Feb 22, 2007
Antioxidant buzz
Bees making honey from honeydew rather than nectar produce a sweet material that has greater anti oxidant properties than nectar honey, according to a study of 36 honey samples from Spain with different floral origins. The study published this month in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture could point to a way to improve the health benefits of this natural sweetener.
The composition of honey depends greatly on where honeybees collect their raw materials. There are two key sources. Honeybees can collect nectar from flowers, and this generates nectar honeys or they can collect fluids exuded by plants, honeydew.
“Honey is a natural source of antioxidants, and among honeys, honeydew honey is the best,” says researcher Rosa Ana Pérez, who works at the Instituto Madrileño de Investigación y Desarrollo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, in Madrid, Spain.
Each of the 36 honeys was exposed to a range of physical and chemical tests. Honeys with high antioxidant properties also had high total polyphenol content, net absorbance, pH and electrical conductivity.
“These laboratory results show some aspects that people could use to get an idea about which honeys are likely to have the most potent antioxidant properties,” says Pérez.
Oxidation is a chemical process in which electrons are transferred from from one substance to an oxidizing agent. Antioxidants are basically compounds that slow the rate of oxidation and are as important the chemistry laboratory as they are in the human body. Antioxidants work either by reacting with intermediates and inhibiting the oxidation reaction directly, or themselves reacting with the oxidizing agent and acting as a molecular decoy to prevent the oxidation reaction from occurring.
All living things try to sustain a reducing (the opposite of oxidizing) environment within their cells to prevent damage by oxidation of their biomolecules. Compounds such as glutathione and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as well as enzymes (peroxidases and oxidoreductases) act as antioxidants. If you do not have adequate levels of antioxidants in your body then oxidative stress and cell damage can occur. More controversial is the notion that supplementing with antioxidants a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables has any additional benefits, claims of anticancer effects and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease have yet to be proved. Indeed, excess of certain antioxidants can do more harm than good.
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January 27th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Antioxidant does not equal antiaging. All those antioxidant lotions and potions are a con. If there were truly enough vitamin E, for instance, in a so-called antiaging face cream it would literally take the skin off your face.
January 27th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
But its an antioxidant antiaging right… so it’s mean it has a side effect to our body… ok I get it thanks for the info…
January 27th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
The native effects of resveratrol on plants where you say it has antifungal and antibacterial effects are not really related to the claims being touted for this compound in humans. Indeed, an antioxidant mops up oxidising species in the body, hence the name, but it is these oxidising species that help our immune systems defeat bacteria and fungi, and other pathogens, so in a sense adding too much antioxidant to your dietary intake will have the opposite effect to that desired in that you will be more openly exposed to pathogens, which could kill you while you’re still young, but at least you’d die with fewer wrinkles…
January 27th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
There have been a lot buzz with regards to antiaging products and most of these have this ‘resveratrol’ ingredient in them. Resveratrol is a recognized antioxidant found in red grape skin, knotweed, peanuts, and of course red wine. The effects of this antioxidant antiaging marvel are very much evident on plants which use this to fight off fungi and bacteria from extreme weather conditions and environmental stress.
I have here a site that you can visit that’s talk about antioxidant antiaging
just see below the site:
http://antioxidantantiagingsolutions.wordpress.com/
But interesting post… and i like it….
good job..
December 16th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I’ve never subscribed to the antioxidant brigade, to be honest. There may be some benefits, but it seems that mopping up the first-line weapon against dangerous toxins and pathogens is just plain silly. Now, UK researchers have discovered that antioxidants do not actually slow or stop the aging process, disproving the 50-year old free radical theory which claims that these molecules stall or temporarily eliminate oxidation (which releases free radicals and damages cells.)
source
December 18th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Interesting point retinol. News just in actually shows that consumer antioxidant use far outstrips the science behind whether or not they are beneficial to health at supplementary doses.
db
December 18th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Hi,
The antioxidants in the Acai fruit is five times higher than that of the popular brain boosting herbal supplement that is known for its antioxidant properties. Research on Acai has shown that these antioxidants are known to fight and regulate cholesterol levels in the body.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:31 pm
More nectar news this week – Nectar is like a fitness drink cos it contains amino acids and vitamins, say researchers. But, it also contains alkaloids like nicotine and other toxic compounds. So why, asks Danny Kessler and Ian Baldwin of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany, doe plants risk poisoning the insects and birds that provide pollination services for them? Their findings are published in The Plant Journal.
February 22nd, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Very interesting post to anyone interested in health, looking younger, or science…so everyone? Keep up the good posting. I’m going to link this later, when I have time. Gotta run to class.