Honey comes from bees, but you probably already knew this. But you may not have realized how much effort goes into making this honey.

Bees are an essential part of nature. They forage inside flowers to find the sweetest nectar. In the process the pollen from the flower sticks to them. As they fly it comes off and it brushes off against other plants. In this way the flowering plant is able to spread and grow and survive. 

They are an essential part of nature; without them many flowers and other plants would simply cease to exist!  

The nectar they collect is stored in a special pouch which sits just before their digestive system. An enzyme is added to the nectar as it enters their mouth. 

When they go back to the hive they regurgitate the nectar. One of the bees that lives in the hive will take the honey; adding more enzymes in the process. This will then be deposited into a cell on the empty honeycomb they have built.  

It can be passed between several bees before it is deposited. The special bit is the enzymes that the bees add to the nectar; it is these that turn it into simple sugars and create honey as you know it. The same enzymes are what give the honey its health benefits. 

The heat of the cells and the flapping of the bee’s wings evaporates the water in the nectar; dropping it from approximately 90% water to just 16%. At this point the bees will create a wax cap and seal the honey in place; the honey is ready!

 Honey is a natural product but it is also extremely good for you. There is a number of proven health benefits associated with consuming honey:

Nutrients:

Honey contains an array of flavonoids and antioxidants which have the potential to reduce your risk of contracting many of the most common cancers. It can even lower your risk rate of heart disease. 

Digestive Benefit:

Recent research shows that honey can help to prevent the occurrence of ulcers and harmful digestive bacteria. It is believed that this is linked to the fact that honey is known to have antibacterial properties.

Improved Performance:

In olden times athletes would often consume figs and honey to help them perform better. Modern research has actually confirmed that this is possible; honey has a better than average ability at boosting glycogen levels. Not only does this boost your performance it will also help you to recover faster. 

Sore Throats:

Honey is extremely soothing; especially when you have a sore throat. Just one spoonful can help people to sleep right through the night! 

Blood Sugar Levels:

Surprisingly honey can actually help regulate blood sugar levels even though it is a type of sugar.

 
This is because it has a very specific combination of fructose and glucose which prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking and triggering an insulin surge. 

Boost Your Immune System:

Honey is a pretty impressive substance; it can actually boost the production of immune cells in your body. This will help you to fight off disease and live healthier for longer. 

Author's Bio: 

New York Times bestselling author Hamza Fox writes sweet, fun, action-packed mysteries. His characters is clever and fearless, but in real life, Hamza is afraid of basements, bees, and going up stairs when it is dark behind her. Let’s face it. Hamza wouldn’t last five minutes in one of her books.

Hamza is best known for his Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries and for his Accidental Demon Slayer books.