamin B5 is present in your blood plasma where it maintains the balance of hormones and keeps the nervous system in top condition.
Because it is so rich in vitamins, raw honey can boost the immune system, protect the body from infection and disease, improve the skin when taken internally or used topically, help the body's metabolism function properly, lower bad cholesterol, and boost energy levels by aiding the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/232694-vitamins-in-raw-honey/#ixzz20sbIGdLw
Applications
Scientific evidence from all over the world and thousands of years of anecdotal evidence show a huge range of potential health benefits from the consumption of bee products (includes bee venom therapy, honey, pollen, royal jelly and propolis).
Both the manuka and kanuka plants have historically been used by Maori and early European settlers for medicinal purposes. These include use of the bark as a poultice, for colds, for flu, and stomach aches. Both plants are called "tea tree" from the practice of making a tea from the leaves.
Disclaimer
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| Average Composition of Manuka Honey |
Average Amount in 100 grams Honey |
|---|---|
| Energy | 312 kilocalories |
| Fructose | 38.50 gm |
| Glucose | 31.00gm |
| Water | 17.10gm |
| Maltose | 7.20gm |
| Sucrose | 7.00gm |
| Dihydroxyacetone | Varies from 40 - 300mg |
| Methylglyoxal | Varies from <8.0 - >80mg |
| Thiamin | <0.006mg |
| Riboflavin | <0.06mg |
| Niacin | <0.36mg |
| Pantothenic acid |
<0.11mg |
| Pyridoxine | <0.32mg |
| Ascorbic acid |
2.2 - 2.4mg |
| Enzymes | Invertase, Diastase, Glucose oxidase |
| Calcium | 4.40 - 9.20mg |
| Copper | 0.003 - 0.10mg |
| Iron | 0.06 - 1.50mg |
| Magnesium | 1.20 - 3.50mg |
| Manganese | 0.02 - 0.40mg |
| Phosphorus | 1.90 - 6.30mg |
| Potassium | 13.30 - 168.00mg |
| Sodium | 0.00 - 7.60mg |
| Zinc | 0.03 - 0.40mg |
| Trace elements, Nitrogen, Acids: |
Present |
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