Chronic Honey Consumption Increases Plasma Antioxidant Concentration

Chronic Honey Consumption Increases Plasma Antioxidant Concentration

Abstract presented at the American Chemical Society
March 29, 2004
Gross H. Effect of honey consumption on plasma antioxidant status in human subjects.
Previous research has indicated that a acute honey consumption (i.e., a single dose) can raise the phenolic concentration of the plasma. This study examined the effects of chronic honey consumption to determine if increases in total plasma phenolic content and plasma antioxidant capacity could be sustained over the long term. Twenty-five subjects (13 Males and 12 females) consumed 1.5 grams of honey per kilogram of body weight (~4-10 tablespoons) for 28 days. Subjects were randomly assigned either a honey with a high phenolic content (HA) or a lower phenolic content (LA). Total plasma phenolics were measured on day 1 and 29 at 5 different time points: immediately after honey consumption and then again 1.5 hr, 3 hr 6 hr and 24 hour post-consumption. The results indicated that the phenolic content of the plasma on day 29 was significantly higher than baseline (i.e., day one) in both honey groups, suggesting that chronic honey consumption can increase the antioxidant capacity of the plasma.