Raw Honey

Beneficial Aspects of Honey

1) Honey as an Antimicrobial

In rats, infected skin wounds treated daily with honey for 7 days had a better outcome than saltwater treatments.

After 7 days, the bacteria culture showed that honey was effective in the management of infected skin wounds by significantly inhibiting bacterial growth and having a positive influence on wound repair [R1].

When the concentrations of honey were increased, the antibacterial effects against Staph bacteria and E.Coli were enhanced [R2].

Various kinds of honey show antimicrobial effects against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria as well as multidrug-resistant strains [R10].

Melaleuca honey is capable of inhibiting MRSA [R11].

A literature review found that honey is a great antimicrobial because of its high viscosity that provides a barrier to prevent infections. The antimicrobial property comes from the enzymatic production of hydrogen peroxide [R31].

2) Honey and Wound Healing

Honey was more effective as a wound dressing than silver as measured by the number of days the wound needed to heal [R3].

In patients with diabetic foot ulcers, honey was able to reduce the rate of amputation.

172 patients with non-healing diabetic foot ulcers received a thick layer of honey on their wound. Wounds became healthy within 7-35 days. Of those 172 patients, only 3 had to get their big toe amputated and 2 had below the knee amputations. This study concluded that when using honey in chronic diabetic foot ulcers, the rate of amputation greatly decreases [R8].

Skin grafts are used to cover burn injuries and honey has been shown to increase the adherence of skin grafts to wound beds. In a clinical trial, 30 patients used honey as their graft and 30 used regular dressing or suturing.

The patients treated with honey reported a significantly reduced infection rate on day 5 and had reduced pain. They also had a shorter mean hospital stay. This study concluded that medical honey can be used for the fixation of a split thickness skin graft [R9].

In rats, honey (combined with milk and aloe vera) induced cell proliferation which increased the wound closure rate, blood vessel count and the collagen fiber density [R12].

Honey works, in part, by increasing TNF-α, IL1b, Il-6 on wounds [R1].

3) Honey and Diabetes

In pancreatic hamster cells, pretreating the cells with gelam honey and quercetin reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. There was also an increase in the phosphorylated Akt, which showed the protective effects against insulin resistance and inflammation, contributing factors to type 2 diabetes.

This study concluded that the use of gelam honey and quercetin may help regulate the inflammation-induced insulin signaling pathways [R4].

In rats, honey increased HDL cholesterol and reduced high blood sugar, triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, and cardiovascular risk index [R5].

Chrysin is a flavonoid found in honey that also benefits diabetic rats [R6].

In rats, honey produced a hypoglycemic effect and showed a positive change in beta cells [R7].

4) Honey as an Antioxidant

In healthy humans, buckwheat honey increased the plasma antioxidants and protected them from oxidative stress. The substitution of honey in some foods instead of sweeteners could result in an enhanced antioxidant defense system [R13].

5) Honey and Cardiovascular Effects

A traditional herbal medicine containing honey, Rehmannia glutinosa var. purpurae, Lycium chinense (goji), Aquillaria agallocha, Poria cocos, and Panax ginseng (KOK) has been used to improve blood circulation and showed a significant protective effect against thrombosis attack. The study concluded that KOK has remarkable antiplatelet and anti-thrombotic effects with a lower side effect of bleeding [R16].

Rats treated with honey had protective effects on heart attacks [R17].

6) Honey and Ulcers

In rats, manuka honey exhibited antiulcer effects [R18].

In patients with diabetic foot ulcers, a regular saline dressing was compared to the effect of Beri-honey-impregnated dressings. 136 wounds out of 179 were completely healed when used with honey compared to the 97 out of 169 that healed with saline dressings. The mean healing time for honey was 18 days compared to the 29 days for the saline dressings. The study concluded that honey is an effective dressing [R19].

7) Honey as an Antifungal

In women with vaginal candidiasis, honey is similar to clotrimazole cream and is even better at relieving some symptoms than the cream. It was concluded that honey (and yogurt) can be used as an herbal remedy for this treatment [R22].

Substituting sugars with honey in processed food can inhibit the harmful and genotoxic effects of mycotoxins, and improve the gut microflora. Honey increased colon bifido bacteria and lactobacilli counts the mice [R].

8) Honey as a Probiotic and Anti-toxin

Honey enhances the probiotic bacteria, which leads to beneficial effects such as detoxification. The study recommended using honey instead of sugar in processed foods to prevent fungi growth and other toxins [R26].

9) Use of Honey as a Cosmetic

In a review on honey, it was found that honey has use in rejuvenating the skin as well as slowing down the formation of wrinkles. It also helps make hair smooth and regulates the pH while also preventing pathogen infections [R27].

Another article cited honey to be used as a face wash and facial cleansing scrub for pimples and dry skin [R28].

10) Honey as an Anti-Inflammatory

In rats, Honey significantly reduced arthritis. This study concluded that honey has anti-inflammatory effects and can be used to treat acute conditions [R29].

11) Honey and Mucositis

Honey can help oral mucositis.  A study was done on 28 patients in which 14 were given honey to rub on and the other half got water. Out of the patients who had honey, only 1 developed grade III oral mucositis compared to 9 patients with water treatment [R20].

In a systematic review, it was found that honey significantly benefited patients with mucositis [R21].

12) Honey and Otorhinolaryngology

For acute coughs for children, it was found that the use of honey is better than no treatment, diphenhydramine (benadryl) and placebo for relief. Honey is not better than dextromethorphan though and there is no strong evidence either for or against the use of honey to treat acute cough [R23].

Another study found that a teaspoon or two of honey can help suppress a cough [R24].

Honey can be used as an additional treatment for mucositis, childhood cough, persistent post-infectious cough and after tonsillectomy [R25].

Patients with allergic rhinitis received honey as well as loratadine as a treatment plan. Half the patients received a placebo instead of the honey. After 8 weeks it was determined that honey was effective in relieving allergic rhinitis symptoms. The study concluded that honey could be used as a complementary therapy for allergic rhinitis [R30].

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Honey

Honey may be as good at fighting heart disease as some fruits and vegetables, researchers said today.

A study of 25 men aged 18 to 68 found that drinking a mixture of honey and water improved the levels of antioxidants in their blood.

Honey contained about the same amount of antioxidants which help prevent narrowing arteries as spinach.

The range of antioxidants was comparable to that in apples, bananas, oranges and strawberries.

Dr Nicki Engeseth, who led the research at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, USA, said: "It looks like honey is having a mild protective effect."

Researchers already knew that honey contained varying amounts of antioxidants, with dark honey having the most.

But this was the first study to look at how eating honey affected blood antioxidant levels in a group of volunteers.

Participants were given about four tablespoons of honey per 16 ounce glass of water.

Dr Engeseth presented her findings at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Massachusetts.

Her team is now part way through a 12-week study with rabbits to determine whether honey inhibits the formation of artery-narrowing plaques.

Mead, an alcoholic drink made from honey, contained the same sort of antioxidant level as white wine, the researchers found.

But it came nowhere near the level found in red wine.

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Honey with high levels of antioxidants can provide protection to healthy human subjects

Free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in contributing to the processes of aging and disease. Humans protect themselves from these damaging compounds, in part, by absorbing antioxidants from high-antioxidant foods. 

This report describes the effects of consuming 1.5 g/kg body weight of corn syrup or buckwheat honey on the antioxidant and reducing capacities of plasma in healthy human adults. 

The corn syrup treatment contained 0.21 +/- 0.06 mg of phenolic antioxidants per gram, and the two buckwheat honey treatments contained 0.79 +/- 0.02 and 1.71 +/- 0.21 mg of phenolic antioxidants per gram. Following consumption of the two honey treatments, plasma total-phenolic content increased (P < 0.05) as did plasma antioxidant and reducing capacities (P < 0.05). 

These data support the concept that phenolic antioxidants from processed honey are bioavailable, and that they increase antioxidant activity of plasma. It can be speculated that these compounds may augment defenses against oxidative stress and that they might be able to protect humans from oxidative stress. Given that the average sweetener intake by humans is estimated to be in excess of 70 kg per year, the substitution of honey in some foods for traditional sweeteners could result in an enhanced antioxidant defense system in healthy adults.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12617614

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Cardioprotective Effects of Tualang Honey: Amelioration of Cholesterol and Cardiac Enzymes Levels.

The present study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effects of Malaysian Tualang honey against isoproterenol- (ISO-) induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats by investigating changes in the levels of cardiac marker enzymes, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), lipid peroxidation (LPO) products, and antioxidant defense system combined with histopathological examination. 

Male albino Wistar rats (n = 40) were pretreated orally with Tualang honey (3 g/kg/day) for 45 days. Subcutaneous injection of ISO (85 mg/kg in saline) for two consecutive days caused a significant increase in serum cardiac marker enzymes (creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and aspartate transaminase (AST)), cTnI, serum TC, and TG levels. 

In addition, ISO-induced myocardial injury was confirmed by a significant increase in heart lipid peroxidation (LPO) products (TBARS) and a significant decrease in antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx, GRx, and GST). 

Pretreatment of ischemic rats with Tualang honey conferred significant protective effects on all of the investigated biochemical parameters. The biochemical findings were further confirmed by histopathological examination in both Tualang-honey-pretreated and ISO-treated hearts. 

The present study demonstrates that Tualang honey confers cardioprotective effects on ISO-induced oxidative stress by contributing to endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity via inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26064893

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Honey

Honey has been valued as a natural sweetener long before sugar became widely available in the 16th century. Honey production flourished in ancient Greece and Sicily, for instance, while animals other than humans – bears, badgers, and more – have long raided honeybee hives, risking stings for the sweet reward.1

Honey is truly a remarkable substance, made even more extraordinary by the process with which it is made. This blend of sugar, trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids is quite unlike any other sweetener on the planet.

And while honey is high in fructose, it has many health benefits when used in moderation (assuming you're healthy). Before I delve into those, here's a brief "lesson" on how honey is made...  

How Honey Is Made (Fascinating!)

It takes about 60,000 bees, collectively traveling up to 55,000 miles and visiting more than 2 million flowers, to gather enough nectar to make one pound of honey.2

Once the nectar is gathered, the bee stores it in its extra stomach where it mixes with enzymes, and then passes it (via regurgitation) to another bee's mouth. This process is repeated until the nectar becomes partially digested and is then deposited into a honeycomb.

Once there, the honeybees fan the liquid nectar with their wings, helping the water to evaporate and create the thick substance you know as "honey." This honeycomb is then sealed with a liquid secretion from the bee's abdomen, which hardens into beeswax. As Live Science reported:3

"Away from air and water, honey can be stored indefinitely, providing bees with the perfect food source for cold winter months."

There are more than 300 kinds of honey in the US, each with a unique color and flavor that is dependent upon the nectar source. Lighter colored honeys, such as those made from orange blossoms, tend to be milder in flavor while darker-colored honeys, like those made from wildflowers, tend to have a more robust flavor.4

5 Honey Facts You Might Not Know

Honey, particularly in its raw form, offers unique health benefits that you might not be aware of. Among them…

1.Honey Makes Excellent Cough "Medicine"

The World Health Organization (WHO) lists honey as a demulcent, which is a substance that relieves irritation in your mouth or throat by forming a protective film.5

Research shows honey works as well as dextromethorphan, a common ingredient in over the counter cough medications, to soothe cough and related sleeping difficulties due to upper respiratory tract infections in children.6

2.Honey Can Treat Wounds

Honey was a conventional therapy in fighting infection up until the early 20th century, at which time its use slowly vanished with the advent of penicillin. Now the use of honey in wound care is regaining popularity, as researchers are determining exactly how honey can help fight serious skin infections.

Honey has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidants activities that make it ideal for treating wounds. In the US, Derma Sciences uses Manuka honey for their Medihoney wound and burn dressings.

Manuka honey is made with pollen gathered from the flowers of the Manuka bush (a medicinal plant), and clinical trials have found this type of honey can effectively eradicate more than 250 clinical strains of bacteria, including resistant varieties such as:

• MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
• MSSA (methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus)
• VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci)

Compared to other types of honey, Manuka has an extra ingredient with antimicrobial qualities, called the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). It is so called because no one has yet been able to discover the unique substance involved that gives it its extraordinary antibacterial activity.

Honey releases hydrogen peroxide through an enzymatic process, which explains its general antiseptic qualities, but active Manuka honey contains "something else" that makes it far superior to other types of honey when it comes to killing off bacteria.7

That being said, research shows that any type of unprocessed honey helped wounds and ulcers heal. In one study, 58 of 59 wounds showed "remarkable improvement following topical application of honey."8

3.Honey Improves Your Scalp

Honey diluted with a bit of warm water was shown to significantly improve seborrheic dermatitis, which is a scalp condition that causes dandruff and itching. After applying the solution every other day for four weeks, "all of the patients responded markedly." According to the researchers:9

"Itching was relieved and scaling was disappeared within one week. Skin lesions were healed and disappeared completely within 2 weeks. In addition, patients showed subjective improvement in hair loss."

4.Help Boost Your Energy

A healthy, whole-food diet and proper sleep is the best recipe for boundless energy, but if you're looking for a quick energy boost, such as before or after a workout, honey can suffice. This is particularly true for athletes looking for a "time-released fuel" to provide energy over a longer duration.10

5.Reduce Allergy Symptoms

Locally produced honey, which will contain pollen spores picked up by the bees from local plants, introduces a small amount of allergen into your system. Theoretically, this can activate your immune system and over time can build up your natural immunity against it.

The typical recommendation is to take about a teaspoon-full of locally produced honey per day, starting a few months PRIOR to the pollen season, to allow your system to build up immunity. And the key here is local.

This approach only works because it has pollen of local plants you may be allergic to. Honey from other parts of the country simply won't work. While research on this has yielded conflicting results, one study found that, during birch pollen season, compared to the control group, the patients using birch pollen honey experienced:11

• 60 percent reduction in symptoms
• Twice as many asymptomatic days
• 70 percent fewer days with severe symptoms
• 50 percent decrease in usage of antihistamines

Interestingly enough, there were few differences between the two honey groups (those who took regular honey, versus those who took honey that contained birch pollen.) However, the birch pollen honey group used less histamines than those who used regular honey. The authors concluded:

"Patients who pre-seasonally used birch pollen honey had significantly better control of their symptoms than did those on conventional medication only, and they had marginally better control compared to those on regular honey. The results should be regarded as preliminary, but they indicate that birch pollen honey could serve as a complementary therapy for birch pollen allergy."

Honey for Herpes

Good-quality honey offers several topical wound-care benefits that can explain some of its success as a remedy for herpes sores:

• It draws fluid away from your wound
• The high sugar content suppresses microorganism growth
• Worker bees secrete an enzyme (glucose oxidase) into the nectar, which then releases low levels of hydrogen peroxide when the honey makes contact with your wound

In one study, 16 adult subjects with a history of recurrent labial and genital herpes attacks used honey to treat one attack, and a commonly prescribed antiviral drug, Acyclovir cream, during another. (It's important to realize that neither the drug nor the honey will actually cure genital herpes. They only treat the symptoms.)

Interestingly, honey provided significantly better treatment results. For labial herpes, the mean healing time was 43 percent better, and for genital herpes, 59 percent better than acyclovir. Pain and crusting was also significantly reduced with the honey, compared to the drug. Two cases of labial herpes and one case of genital herpes remitted completely with the honey treatment, whereas none remitted while using acyclovir.12

3 DIY Honey Home Remedies

Honey is a humectant, which means it attracts and retains moisture, making it an ideal addition to moisturizers, shampoos, and conditioners. Along with its antimicrobial properties, honey makes a wonderful addition to homemade personal care products. The National Honey Board has a few you can try out for yourself:13

1.Honey Hair Conditioner: Mix ½ cup honey with ¼ cup olive oil. Work a small amount through your hair until coated. Cover your hair with a shower cap and let sit for 30 minutes. Shampoo as normal and rinse.

2.Honey Body Moisturizer: Mix 5 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons rose oil, and 2 cups almond oil in a medium-sized bottle. Apply as needed onto wet skin.

3.Honey Almond Scrub: Mix 3 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and 6 ½ tablespoons of finely crushed almonds. Rub the exfoliating scrub onto your face gently and rinse with warm water.

The Organic Consumers Association has also published this simple honey lemon cough syrup that's useful to keep on hand during the winter months:14

Honey Lemon Cough Syrup Lemon helps promote health by quickly alkalinizing your body, and honey will kill most bacteria while soothing your throat. This is a perfect choice for a quick cough remedy. Put a pint of raw honey in a pan on the stove on VERY low heat (Do not boil honey as this changes its medicinal properties). Take a whole lemon and boil in some water in a separate pan for 2-3 minutes to both soften the lemon and kill any bacteria that may be on the lemon skin. Let the lemon cool enough to handle then cut it in slices and add it to the pint of honey on the stove. Let mixture cook on warm heat for about an hour. Then strain the lemon from the honey making sure all lemon seeds are removed. Let cool, then bottle in a jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator. This syrup will keep for 2 months in the refrigerator. To soothe a cough, take 1/2 teaspoon for a 25 lb. child and 1 teaspoon for a 50 lb. child, about 4 times a day, or as often as needed. Adults can take 1-tablespoon doses.

Is Honey a Healthy Natural Sweetener? How to Avoid Fake Honey

As far as natural sweeteners go, honey does have a place. The main thing to remember when it comes to honey is that not all honey is created equal. The antibacterial activity in some honeys is 100 times more potent than in others, while processed refined honey will lack many of these beneficial properties altogether. Your average domestic "Grade A" type honey found in the grocery store is likely highly processed.

It's also been found that more than 75 percent of the honey on American supermarket shelves may be ultra-processed—to the point that all inherent medicinal properties are completely gone—and then smuggled into the country by the barrel drum. Nearly all of this "fake" honey is made in China. Some of these brokers will even create bogus country of origin papers. All 60 jars of "honey" tested by Food Safety News (FSN) came back negative for pollen, which is a clear sign of ultra-processing.15 According to FSN:

"The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world's food safety agencies. The food safety divisions of the World Health Organization, the European Commission and dozens of others have also ruled that without pollen, there is no way to determine whether the honey came from legitimate and safe sources."

In their investigation, FSN discovered the following:

• 76 percent of honey samples bought at grocery stores (such as TOP Food, Safeway, QFC, Kroger, Harris Teeter, etc.) were absent of pollen
• 77 percent of the honey from big box stores (like Costco, Sam's Club, Walmart, and Target) were absent of pollen
• 100 percent of the honey sampled from drug stores (like Walgreens, Rite-Aid, and CVS Pharmacy) were absent of pollen

The good news is all of the samples from farmers markets, co-ops, and natural stores like Trader Joe's had the full, proper compliment of pollen, as did organic brands from common grocery stores. When choosing honey, be sure it is raw, unfiltered, and 100% pure, from a trusted source.

Honey Should Be Consumed Only in Moderation

Honey has many healthy attributes, but it is also high in fructose, averaging around 53 percent. Each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose, which means it can exacerbate pre-existing insulin resistance and wreak havoc on your body if consumed in excess. So when consuming honey, carefully add the total grams of fructose (including fruits) that you consume each day, and stay below 25 grams of total fructose per day.

Keep in mind, though, that if you have insulin resistance (i.e. if you are taking drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, or if you're overweight) you'd be better off avoiding all sweeteners, including honey, since any sweetener can decrease your insulin sensitivity and worsen your insulin resistance. If you're healthy, however, eating raw honey in moderation could provide many of the benefits listed above.

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Honey

Refined white sugar: You probably know this already, but it’s worth repeating. Refined white sugar is completely stripped of all nutritional value, and provides only empty calories. Furthermore, more than 65 percent of the white sugar available commercially is made from GMO sugar beets. Avoid it at all costs!

Brown sugar: Commercial brown sugar is nothing more than refined white sugar with some molasses added back in for color and flavor. Don’t be fooled by the color or claims. It’s just as bad.

Evaporated cane juice: Made from sugar cane (as opposed to sugar beets), evaporated cane juice is slightly less refined than white sugar, and therefore retains more color, flavor, and nutrients from the sugar cane. But really the only difference between commercial evaporated cane juice and white sugar is that the former goes through one less step of refinement.

Raw organic cane sugar: This type of sugar is less processed than refined white sugar, and still contains some of the original nutrients present in cane juice. These include amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and even some antioxidants. Because it’s organic, you also won’t be exposed to the pesticides present in commercially grown sugar. So, while obviously a better choice than refined white sugar, remember that it’s still SUGAR and should be consumed in minimal amounts.

Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar is harvested from the sap of the coconut plant through a very natural process of extracting the juice, and then allowing the water to evaporate. Process-wise, it is one of the most sustainable methods of sugar production, and the product also contains a small amount of fiber and other nutrients. Coconut also contains a lower percentage of fructose than the other sugars listed, which perhaps makes it slightly healthier than the other options.

Other than the different types of sugars discussed above, there is one "sugar" that — in its raw form — contains a highly concentrated dose of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that help nourish and revitalize your body.

HONEY

Honey Is More Than Just Liquid Fructose

Fruits aren’t just watery bags full of fructose, and nuts aren’t just shells loaded with omega 6 fatty acids.

Even though fructose and omega 6 fatty acids have been linked to health issues when isolated, the real foods containing them can have a completely different effect.

Honey is considered unhealthy in many circles because it contains sugar, specifically fructose. But there is more to honey than can be dismissed with a wave of the hand and a mention of fructose.

Honey is a real food that has been accessible to humans throughout evolutionary history and can still be obtained in its natural form.

Is Honey Bad for You, or Good?

Honey bees swarm around their environment to collect nectar, which are sugar-rich liquids from plants.

Producing honey from the nectar takes place in the beehive. It is a group activity consisting of repeated consumption, digestion and regurgitation (expulsion from the digestive tract).

A few cycles of this ends with what we know as honey, but the composition and nutritional properties depend on the sources of the nectar, i.e. which flowers are in the vicinity of the beehive.

According to nutrition data, a typical batch of honey supplies:

• 82% sugar, by weight.
• Half of that sugar (40% of total weight) is fructose.
• Only trace amounts of vitamins and minerals.
• Various antioxidants (1).
• Its relative glucose and fructose content can vary greatly and its glycemic index ranges from low to high.

Studies on Honey and Risk Factors for Disease

There are certain factors that can be measured in the blood and are strong indicators of health and risk of disease in the future. Cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose are particularly important.

Diabetics have big problems with all of these.

In a randomized controlled trial of 48 diabetics, those fed honey for eight weeks lowered their body weight, triglycerides and total cholesterol while their HDL cholesterol increased.

However, HbA1c (a marker of blood glucose levels) also increased, which is bad (2).

Another study in healthy, diabetic and hyperlipidemic subjects revealed that (3):

1. Honey raised blood sugar less than dextrose (glucose) and sucrose (glucose and fructose). It still did raise blood sugar, just not as much.
2. Honey reduced C-Reactive Protein (CRP) — a marker of inflammation.
3. Honey lowered LDL cholesterol, blood triglycerides and raised HDL cholesterol.
4. Honey also lowered Homocysteine, another blood marker associated with disease.

The Antioxidants in Honey

Unrefined honey contains an abundance of various antioxidants that can have major implications for health. Generally speaking, antioxidants in the diet are associated with improved health and lower risk of disease.

Two human studies revealed that consumption of buckwheat honey increases the antioxidant value of the blood (5, 6).

Some Studies in Rats

In rats, honey leads to less oxidative stress, lower triglycerides and less fat gain than either sugar or purified fructose (7, 8).

Topical Administration of Honey

Honey may have some medicinal properties when applied to the skin, killing bacteria and speeding the healing of wounds (9, 10).

Choose Darker Honey

As I mentioned above, the composition of honey depends on the environment that the bees harvested in.

The antioxidant content of different types of honey can vary up to 20-fold. Generally speaking though, darker honeys like Buckwheat honey are better than the lighter varieties.

Should you eat honey? Well, that’s for you to decide and as with most other questions in nutrition, it depends.

If you’re healthy, active and don’t need to lose weight, then having some honey is unlikely to do you any harm and seems to be a lot less bad for you than sugar.

However, people who are overweight, diabetic and struggle with their dietary load of fructose and carbs should probably avoid honey as much as possible.

When it comes to baking some occasional, healthy-ish treats, honey seems like an excellent alternative to replace sugar in recipes.

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