Health-promoting benefits of honey

Abstract Honey, a source of natural healing, is the most produced and consumed bee product as food around the world. Honey not only is an intensified mixture of two monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) but also is rich in components such as various minerals, proteins, vitamins, organic acids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and enzymes. Hereby, these components have antioxidants, antimicrobials, antiinflammatory, antidepressant, hepatoprotective, and immunomodulator activity. There are several types of honey, because the composition of honey depends on the flora. The most known types of honey are acacia, chestnut, manuka, pine, and oak honey. Honey purity and quality is determined by honey codices (TSE, CEU, IHC, etc.). Moisture, conductivity, acidity, pH, color, sugars and sugar ratios (C4/C13), proline, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) contents, and insoluble substances are important parameters for the determination of quality of honey samples.