Honey
Historical aspects
Honey has been used as food since the dawn of humanity. Evidence has been found of its existence in various places, in cave paintings in Bicorp, Valencia, dating from 7000 BC, and India, dating to the V century BC.
In addition, for many primitive tribes it was also a ritual element, as seen in ancient Egypt, where the dead were embalmed with honey. In some civilizations it was even part of their philosophical heritage.
This is the case of an Arab proverb that sues honey as a metaphor for their life philosophy “Yuam asal, Yuam basal…” (There are some days of honey, some days of onions…).
Honey was virtually the only sweetener that existed in most ancient civilizations, until the Arabs introduced the sugar cane in the ninth century. However, at this time sugar was regarded as a luxury item. Hence, its consumption was not disseminated until the seventeenth century, when cane cultivation was expanded to the Americas.
Nutritional aspects
Honey has a hundred integral components, but the main elements are simple sugars (primarily fructose and glucose), water and smaller amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Among the vitamins are the B group and vitamin C, but in amounts too insignificant to provide a high nutritional value.
Possibly pollen supplies proteins, vitamins and minerals to its nutritional content, since honey contains thousands of granules in suspension.
Its nutritional value varies by season, weather and soil conditions, the variety of plants from which the nectar was obtained and the care of the bees by beekeepers.
Intake should be moderate and occasional.
Table of Food Consumption
| Olive Oil | 3-6 servings/day |
| Cereals | 4-6 servings/day |
| Dairy products | 2-4 servings/day |
| Fruits | ≥ 3 servings/day |
| Vegetables | ≥ 2 servings/day |
| Fresh meat | 3-4 servings/week |
| Nuts | 3-7 servings/week |
| Eggs | 3-4 servings/week |
| Legumes | 2-4 servings/week |
| Fish | 3-4 servings/week |
| Wine, cava and others | optional and moderate intake in adults |
| Cured meat and sausages | optional and moderate intake |
| Honey | optional and moderate intake |
