Herbal-Infused Honey vis-à-vis Human Health

Honey, a nutritious viscous liquid produced by the honeybees (Apis mellifera) has been an important ingredient of many Ayurvedic traditional medicines. Honey as a natural product is preferred to prepare many contemporary medications, nutritional supplements, cosmetics and food & beverage additives. The composition of the honey being produced by the honeybees is greatly influenced by the ecological habitat where bees establish hive and collect honey. The widely noticed bacterial drug resistance has prompted the scientific community to explore for alternative medicines, including herbal antibiotics, particularly to treat the bacterial infections. The bioactive ingredients work together to maximise therapeutic efficacy while reducing side effects of synthetic drugs, too. Honey’s unique chemical makeup includes reducing sugars, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. When it is mixed with physiologically active chemicals, such as plant secondary metabolites like phenolic acids, flavonoids, coumarins, tannins, lignans and terpenoids, the honey infusion contributes to its pro-health benefits. The natural bio-active compounds present in herbal honey infusions provide discernible biological effects such as antibacterial, antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antiallergic, antithrombotic and vasodilatory properties, as well as antineoplastic and antiaging effects in the consumers.