In addition, components of honey polyphenols counteract direct apoptotic challenges from amyloid beta, induced methylmercury and retinoid. Raw honey and honey polyphenol reduce microglia-induced neuroinflammation induced by immunogenic neurotoxins or ischemia damage. Most importantly, honey polyphenols counteract neuroinflammation in the hippocampus, a brain structure involved in memory. Honey polyphenols prevent memory impairment and induce memory production at the molecular level. Several studies propose that modifications of specific neural circuits underlie the improvement of memory and neuropharmacological effects of honey. However, more studies are needed to determine the ultimate biochemical impact of honey on mitochondrial dysfunction, apoptosis, necrosis, excitotoxicity and neuroinflammation, and anxiolytic, antitinociceptive, anticonvulsant and antidepressant activities need to be investigated in more detail.
Liver activity of superoxide dismutase also decreased in juvenile rats supplemented with 5 g/kg of Lamb honey. Gelam’s honey reduced oxidative damage in young and middle-aged rats by modulating the activities of antioxidant enzymes that were more prominent at a higher concentration compared to the lower concentration. Another study indicates that honey has these antioxidant and free radical-clearing properties, mainly because of its phenolic compounds. Type 2 diabetes consists of progressive hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and β-pancreatic cell insufficiency, which can result from glucose toxicity, inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress, and is responsible for 90-95% of all diabetes cases. The results indicated the in vitro antioxidant property of Gelam’s honey and flavonoids in hamster β cells, creating a protective effect against hyperglycemia.
The main composition of honey is carbohydrates that contribute 95-97% of the dry weight. In addition, honey contains important compounds, such as proteins, vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids. Pure honey also consists of flavonoids, polyphenols, reducing compounds, alkaloids, glycosides, cardiac glycosides, anthraquinone and volatile substances.
Cancer cells are characterized by insufficient apoptotic turnover and uncontrolled cell proliferation. Honey causes apoptosis in many types of cancer cells due to depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane. Honey increases the activation of caspase 3 and the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase in human colon cancer cell lines, which is related to its high phenolic component. In addition, it does apoptosis by modulating the expression of pro- and antiapoptotic proteins in colon cancer.
Pasteurized or “regular” honey is treated with heat, which kills yeast (extending shelf life) and potentially harmful bacteria, Jones explains. Honey naturally contains botulism spores, which are toxins released by a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. And while “the amounts fit durch den Winter in honey are generally not significant enough to affect healthy adults,” they can technically lead to botulism, a rare but potentially fatal disease that can cause paralysis, according to Doebrich. However, pasteurization removes spores, making pasteurized honey the optimal choice from a food safety standpoint, Doebrich says.
However, some environmental factors can strongly influence the composition of honey, such as temperature and humidity. The antimicrobial activity in most honeys is due to the enzymatic production of hydrogen peroxide. However, honey without peroxide (namely manuka honey) exhibits significant antibacterial effects even when hydrogen peroxide activity is blocked. Manuka honey is a unique type of honey that is made in Australia and New Zealand by bees that pollinate the native shrub of leptospermum scoparium. The mechanism may be related to honey’s low pH and high sugar content that is enough to stunt the growth of microbes, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, part of the U.S.
The antitumor effects of honey were strongly correlated with its ability to induce cell apoptosis and with its antioxidant power. The effect of Aloe vera along with honey has also been studied and the whole has the ability to modulate tumor growth, reduce cell proliferation, and also increase sensitivity to apoptosis. The antitumor effects of honey were strongly correlated with its ability to induce cell apoptosis and with its antioxidant activity.
For example, a 2010 study looked at the effects of honey compared to those of cough medications and antihistamines on nocturnal cough in children with upper respiratory tract infections (e.g., flu, tonsillitis, sinus infection). The study found that honey provided the most symptom relief for all three substances. Additional research also supports this, suggesting that the benefits of honey may make it an effective cough treatment. If you’re on a mission to strengthen your body’s natural defenses, look for honey. But antioxidants like those found in honey can help keep these free radicals at bay.
Honey contains mainly sugar, as well as a mixture of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc and antioxidants. In addition to its use as a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent. People often use honey orally to treat cough and topically to treat burns and promote wound healing. Honey contains antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds that prevent cellular oxidative damage that leads to aging, diseases such as cancer, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular dysfunction, and even death. The antioxidant effect of honey was compared in young and middle-aged rats, rats were given pure water, which were supplemented with 2.5 and 5.0 g / kg of Gelam honey for 30 days. The results showed that honey supplementation of Gelam reduced DNA damage, plasma levels of malondialdehyde and glutathione peroxidase.
Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease of viral origin that causes even more deaths than respiratory syncytial virus at all ages, except in children under one year of age. Influenza viruses are transmitted through the air from person to person, especially from droplets emitted when coughing and sneezing, and pose a serious threat to human health, and there is an urgent need to develop new drugs against these viruses. The results showed that honey in general, and in particular Manuka honey, has a powerful inhibitory activity against the influenza virus, demonstrating a potential medicinal value. In addition to honey, propolis has also been studied against the flu virus and seems to reduce the activity of the flu virus.