Honeybees.
According to an article published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition entitled "Honey for Nutrition and Health: A Review" and written by Swiss Drs. Stefan Bogdanov, Tomislav Jurendic, Robert Sieber and Peter Gallmann, raw honey has health benefits that are both physiological and nutritional in nature. There is also a branch of alternative medicine based on it. Although commercially processed honey does have some benefits, they are only a fraction of those possessed by raw honey. The best raw honey is local raw honey.
Composition
Ninety-five percent of the dry weight of raw honey is composed of a plethora of nutritional ingredients that include carbohydrates (monosaccharides such as fructose and glucose, as well as 25 different oligosacharides), organic acids, proteins (enzymes and free amino acids), vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and aroma compounds. These all vary in amounts due to the botanical origin.
Physiological Benefits
Raw honey is antimicrobial in that it inhibits the growth of many microorganisms and fungi. The antibacterial effect of raw honey are both bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects, and it kills a long list of bacteria that include: Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, Helicobacter pylori, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella cholerae-suis and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Raw honey also protects the body from over oxidation, which is critical to the maintenance of a properly functioning immune system.
Nutritional Benefits
Raw honey, especially the variety known as Manuka honey--a very potent antimicrobial honey, has been shown in scientific studies to have a carioprotective effect that actually stops dental plaque build up and gingivitis while strengthening tooth enamel.
The presence of raw honey, especially unifloral honeys of sour-wood, alfalfa and sage origin, also promotes an increase in good digestive bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli causing a prebiotic effect.
Raw honey also has a proven reductive effect on allergies.
Apitherapy
An entire branch of alternative medicine has developed over the years that centers around the use of raw honey and other bee products. It is known as apitherapy and is said to have remedies against over 500 diseases that affect every system of the body.
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