What are the properties of honey? Is honey healthy? High temperature and the properties of honey. |

In this article you will learn, among others:

• Is honey healthy?

• What are the properties of honey?

• At what temperature does honey lose its properties?

• How to use honey so as not to lose its properties?

• How to store honey?

Is honey healthy?

The main ingredients of honey are sugar (39% sucrose and 34% glucose), water, organic acids, essential oils derived from nectar and enzymes. Its calorific value is about 320 kcal per 100 g. It also contains minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and B vitamins. The product produced by bees contains acetylcholine, which lowers blood pressure, and choline, which improves liver function. It also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, and the metal ions contained in it stimulate the production of erythrocytes and hemoglobin. The color of honey is influenced by its natural pigments, beta – carotene and xanthophylls.

What are the properties of honey?

Rapeseed honey has a positive effect on the work of the liver, cardiovascular system and supports the treatment of inflammation of the respiratory tract. Acacia honey it works on ailments of the gastrointestinal tract, especially the stomach. Lime honey has sedative properties and is used in bronchial, sinus and cough diseases. It has a warming effect. Buckwheat honey calms and detoxifies the body and helps in the treatment of catarrh of the upper respiratory tract Heather honey It is recommended during the treatment of diseases of the kidneys, bladder and prostate Honeydew honey is a rich source of ingredients beneficial for the cardiovascular system. It is recommended in infections of the throat and upper respiratory tract as well as in periods of severe fatigue and stress

At what temperature does honey lose its properties?

When heated or added to the hot liquid, honey loses its properties, mainly enzymes. Diastase is an enzyme that breaks down polysaccharides, while invertase is involved in the breakdown of sucrose into glucose and fructose. The table shows the changes in the activity of these two enzymes with increasing temperature.

Dane według Beekeeping 9/2005 for Bienenprodukte und Apitherapie, A. Matzke, S. Bogdanov

The results of the available studies confirm that the content of the above-mentioned enzymes decreases as a result of increasing the temperature. It can therefore be concluded that honey added to baked goods, the preparation temperature of which is around 180-200^oC will lose the enzymes it contains.

Vitamins contained in honey are also thermolabile compounds, which means that they lose their properties as a result of high temperature. During cooking or baking, their content can drop by up to 80%. Essential oils that give honey a characteristic flavor and aroma, and organic acids cease to be active at temperatures above 40^oC.

Crystallization is a natural process and occurs after longer storage of honey. Many producers, in order to restore honey to a liquid state, carry out the process of its recrystallization. It consists in heating it at a temperature of 50^oC for a maximum of two days. Research shows that inadequate recrystallization (e.g. rapid increase in temperature and shortening its time) contributes to an increase in the content of hydroxymethylfurfural, i.e. a compound that has no nutritional value and is not digested by the body. Honey also loses its health-promoting properties. Long-term heating of honey causes it to change its color to a darker color and loses antioxidant compounds.

How to use honey so as not to lose its properties?

We use honey mainly in the autumn and winter period as a remedy for colds. However, bearing in mind the impact of its various varieties on health, it is worth using it in the diet all year round. However, let’s remember about a few rules:

• add it to cooled liquids, e.g. tea, milk, juice;
• do not heat honey for a long time and do not allow it to boil;
• Heat the crystallized honey in a lukewarm water bath to let it melt slowly

How to store honey?

Honey is best stored in an airtight glass container, in a dark place and at a temperature of 10-15^oC. In other conditions, the enzymes found in honey are broken down faster. Light contributes to the decomposition of invertase, and leaky packaging causes the honey to absorb foreign odors and water, which may cause its fermentation.

Which honey do you like best? What do you usually add honey to? Let me know in the comments!

Źródła: Bogdanov S. i wsp.: Honey for Nutrition and Heath: a reviev; J AM COLL NUTR 2008 Wilczyńska A.: Influence of technological processes on the quality of bee honeys – changes in color parameters and HMF content under the influence of storage and heating; 2011 EU Scientific Papers in Poznań Tosi E. i wsp.: Honey diastase activity modified by heating; Ford Chemistry 2008 Turkmen N., Sari F., i wsp.: Effects of prolonged heating on antioxidant activity and colour of honey; Food Chemistry 2006 da Silva PM., Gauche C. i wsp.: Honey: Chemical composition, stability and authenticity; Ford Chemistry 2016

Main photo is from: Pete Prodoehl via Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA