Honey: A Sweet Way to Health

Honey is one of the most nutritional natural products that not only provides us healthy nutrition but also has a potential to be an alternative treatment option for different pathologies from microbial infection to metabolic disease. Honey is a byproduct of flower syrup produced by honeybees and possesses an intricate chemical composition that varies with botanical sources and geographical locations. This chapter is aimed to provide readers an understanding of complex composition, biological activities, adverse effect, and therapeutic benefits of honey. Honey possesses many biological activities, such as antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-cancer, and anti-metastatic effects, suggesting potential therapeutic roles in many human pathologies. Flavonoids and polyphenols in honey are the two active ingredients, which are of therapeutic importance in many diseases. In conclusion, honey may be developed as a natural therapeutic agent for many pathologies, and extensive studies are therefore recommended.