Honeydew Honey Tops Antioxidant Ratings

13 March 2007

Honey produced by bees feeding on honeydew has more than double the antioxidant activity of honeys from flower nectars, says new research from Spain.*

Honey bees gather honeydew off the bark of forest trees and process it into a dark, strong honey (known as honeydew honey or “forest honey”) that is highly prized in parts of Europe and Asia for its reputed medicinal value. New Zealand honey dew from South Island beech forests is especially valued and is NZ’s biggest honey export.

Why Antioxidants Are Important

Naturally occurring antioxidants are keenly sought in many "health foods". They are believed to help protect from cancer, cardiovascular disorders, neuro-degenerative diseases and aging. They operate by mopping up potentially damaging free radicals that are released in the body.

How Honeydew Honey is Different

The composition of honey depends greatly on where honeybees collect their raw materials. There are two key types of source. First, honeybees can collect nectar from flowers, and this generates nectar honeys. Secondly they can collect fluids that exude from plants, usually after the plants have been visited by a plant-sucking insect and this generates honeydew honeys.

Each of the 36 honeys was exposed to a range of physical and chemical tests. Honeydew honeys were generally characterised by higher pH, acidity and darker colour than nectar honeys.

Honeydew Natural Source of Antioxidants

"Honey is a natural source of antioxidants, and among honeys, honeydew honey is the best," says researcher Rosa Ana Pérez, who works at the Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, in Madrid, Spain.

The Spanish research is supported by a New Zealand study into ten different honeys. Honeydew and thyme honey contained the highest levels of phenol while thyme and rewarewa had the highest antioxidant activity.

The work was carried out by Lisa Daginder, an exchange student from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Skara, Sweden who was studying at Lincoln University for three months under the supervision of Professor Geoffrey Savage of the Food Group at Lincoln University.

The honey studied all came from single varieties of flowers (mono-floral) and included: manuka, clover, rata, vipers bugloss, (borage) kamahi, nodding thistle, honeydew, rewarewa, tawari and thyme.

Honey Good For Bones

Last year researchers from Purdue University reported that honey in combination with calcium supplements increased the quantity of calcium absorbed and could therefore play a role in boosting bone health. (See “A Spoonful of Honey Builds Strong Bones” – Article 105)

A Spoonful of Honey Builds Strong Bones

*L. Vela, C. de Lorenzo, R.S. Pérez Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture "Antioxidant capacity of Spanish honeys and its correlation with polyphenol content and other physicochemical properties"

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