MADHU – Honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by bees and other insects from the nectar of flowers. The definition of honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substances. This includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners. Honey is significantly sweeter than table sugar and has attractive chemical properties for baking.
Liquid honey does not spoil. Because of its high sugar concentration, it kill bacteria by plasmolysis. Natural air bone yeasts can not become active in it because the moisture content is too low. Natural, raw honey varies from 14% to 18% moisture content. As long as the moisture content remains under 18%, virtually no organism can successfully multiply to significant amounts in honey.
Composition of honey - Honey is a mixture of sugars, water and other compounds. The specific composition of any batch of honey will depend largely on the mixture of flowers consumed by the bees that produced the honey. Honey has a density of about 1500 kg / m3.
Typical honey analysis -
Fructose 38%
Glucose 31%
Sucrose 1%
Water 17%
Other sugars 9% (Maltose, Malaritose)
Ash 0.17%
Honey is available in 4 forms
1. Extracted honey
2. Comb honey
3. Chunk honey
4. Creamed honey
Uses of honey:
The main uses of honey are in cooking, confectionary etc. Because honey is hygroscopic (drawing moisture from the air), a small quantity of honey added to a pastry recipe will retard the staling process. Raw honey also contains enzyme that help in its digestion, and several antioxidants.
Honey is used in folk medicine and apitherapy and is an excellent natural preservative.
The description of honey according to different Acharyas is as follows:
Table - 2.15
Aacharya | Class | Type | Doshaghanta |
Charaka | Ikshuvarga | 4 | Reduces kapha&pitta |
Sushruta | Madhuvarga | 8 | Reduces pitta |
Vagabhatta | Ikshuvarga | 4 | redueces kapha |
Bhavaprakasha | Madhavarga | 8 | Reduces kapha |
Rasa Panchaka of honey
Taste sweet, astringent
Quality dryness, lightness, subtleness
Potency cold
Digestion hot
All the Aacharyas has considered it as one of the best Yogvahi the reason for this because honey is made up of nector of different flowers.
