Honey is heterogeneous mixture of proteins, flower nectar sugars and glandular secretions produced by honey bees. Honey bees convert the thin watery nectar they collect from flowers into honey by evaporating some of the moisture and adding an enzyme that breaks down the sugar into laevulose and dextrose. Honey is rich source of natural sugar like fructose and glucose along with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants contents including ascorbic acid, flavonoids, phenolic acids, Amino and proteins. Generally, the darker the honey is, the higher its phenolic content and its antioxidant power is contained. Honey is natural sweetener and boasts its wonderful health benefits. The following are some of them.

      For bees

Bees produce honey to act as a food store for the colony for periods when there are no flowers, or the climate is adverse. For example, during the winters of northern, temperate countries, few plants are flowering between October and March, and bee colonies need honey stores to survive throughout this flowering dearth period, and when it may be too cold to leave the nest. In tropical countries, bees need to survive through seasons when there are no flowers, periods of drought, or when bees are not able to forage because of rain or other adverse weather.

·     As food for humans

Honey is a useful source of high-carbohydrate food, and usually contains a rich diversity of minor constituents (minerals, proteins, vitamins and others), adding nutritional variety to human diets

Table: Energy value of honey

·     As a medicine

Honey also has medicinal use, for example, honey mixed with hot water, lemon juice or hot milk is a well-known remedy for coughs and sore throats. Honey has antibiotic properties and provides an effective dressing for wounds and burns

          REFERENCES

1.      Allen K.I, Radwan, Reid G.M. Antimicrobiol activities of honey on some microbial isolated. J med pharm sci. 2000; 2:75-79.

2.      Peter D.P. Beekeeping, Malaysia, 2008, pp. 91-93.

3.      Vela L, delorenzoc, perez R.A, Antioxidant capacity of Spanish honey and its correlation with polyphenol content and other physico-chemical properties. Jsci food agric. 2007, 87(6):1069-1075.

4.      Eleanor N. W, F. S, W. S., Contemporary nutrition, New York, Sixth edition, 2007, Chapter 16:529-553.

5.      White J.W.J.R.; R.A., 1975, The hive and the honey bee, 3^rd ed, pp.491-530.