Honeysuckle
Proven Health Benefits of Honeysuckle:
- Honeysuckle is known as the anti-ageing fruit, intercepting reactive oxygen species to prevent cell ageing.
- Honeysuckle prevents dementia and other neuro-degenerative diseases.
- Honey suckle improves brain function, especially episodic memory
- Honey suckle is able to improve blood pressure in women, who just gave birth
- Honeysuckle is potent against diabetes and its associated nephropathies
- Honeysuckle is shown to balance microbiota in the gut and reduce endotoxins
What is Honeysuckle?
Lonicera caerulea L., is what honey suckle is known as in science circles. There are two popular varieties, the Japanese blue honeysuckle known as haskap berry and honeyberry, the Russian variety. Honeysuckle is a berry, the plant, belonging to the family, Caprifoliaceae. It is a hardy vine, that grows to a height of about 15 ft, with a short stub of a stem partially underground, from which rises long slender branchlets. The berries are elliptical and slightly elongated, blue in color with a bitter, sour-to-sweet taste. Honeysuckle has lived most of its popularity in Japan, where it earned nicknames such as “elixir of life”, “youth syrup” among others and eastern Europe. Its bitter taste did not really help its campaign, however, to these locals who acquired the tongue for it, it is everything one could relish. Honeysuckle is cherished for the wonderful benefits it leaves on the human body.
What is the Usefulness of Honeysuckle?
Honeysuckle has a high antioxidant ability, 48 GAE/100g, especially when compared with strawberry and blackberry with 8 and 15 GAE/100g respectively according to ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) index.1 Extracts from honeysuckle are known to inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, Interleukin-6 and PGE2. Studies show that there was a significant reduction in serum levels of these inflammation intermediates, in the treatment of arthritis.2 In addition to antioxidant activity, C¬¬3G in honeysuckle is involved in preventing death of neurons induced by ethanol by inhibiting the activity of a chief neuron apoptosis mediator, glycogen synthase kinase 3β. Honeysuckle is able to prevent cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis by preventing peroxidation of liver microsome and oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Phenolic compounds present also prevent the breakdown of DNA and keratinocytes due to UV.3
Health benefits
- Liver protection
- Arthritis
- Neurodegenerative diseases
- Atherosclerosis
- Type II Diabetes
- Radioactive protection
- Bactericidal
- Reduce biofilm formation
- Chemo-preventive
Nutrition
Honeysuckle’s nutritional value is similar to that of other berries suck as blackberry and strawberry; they all contain carbohydrates (fructose, glucose and sucrose), essential minerals (Potassium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Calcium) and Vitamin C. Its Vitamin C content is however, exceptionally high (187mg/100g). Honeysuckle is said to have the highest polyphenolic content (1111mg/100g) of all wild berries. The polyphenols include isoflavones, flavones, flavanols, flavonols, flavanones and anthocyanins. Other phytochemicals include triterpenoids, β-carotenes, catechol and chlorogenic acids.
Toxicity
If one has no allergies to berries, then one has no qualms consuming honeysuckle, as they will any fruit. Beyond minor distress arising from sheer over-eating, honeysuckle poses next to zero threats on consumption. It is safely eaten as any fruit or incorporated into yoghurts, jams and fruit salads.