Chinese Honey Composition, Production, Trade, and Health Benefits

Honey is regarded as the first and most primitive source of sweet food used by human beings. Apart from carbohydrates, honey also contains proteins, enzymes, polyphenols, minerals, amino acids, trace elements, vitamins, and fragrance compounds. Honey has been shown to have antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant, antimutagenic, antitumor, antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory properties that could favor and benefit the human health. Chinese honey consists of more than 180 components, most of which are altered during maturation process. Chinese honey consists of 81% sugars, water 17%, and 2% of volatile, nonvolatile compounds, enzymes, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids which determine its medicinal properties. The production, consumption, import, and export of honey vary among different countries. China serves as a main source of honey production all over the world. The production of Chinese honey accounts for over 20% of the overall honey production worldwide. Various Chinese scriptures including that of Shen Nong’s Herbal Classic and Compendium of Materia Medica have documented the medicinal properties of honey.