Based on a research done by University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, honey could soon be marketed as a way to combat the effects of ageing. The study was based on the result obtained from rats which are fed on diet containing 10 per cent honey, 8 per cent sucrose, or no sugar at all for 12 months. The rats were assessed for every 3 months. Source
Here are the results:
- Honey-fed rats spent almost twice as much time in the open sections of an assessment maze than sucrose-fed rats, suggesting they were less anxious. I am not so sure how the researchers conclude the outcome based on this behavior. Spending more time in the open sections mean less anxious?
- These honey fed rats were also more likely to enter novel sections of a Y-shaped maze, suggesting they knew where they had been previously and had better memory.
The researchers believe that these behaviors could be due to the antioxidant properties of honey. I hope that they are right.
However, it is important to know that this study was funded by a dairy company which is keen in sweetening yogurt with honey. Do not just rush out and buy honey just because of this published study. I realized that some people tend to do that after seeing a study saying something is good for health, especially when it is things like chocolate, red wine or even beer. Keeping things in balance still a better approach in diet.
Don’t get me wrong. Honey has been used as an antiseptic therapeutic agent for the treatment of ulcers, burns and wounds. So, honey may be natural (derived from the nectar of flowers) and healthy, but honey does come with lot of calories. Depending on the type of honey, 1 tablespoon (about 60 gram) of honey can have 60 calories.
I hope more study can be done on this area to confirm that eating honey can really decrease anxiety and improve memory so that I know what to choose for sweetener.
By the way, is Winnie the Pooh, who likes honey, really has good memory?
Category: Nutrition 
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Mistike // Apr 26, 2008 at 5:50 PM
Hello Mun ! I think this is my first comment on your blog, however I read it regularly ;-)
As much as I love honey, I don’t eat too much sweet (by taste). I also use rice or wheat syrup as sweetener. The advantage of cereal syrups is that they are mostly “slow” carbohydrate, like the cereals they are made of. No fructose, no saccharose. And they have a great sweetening power, with a nice taste. They’re pretty easy to find here, in France, in organic food shops.
Very interesting for diabetic people, or people who want to regulate their glycemic value. Or athletes, when they need “slow” energy instead of “rapid” energy (which comes from honey or sugar).
Sorry if I made some language mistakes, English is not my native language ;-)
sylvesteR // May 2, 2008 at 1:19 AM
If honey really has antioxidant properties, I guess there’s no harm taking it since it can prevent ageing as long as it doesn’t cause diabetes. By the way, I don’t think honey improves memory, after all, winnie the pooh is always referred as the silly old bear with poor memories!!
Sylvester // Feb 18, 2009 at 12:40 AM
I think honey is one of nature’s gift that we have underexploited and underutilized . I like honey.
rose // Jul 31, 2009 at 3:02 AM
i have been ill with the flu and have been having alot of raw honey and lemon for coughs. i began feeling calm! i googled honey anxiety and found some references including this one. amazing! i always avoided it because of the sugar content.