Sweeten with Honey for a healthy kick

It's official. I'm in love with the Science Blog, if for no other reason than reporting on the painfully obvious.

Soda, Halloween candy and other food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners could one day get a fresh makeover using honey, one of the most ancient sweeteners, researchers say.

Scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say that honey may be a healthier alternative than corn syrup due to its higher level of antioxidants, compounds which are believed to fight cancer, heart disease and other diseases.

To which I can only say: "NO SHIT, SHERLOCK!" Think of it! An unprocessed natural substance which evolved along side of us just mightbe more healthy than something we cooked down and isolated in a lab? Say it isn't so!

Honey, which contains a number of antioxidant components that act as preservatives, also shows promise as a replacement for some synthetic antioxidants widely used as preservatives in salad dressings and other foods, according to Nicki Engeseth, Ph.D., associate professor of food chemistry at the university.

Dark-colored honey, such as buckwheat honey, is generally thought to contain higher levels of antioxidants than the light-colored varieties, according to the scientists. Previous studies by the researchers suggest that honey may have the same level of disease-fighting antioxidants as that of some common fruits.

Howdy fellas. How does the world around you look now that your head has been pulled out of your ass the sand?

Posted by Evo Terra at October 22, 2004 11:46 AM | TrackBack (0)