Some Fascinating facts About Honey

Honey is one of the mysterious foods that have tickled the imagination of tech savvy people in this age. It is difficult for them to fathom how hordes of nondescript insects can produce such an amazing product. This wonder food is fascinating for more reasons than one, and scientists are trying to find out more uses of honey than those known so far.

Ancient civilizations also recognized honey as a truly marvelous food with many excellent qualities. At one point in time during the Roman Empire the Romans paid honey as taxes. This reflects the importance of this wonder food in their lives, even if it was not for the entire thousand years of their rule.

Honey was a part of the human culture even before the Roman Empire existed. Not surprisingly, it was the only sweetening agent used in cooking until the usage of the refined sugar and molasses began. Even 9,000 years old cave paintings have been found to depict honey in them.

You can choose from nearly 300 different varieties of honey. It is also available in a wide assortment of colors and flavors. By the color and taste of honey you can know what flowers the bees collected the nectar from to make the honey.

In terms of chemical analysis, honey is essentially a form of naturally refined sugar. It is basically 38 percent fructose, 31 percent glucose, 1 percent sucrose, and 9 percent other sugars, though there can be some variations in the ratios. The remaining 21 percent of honey is made up of vitamins, minerals, water, and various amino acids. Scientists have shown a keen interest in these vitamins, minerals, and amino acids because of their potential medical benefits.

You would be surprised to know that the honey found beside the mummies had not spoilt and was absolutely safe to eat. The reason this honey did not spoil is because honey is known to have a bioactive agent in it that inhibits the action of germs and bacteria on it. This also makes honey a very good topical treatment in case of burns and other wounds. It can prevent the wound or burn from becoming infected. However a thing to be remembered here is that the bioactive agent of honey breaks down in heat and light. So honey should always be preserved in a cool, dark place if you wish to retain its ability to repel bacteria.

Most commonly found variety of honey is liquid honey though there are several other varieties also available. Liquid honey is removed from the comb using centrifugal, gravity or straining methods. Then you can get it filtered to remove the impurities, air bubbles and other small particles. You can even get it strained to remove the above-mentioned undesirables but in this case some of the small particles and air bubbles are left behind.

Honey is undoubtedly one of the sweetest substances on the earth and a perfect treat for taste buds. It is the only naturally refined sugar. It has loyally served the humanity from time unknown. It has properties to repel bacteria that made it safe to eat even after it laid buried beside the mummies for centuries. It indeed is a marvelous food. The scientists are busy discovering new medicinal uses of honey. Who knows what miracles lay hidden in it that can further benefit the humanity!!

Article Source: http://www.lifestyle-information-services.com

Gillian Stell is the owner and operator of F honey, the best place on the internet for information about honey. For questions or comments about this article why not visit: www.flahoney.com/articles
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