10 Surprising Health Benefits of Honey
Since ancient times, honey has been used as both a food and a medicine. It’s very high in beneficial plant compounds and offers several health benefits. Honey is particularly healthy when used instead of refined sugar, which is 100% empty calories. Here are the top 10 health benefits of honey. 1. Honey Contains Some Nutrients The bees collect sugar — mainly the sugar-rich nectar of flowers — from their environment ( 1 ). Once inside the beehive, they repeatedly consume, digest and regurgitate the nectar. The end product is honey, a liquid that serves as stored food for bees. The smell, color and taste depend on the types of flowers visited. Nutritionally, 1 tablespoon of honey (21 grams) contains 64 calories and 17 grams of sugar, including fructose , glucose, maltose and sucrose. It contains virtually no fiber, fat or protein ( 2 ). It also contains trace amounts — under 1% of the RDI — of several vitamins and minerals, but you would have to eat many pounds to fulfill your daily requ...
