Reuters Health
Monday, Aug. 19

Honey Shown to Boost Antioxidants in Blood
by Anne Harding

If findings from preliminary research pan out, honey could offer a sweet way to get a serving of antioxidants. Dr. Nicki Engeseth from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reported on her research, the first to look at blood levels of antioxidants in humans after honey consumption, at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting here Monday.

Engeseth and her colleagues demonstrated in previous studies that the darker the honey, the richer it is in antioxidants. The color and composition of honey depends on the blooms. Buckwheat is the darkest honey the researchers have tested, and it's "higher in just about everything," Engeseth noted, including protein and chemicals called phenolics.

On a per-weight basis, she and her colleagues have shown, the darkest honey contains antioxidant levels similar to those found in spinach and garlic. While it wouldn't be advisable to consume the weight equivalent of a vegetable serving in honey, Engeseth noted that it's easy for people to slip honey into their diets in place of sugar and other sweeteners.

Engeseth's team decided to test the effect of honey on antioxidant blood levels in a group of 25 men aged 18 to 68 years. After they had fasted for 12 hours, the researchers gave the men water, black tea, water and honey, tea and honey or tea with a sugar-like sweetener. The men were given about four tablespoons of honey in a 16-ounce glass of water or tea, and tested once a week for 5 weeks.

Their blood was tested 60 and 90 minutes after they drank the beverage. Surprisingly, the researchers found that water mixed with honey was the only drink that increased levels of antioxidants in the blood, even though tea itself is known to contain antioxidants.

She and her colleagues are now conducting a longer-term experiment in rabbits with high cholesterol, to see if honey has any effect on blood vessel and heart health. Engeseth's research is funded by the National Honey Board, as well as the Functional Foods for Health Program.