Some Fascinating facts About Honey

You might not fancy having something that has been produced by insects. These swarms of insects produce honey using a very simple process and it is one of the most amazing foods on our palette. Baffled scientists are trying to determine more uses of this wondrous food in everyday life.

We are certainly not the first civilization to recognize honey as a truly marvelous food with many redeeming qualities. The Romans actually used honey to pay their taxes instead of gold. While this did not happen during the entire 1,000 year reign of the Roman Empire, it nonetheless remains true that honey was used to pay taxes.

However, human civilization and honey existed much before the Roman Empire. Archeologists have found paintings dating back over 9,000 years in caves that have honey depicted in them. Human beings cherished honey since it was the only means of sweetening the food until refined sugar and molasses were discovered.

There are roughly 300 different types of honey available to consumers today. Honey is available in a wide assortment of colors and flavors. The color and taste of honey is determined by the flowers that the bees collected the nectar from used in making 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.

What’s absolutely fascinating about honey is that it does not rot. People have found honey with mummies, which was still perfectly safe to eat. Honey does not spoil because it has bioactive agents that keep germs and bacteria away. No wonder, honey has been used as a topical treatment for burns and other wounds. It prevents the injury from becoming infected. However, honey should be stored in a cool dark place to retain its bacteria-repelling properties because if it is exposed to light and heat the bioactive agents will begin to disintegrate.

Honey is available in different varieties but the kind that we are most familiar with is liquid honey. This is the type we use on pancakes and in tea and it is removed from the comb using a centrifuge, straining, or just simple gravity. A person may get it "filtered" so that all of the impurities and air bubbles have been removed or they may have it "strained" where most of the impurities have been removed but some of the smaller particles and air bubbles remain.

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!!