Why Researchers Are Looking Past the Morning Spoonful of Honey — and Toward Its Colour

Why is everyone adding honey to their morning?

Like most wellness trends, it began as a simple tip passed between friends and repeated across comment sections: a spoonful of raw honey first thing in the morning to help keep the mind clear and quick.

There's a reason the idea has staying power. Honey is naturally rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory plant compounds, and a 2023 review in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity highlighted several of them for their promising brain-supporting properties.¹ It is also one of very few healthy habits that people genuinely look forward to.

Where the tip gets vague is in the detail. Which compounds are we talking about — and how much of them actually ends up in an ordinary jar?

So what are the studies actually measuring?

When scientists look at the link between food and mental sharpness, one group of compounds appears again and again: anthocyanins. These are the natural pigments behind the deep blue, purple and red of blueberries, blackcurrants and certain dark honeys.

1. 1

   Berries and cognitive performance

   A systematic review looked at how berry anthocyanins relate to cognitive performance and healthy vascular function, and reported consistent signals worth further study.²

2. 2

   Blueberries and older adults

   In a small study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, older adults who drank wild blueberry juice every day for twelve weeks scored better on learning and word-recall tasks.³

3. 3

   A wider view of clinical trials

   A meta-analysis pooling randomised clinical trials reported favourable effects of anthocyanins on short-term memory, verbal learning and executive function.⁴

In plain terms: the colour is the part researchers are paying attention to.

Why isn't every jar of honey the same?

Honey takes on the character of the flowers, soil and altitude it comes from. Pale, mass-market honey tends to carry very little anthocyanin. Darker honeys from wild, mineral-rich landscapes can carry considerably more.

Everyday foods where these pigments show up:

One place stands out for its honey: the mountains of Ikaria, a small Greek island in the eastern Aegean. Ikaria is one of the world's recognised Blue Zones — regions where people commonly live well into their nineties while staying active, social and quick-witted.

Nobody suggests honey alone explains Ikaria. But if you are looking for a richer, more pigment-dense source, it is a compelling place to begin.

How does this connect to mental energy?

The brain is a remarkably hungry organ. It accounts for around two percent of body weight yet uses roughly a fifth of the body's energy, most of it in the form of glucose.

That energy has to arrive through healthy circulation, and it has to be used efficiently once it gets there. Good sleep, regular movement, a varied diet and plenty of colourful plant foods all contribute.

A well-fuelled brain is what makes everyday moments feel effortless — the right word, a familiar name, keeping pace with a lively conversation.

Anthocyanins are studied on both fronts: for their antioxidant activity at the cellular level, and for their role in supporting healthy blood flow.²

What's inside MemoFlow?

MemoFlow® is a daily formula built around these ideas. It brings together two naturally-sourced ingredients, both from Ikaria.

Lithium is a naturally-occurring trace mineral that most people take in every day through drinking water, grains and vegetables. Nutrition researchers have studied its dietary role for decades,⁵ and the amount in MemoFlow mirrors what is found in mineral-rich spring water.

What does the routine look like?

The format is sublingual drops, absorbed through the tissue under the tongue. Here is the whole routine:

1. Step 1

   Start your morning

   Before coffee or breakfast, as part of your usual start to the day.

2. Step 2

   Two drops

   Place two drops under the tongue, where they are absorbed quickly.

3. Step 3

   Carry on

   About ten seconds in total. Nothing to swallow, mix or measure.

What are readers saying?

Notes from people who have made MemoFlow part of their mornings tend to share a calm, everyday tone.

Each experience is personal, yet the themes that come up — clarity, ease, focus — echo what the ingredient research explores, which goes a long way to explaining the interest in the formula.

What if it's not for you?

The window is deliberately generous. Nutritional habits work gradually, and ninety days leaves plenty of room to make up your own mind.

Reader questions