Nutrition Research Article Summaries
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous research regarding the effects of honey upon nutrition and health.
Comparison of Mineral and Enzyme Levels in Raw and Processed Honey
Ropa Science Research
Research Project Funded by National Honey Board - D. Ropa, 2010
To ascertain just how much honey changes after it has been heated and filtered, the National Honey Board contracted with American Analytical Laboratories to test honey samples taken prior to processing and then after being processed. The goal was to find out the degree to which the minerals, antioxidants and enzymes change after honey is sent through an industrial processing system.
This research shows a great deal of variability between samples from the same supplier as well as samples across suppliers. Because of this level of variation, it is difficult to draw more than general conclusions regarding the changes that occur to honey post-processing. However, processing is not a fully destructive process, as some consumers would have others believe. Heating and filtering honey does not completely eliminate all enzymes, nor does it have a negative effect on honey’s mineral and antioxidant levels.
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Research Article Category: Miscellaneous
US honeys varying in glucose and fructose content elicit similar glycemic indexes
Journal of American Dietetic Association
Ischayek JI, Kern M., 2006 Aug; 106(8):1260-2
The predominant carbohydrates found in honey are glucose and fructose, the relative percentages of which depend largely on the floral variety. Research suggests that the fructose-to-glucose ratio in a given honey and, thus, its floral source, may influence the glycemic response and, thus, the glycemic index (GI). To date, no studies of examining the GI of US honey varieties are available. Thus the purpose of this study was to determine the GI of four US honey varieties (clover, tupelo, cotton, and buckwheat) differing in fructose-to-glucose ratio. Twelve healthy adult men and women with a mean (+/-standard error) age of 24.5+/-1.5 years served as subjects. The glycemic index of 250-mL solution servings of clover, buckwheat, cotton, and tupelo honeys providing 50 g carbohydrate were assessed relative to triplicate feedings of 50 g carbohydrate as a glucose solution. Fructose-to-glucose ratios were 1.09, 1.12, 1.03, 1.54, for clover, buckwheat, cotton, and tupelo, respectively. Blood was collected after an overnight fast and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after intake. Ten minutes were allowed for food consumption. Areas under the glycemic response curves for each honey were expressed as percent means of each participant’s average response to glucose feedings. The means (+/-standard error) of the glycemic index were 69.2+/-8.1, 73.4+/-6.4, 73.6+/-6.6, 74.1+/-8.2 for clover, buckwheat, cotton, and tupelo honeys, respectively. No statistically significant differences between the honeys were apparent, nor was a relationship between glycemic index and the fructose-to-glucose ratio detected. These results indicate that small differences in fructose-to-glucose ratios do not substantially impact honey glycemic index.
Research Article Category: Miscellaneous
Frequent consumption of honey, tea and ham may be effective to improve selenium concentration
Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism
2004 May 6;48(3):134-140
Frequent consumption of honey, tea and ham may be effective to improve selenium concentration in selenium-inadequate individuals
Selenium has recently gained attention for its indirect, albeit important role as an antioxidant. Selenium is a component of glutathione peroxidases, a family of antioxidant enzymes that aid in preventing lipid peroxidation and membrane damage that can result from free radicals. Studies indicate the selenium status is highly dependent upon dietary sources of selenium which can be highly variable depending upon the selenium content of the soil from which the given food originates. The purpose of this study was to assess which foods or food groups best affect serum selenium in subjects with low selenium status (i.e., selenium concentrations < 70 microg/L). One hundred and twenty-nine subjects residing in Poland completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Serum selenium concentrations were determined using the electrothermal absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) technique following serum dilution. The consumption of ham, honey and tea was positively associated with the selenium concentration in the sera of selenium-inadequate subjects. In The selenium concentrations in the sera of the selenium-adequate subjects were positively correlated with the frequencies of wholegrain bread consumption and processed fruit consumption. These results suggest that frequent consumption of ham, tea and honey may be effective to improve the selenium concentration of selenium-inadequate subjects.
Research Article Category: Miscellaneous
Acute and Chronic Effects of Honey and Its Carbohydrate Constituents on Calcium Absorption in Rats
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Ariefdjohan, Martin, Lachcik, and Weaver: 2008, 56, 2649–2654
The effects of honey and its carbohydrate constituents (glucose, fructose, and raffinose) on calcium absorption in rats were investigated in acute and chronic feeding studies. In the acute study, rats (n=120) were gavaged with an oral solution consisting of (a) 10 µCi Ca, (b) 25 mg of calcium as calcium acetate, and (c) one of the following: 0 mg of honey (control), or 200, 500, or 800 mg of honey, a glucose fructose mixture, 10.75 mg of raffinose, or 200 mg of raffinose. Another group received Ca intraperitoneally. Femurs were collected 2 days later and analyzed for Ca content. Rats given 500 and 800 mg of honey showed 25.5 and 33.6% increases in calcium absorption (P < 0.05), respectively, over the control group. Groups given the glucose fructose mixture or 200 mg of - raffinose had a significantly higher increase in calcium absorption than the control group (17.1 and 25.6%, respectively). In the chronic study, rats (n 96) were fed for 8 weeks with either 0% honey (control), 5% honey, 10% honey, or a glucose fructose raffinose (GFR) mixture. Femurs of GFR-fed rats had significantly lower calcium content, Ca absorption, width, and BMD (at distal region) than control rats. Groups fed honey did not show the negative effects of GFR on bone, but had no advantage over the control group. No significant differences were observed in femur length, density, strength, or BMC among any treatment group compared to the control group. These results indicate that although a positive dose–response effect of honey and its carbohydrate constituents on calcium absorption was observed in the acute study, this effect disappeared upon long-term feeding in rats, implying adaptation had occurred.
Research Article Category: Miscellaneous
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