Honey for Brain – Its Curative And Enhancing Qualities

Though much has said about honey until now, it continues to fascinate us by its amazing curative qualities and properties. Its distinctive chemical composition is very unique as compared to any other naturally occurring substance. Honey is the only insect-derived natural product that possesses therapeutic, commercial and spiritual value. The biochemical impact of honey on the human body in treating and preventing various ailments have been continuously researched and evaluated to know more about this magical potion. Honey infusions with herbs like basil, ginger, cinnamon etc. adds to this impact.

With all the exploration and research on honey till date, approximately 300 different varieties of honey have been discovered. These varieties of honey have been accounted for by the existence of a wide variety of nectar that is collected by the honey bees. Once a honey bee collects nectar, honey formation takes place inside the honey stomach of honey bees. The nectar undergoes ripening by partial enzymatic digestion and the moisture evaporation takes place because of continuous fanning by the bees. Honey does not get spoiled for a very long time due to its low moisture content.

The nutritional value of raw honey provides us with a constant source of energy and also helps us to cope with a variety of ailments and disorders. These amazing qualities of honey make it a staple diet for many tribes across the world. Honey is also infused with a variety of herbs to take advantage of their combined benefits. Let us now learn more about what constitutes honey and how these elements help us thrive.

Nutritional Traits of Honey

Carbohydrates form almost 95% of the dry weight of honey.  Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the human body as it aids brain, kidneys, heart and all the major organs and systems in our body to function unceasingly.

Honey can be considered a full nutritional pack containing various acids, sugars, and enzymes along with carbohydrates. Fructose and glucose, which falls under Monosaccharides are predominant sugars present in honey. Other types of sugars such as disaccharides, trisaccharides, and oligosaccharides are also present in small quantities. An interesting fact to note here is that all the sugars present in honey are not originally found in nectar. These sugars are formed when nectar undergoes complex biochemical processing inside the bees.

Honey also contains all the essential amino acids; Proline is the predominant amino acid. Though, water-soluble vitamin content is low, Vitamin C is the most abundant. Polyphenol along with other reducing agents like vitamin C is responsible for anti-oxidant properties exhibited by honey.

How Honey Affects Human Brain  

1. Honey for Children and Babies

Experiments and research have backed the fact that honey possesses nootropic properties. When it is said, honey is a nootropic substance; it means it enhances the functional capacity of the brain. Honey aids the overall development of the CNS (Central Nervous System) in babies and children up to the age of 8. Postnatal development is the most crucial part of enhancing the brain, the results of which can be seen later in life too.

CNS is responsible for the improvement of memory, reduction of anxiety, and intelligence. Postnatal development occurs through neurogenesis, which predominantly happens during the first few growing years. This brings us to the point that overall maturing of CNS during childhood is a primary occurrence during postnatal development.

In a study conducted, two months old rats were supplemented with honey diet. Observations and Collection of the data done for over a year showed that honey fed rats showed lesser anxiety and increased spatial intelligence.

• Honey for Women

As we age, so does our brain. Especially in older women when they reach menopause, their brain functionality is hampered. After the menopause, the capacity of the brain to remember things decreases. Thus, one could face instances of memory loss and honey could prove to be a good herbal remedy for menopause.

There is enough experimental evidence to prove that consuming raw honey helps to boost brain in post-menopausal women. Free radicals are the main reason for cell damage to the brain. Phenolic acids and flavonoids present in honey have a strong quenching activity against free radicals thus preventing cell damage in the brain. Honey has also been found to prevent cognitive ability decline and dementia.

• Honey for Old Age

Research shows, honey fights against oxidative stress, its effects and improves memory and learning.

Like any other element, the human body undergoes oxidation as it ages. Over a period of time, this oxidative stress starts to manifest itself through biochemical insults to our neural cells. This results in aging, neuroinflammation, and effects of neurotoxins.

The brain has a high requirement of oxygen to function properly. Thus, it undergoes an intense process of oxidation. Phytochemical elements present in honey boosts the secretion of antioxidant enzymes in the brain. Moreover, polyphenol in honey helps to deal with neuroinflammation, increases memory, learning, and cognitive abilities. It also protects against neurotoxin-induced cellular damage.

• Honey as a Protector of CNS

Research has shown us that honey has neuroprotective Qualities. When a brain suffers an injury it is referred to as neurodamaging insult to the brain. Neurodamaging insults can mainly be either endogenous or exogenous. As the brain matures, the cells cannot undergo mitosis. Thus, old cells are easily replaced by the new ones. The process falters and causes neuron cells to ultimately die. This process is known as neurodegeneration.

Neurodegeneration is caused due to oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and effects of neurotoxins. These causes are the prime focus for neuroprotectors to act on as the inability to form new cells decreases the brain functionality.

Honey and its nutritional constituents prevent oxidative stress and cure its effects. Neurodegeneration is a gradual process and neuroprotective properties of honey acts at every stage of that process to cure and enhance our brain.

• Honey as Brain Enhancer

Learning and memory are the most predominant functions of a brain. It consists of nerve cells that are responsible for coordinating the communication between the brain and the vital organs in the body. Neurons or nerve cells in the brain pass impulses among each other through a junction called synapses. The development of learning and creation of memories is a result of the capacity of neurons to effectively transmit messages through synapses as a response to the external stimuli. This is referred to as synaptic plasticity.

Maintaining long-term synaptic plasticity involves biochemical processes taking place in the brain. Raw honey has been known to help maintain long-term synaptic plasticity or long-term memory. Polyphenol present in honey has been known to improve memory-related signaling pathways. Thus, honey and its bioactive elements enable multiple signaling pathways to enhance the functionality of the brain.

• Honey For Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with a high prevalence in recent years. Dramatic growth in AD prevalence has increased the importance of more researches on AD treatment and fortunately, scientists have found antidotal properties that can prevent such neurodegenerative in honey.

New findings suggest that eating honey daily could reduce the risk of developing dementia. Scientists claimed that honey possesses natural antioxidants, and therapeutic properties, that help to prevent cognitive decline and dementia.

Honey though high in sugar prevents neuroinflammation in the hippocampus section of the brain – part of the brain that’s directly involved in spatial memory.

A study in 2014 revealed that honey was rich in polyphenols – a group of beneficial natural compounds. Polyphenols improve memory loss, and also reduce inflammation in the brain which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Raw honey possesses memory-enhancing effects. Research suggests that the polyphenol constituents in honey contain reactive oxygen species. Also, it helps counter oxidative stress while restoring the cellular antioxidant defense system. The polyphenols content in honey is also directly involved in apoptotic activities while attenuating microglia-induced neuroinflammation. Honey polyphenols are useful in improving memory deficits and acts at the molecular level.

Moreover, Honey stabilizes blood sugar and reduces the risk of insulin resistance and diabetes, which is known to be causative factors in Alzheimer’s, further hinting that honey might play a role in the reduction in the prevalence of this terrible disease.

Daily consumption of honey helps prevent all neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s or Dementia. A dose of hone right before bedtime feeds the brain with the necessary liver glycogen and keeps you safe from chronic brain starvation, chronic sleep loss and chronic metabolic stress, which could trigger neurodegenerative diseases.

Conclusion

Honey is indeed a naturally occurring magical potion. It has been consumed for its variety of benefits since ancient times. The uses of raw honey are overwhelming, looking at the fact that it can be used by babies, adolescents, adults, and older people. Moreover, honey exerts its curative properties on disorders of skin, lungs, mental health, stomach, etc. Honey acts as both a preventive measure and a curative measure against most of the commonly occurring health related problems. Thus, honey has made a permanent mark on our entire civilization and will continue to amaze future generations.

Author’s Bio –

Tejas Shahakar is currently the health and wellness blogger at Raw Forest Honey. His experience as a content manager includes working on content with a main focus on natural remedies, alternative medicine and Ayurveda.

Website: https://www.rawforesthoney.com/