Radical honey.
The antioxidant benefits of fruits, vegetables, red wine, tea and other food-stuffs
are well known, but what about honey? New research has shown that honey posesses
antioxidant actions, with darker honeys having a greater capacity for oxygen radical
absorbance. The results, presented at the recent annual meeting of the Institue of
Food Technologists (New Orleans, LA; USA), also revealed that the antioxidant
properties of honey are primarily due to the presence of phenolic compounds,
rather than ascorbic acid or enzymatic antioxidants.
The ability of antioxidants to mop up and inactivate free redicals - the
accumulation of which can lead to tissue damage and underpins various diseases -
highlights the importance of understanding the behaviour of antioxidants found
in foods and other natural sources.

From:
BioMedNet browther November 2001.