Experiments have confirmed that regular consumption of honey can relieve anxiety!

Experiments have confirmed that regular consumption of honey can relieve anxiety!

Consuming honey can relieve anxiety

Bee is a well-known and widely used food. It is a sweet substance that is fully brewed by bees collecting nectar, secretions or honeydew from plants and mixing them with their secretions. The main ingredients in honey are simple sugars, including fructose and glucose, which provide the sweetness people love. The sweetness of honey is about the same as that of sugar. Honey contains a lot of essential trace elements such as copper, zinc, iron and manganese. Vitamins B2, B5, B6, B9 are also present in honey.

Honey has been in human history for thousands of years and has been used as an attractive and valuable food. Its energy recovery and healing capabilities have been widely known in prehistoric times. Due to its non-specific but well-expressed positive effects on the state of the human body, bees can be regarded as a soft indication functional food according to today's research.

Despite the rigorous medical uses associated with daily honey-related diets, the facts of their folkloric applications are quite extensive. In order to further verify the effect of honey on the human body, two universities in Nigeria examined the single consumption of different doses in rats under conditions of a multiwell plate (HB) test (to assess the level of anxiety) and an open field of view (OF) test. The relationship between bees and related neurobehavioral activities measured the intensity of exercise, feeding and modification. Animals in all subgroups were free to enjoy saline, while rats in the three experimental subgroups were dosed at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g per 1 kg body weight (in the form of 10%, 20%, and 40% solutions) Eat honey. Of the doses tested, only the higher doses caused significant changes in the behavior index. The highest dose (2.0 g / kg) more than tripled the number of inspection holes in the HB test; in the OF test, the number of crossed squares, feeding, and grooming events increased by 30%, 37%, and 164%, respectively. As a result, experiments have shown that the natural honey product tested has considerable ability to relieve anxiety and enhance exercise, research / orientation, and behavioral modification even with a single serving.

The main findings of the study can be summarized as follows: Under the HB and OF test conditions, even a single bee consumption by experimental animals (rats) can cause significant changes in their behavior. These effects are obviously dose-dependent, they are only exhibited in sufficient doses of honey, and long-term consumption of honey can most clearly express its adaptability. There is no doubt that the rapid supply of large quantities of readily available energy metabolism substrates (glucose and fructose) to organisms seems to be the primary factor affecting various behavioral performances (the latter generally increasing in intensity).

At the same time, it is likely that the rapid rise in glucose levels in the blood itself cannot be fully attributed to such profound changes in indicators of anxiety in the HB test and many behavioral indicators in the OF test. It seems logical to assume that the above-mentioned rise is accompanied by a significant change in the state of several brain neuroregulatory systems, thereby significantly affecting behavioral characteristics. The anxiolytic effect of bees is very obvious, which makes us think that it is related to the rapid increase of serotonin (5-HT) content in various brain structures.

Convincingly, the state of the brain's serotonergic system is closely related to anxiety levels in humans and different animals. Although the types and subtypes of 5-HT receptors in the central nervous system vary widely, and information suggests that the selective regulation of different groups of these receptors can particularly affect anxiety disorders, the global impact of elevated 5-HT levels is Reduced levels of anxiety in the central nervous system. In contrast, depletion of 5-HT, which can be induced by different pharmacological and non-pharmacological effects, leads to increased levels of anxiety. If this condition is prolonged, this condition can cause the development of anxiety and depression.

In the experiments, after eating a sufficient dose of honey, the research activity in the HB test increased significantly, and their heads were more frequently immersed in unexplored holes in a novel behavioral environment. This anxiolytic effect is comparable to the study culture activity changes under the OF test conditions. It seems that other brain regulatory systems may also be involved in behavioral changes in rats related to honey consumption. Especially the midbrain marginal dopaminergic system. Compared to other behaviors in the OF test, the modification activity after honey consumption experienced the strongest regulation. Selective agonists of dopamine D1 and D5 receptors cause enhanced modified behavior, while D2 receptor agonists reduce this behavioral activity to some extent. Therefore, the effect of selectively increasing glucose levels rapidly (related to the consumption of honey) on certain types of dopamine receptors should be envisaged.

Therefore, experimental observations show that bees with sufficiently high content have significant potential for regulating behavior, and this potential is manifested in the case of a single consumption. Honey improves anxiety behavior (acts as an anxiolytic) and provides a clear general stimulating effect (antidepressant effect) on the CNS. These behavioral changes may largely determine the well-known role of bees as functional foods under conditions of systemic consumption. The observations confirm the convenience and possibility of using honey as a supplement in the special diet of subjects with mood disorders. At the same time, the mechanism by which honey acts on the brain's regulatory system may require intensive research.

(Reference: Neurophysiology, July 2011, Volume 43, Issue 1, pp 38–41 | ​​Cite as, Behavioral Modifications Related to Consumption of a “Soft” Adaptogen, Bee Honey, by Rats)