Oh Honey: All About Honey

By: Guest Blogger Anita Grant of AnitaGrant.com.

About: Honey is one of the most naturally hydrating, acid balanced skin & hair food. It's composed of a variety of sugars or glucose (also known as dextrose), lactic acid, beta carotene & trace levels of amino acids, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, sulphur, vitamins & enzymes. 

Note: The nutrients contained within honey is dependant on the nectar that the bees collect.

Honey's humectant properties nourishes & moisturises everything it touches. In Thailand honey is used on open wounds to soften the scar tissue and encourage new skin growth. This may be due to the fact that there is a high concentration of sugars in honey that prevents the growth of bacteria on open wounds but it has never been scientifically proven. 

Honey concerns: Honey should not be used on infants under the age of 12 months for fear of infant botulism. Clostridium bacteria may be one of the causes of infant botulism. This bacteria is said to be found in certain types of foods like honey. Infant botulism may occur in children from the age of six months or under. If you're allergic to pollen then you may be allergic to honey - a patch test is always recommended. 

Well I'll Bee!

All honey bees belong to the Apis gene regardless of whether the bee is from Sunny Africa or Bonny Scotland. Some bees have access to particular areas of fields where ONLY one kind of flower grows.

For example:

- Clover

- Goldenrod

- Heather

- Basswood

- Chamomile

- Lavender

etc...

It is the flowering plant (nectar or plant sap) that gives honey it's distinct flavour, colour, extra nourishment and/or individual beneficial properties.
Bees can also create their own blends of honey from various flowering plants in any one particular field.

Bees add a lot of moisture & enzyme compounds to nectar, the sugars of the honey nectar are broken down to form simple sugars - some of which are converted into a naturally occurring acid called gluconic acid. This is what gives each particular type of honey it's rich distinctiveness & flavour from mild to bland to full on powerful to sickly pungent. (Note: There are synthetically made gluconic acids available too, so read the label & ask questions if you're unsure).

The colour of the honeys can range from deep black to beige or white. Each of the colours are created in the nectar of the plant, it is then transported back by the bee to the hive, then the bees do their natural stuff by reducing the moisture level. When the honey is darker it means that it has come from a nectar source where the flowering plant produces a darker plant sap.