Natural honey contains approximately 200 substances, including amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, but its main constituents are sugar and water.
Sugar accounts for 95–99% of the dry matter in honey. Honey is very rich in carbohydrates: fructose (from 32.56% to 38.2%) and glucose (from 28.54% to 31.3%), which constitute 85–95% of the total sugars and are easily absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract.
Sugars also include disaccharides such as maltose, sucrose, isomaltose, turanose, nigerose, melibiose, panose, maltotriose, and melezitose, as well as several oligosaccharides. Honey contains 4% to 5% fructooligosaccharides, which act as probiotic agents. Water is the second most important component of honey.
Organic acids make up 0.57% of honey and include gluconic acid, which is a product of the enzymatic digestion of glucose.
Organic acids are responsible for honey’s acidity and largely contribute to its characteristic taste. The concentration of mineral compounds ranges from 0.1% to 1.0%. Potassium is the main metal, followed by calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, and phosphorus. Trace elements include iron, copper, zinc, and manganese.
Nitrogenous compounds are also found: Vitamin C, B₁ (Thiamine) and B₂ complex vitamins, such as riboflavin, nicotinic, B₆, and pantothenic acid.
Honey contains a small amount of proteins, from 0.1 to 0.5 percent.
