Mellivory
Mellivory is a term for the eating of honey. Honey is a sweet and viscous substance created by some eusocial insects, notably bees, for consumption by members of their hives, especially their young. Honey is also consumed by many other animals including human beings, who have developed beekeeping to make supplies of honey both reliable and plentiful. Despite honey's limited antimicrobial properties (caused by the very high osmotic pressure of its concentrated sugars) it remains a food source for a variety of microorganisms. Etymology The word mellivory derives from the Latin , "honey", and -, "-eating". Nutrition Honey is a syrup composed of several simple sugars, primarily fructose and glucose. Wild honey also contains traces of bee larvae, adding fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. In many environments honey is the single richest source of carbohydrates for the organisms that consume it. It has been suggested that the concentrated energy provided by honey is in part what allowed humans to evolve such large brains, as large brains are metabolically expensive. Honey also has limited antimicrobial properties. Mellivory by humans Food Over its history as a food the main uses of honey have lain in cooking, baking, confection, as a spread on