Honey for your health

Honey may have sweet health benefits, according to researchers who conducted what is believed to be the first study of chronic honey consumption in humans. Biochemist Heidrun Gross and colleagues fed 25 study participants about four tablespoons each of buckwheat honey daily for 29 days in addition to their regular diets. The volunteers were divided into two groups receiving honey that provided different amounts of polyphenols -- compounds found in fruits, vegetables and seeds that have been linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The researchers drew blood samples from the participants at given intervals following honey consumption. They found that there was a direct link between the honey consumption and the level of polyphenolic antioxidants in the plasma. These findings further strengthen existing evidence that suggests that honey in the diet can provide people with protective antioxidant compounds.

Contact:
Heidrun Gross, Nutrition Department, (530) 752-8813, hbgross@ucdavis.edu, (She will be available March 27-31 at (714) 776-9073 at the Hawthorn Suites in Anaheim, Calif.) or Carl Keen, Nutrition Department, (530) 752-6331, clkeen@ucdavis.edu.

Paper: Effect of honey consumption on plasma antioxidant status in human subjects

Authors: Heidrun B. Gross, John A. Polagruto, Qin Yan Zhu, Derek D. Schramm, Carl Keen, UC Davis; Sun H. Kim, Konju National University, South Korea

Session: General Papers

Session date and time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., Sunday, March 28

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