Honey 101: Nutrition Facts, Health Benefits, Types, and More Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Diet & Nutrition Sweet on Honey What s in It If It s Good for You and All the Other Buzz on Nature s Golden Nectar By Susan McQuillan, MS, RDNMedically Reviewed by Kelly Kennedy, RDNReviewed: July 12, 2019Medically ReviewedThis natural sweetener has health-promoting qualities that may benefit your body, inside and out.Ashraful Arefin/Getty ImagesHoney is many things to many people. It’s a nutritious, natural sweetener, a concentrated energy source, and an ancient folk remedy for health and healing. Honey is also an active ingredient in beauty and skin-care products and the subject of medical research. What exactly is this sweet, syrupy superfood, and how can it help you? From Bee to Beekeeper How Is Honey Made Exactly Honeybees make honey from sweet flower nectar that they gather in their travels and bring back to their hive. The nectar is transferred from the collector bee to the worker bees back at the hive, who process the sweet liquid into a thick syrup and store it in honeycomb. (1) The honeycomb itself is made of wax produced by younger bees and molded into hexagonal-shaped cells strong enough to hold the honey. As the worker bees unload the nectar into the cells, they fan it with their wings to help evaporate moisture so it becomes even thicker, stickier, and more resistant to spoilage. The bees then seal the honeycomb cells with more wax to protect the honey during storage. (1,2,3,4) Beekeepers use various methods to squeeze or otherwise extract honey from the honeycomb. Some methods drain the honey while preserving the wax comb so it can be used again, while others melt or otherwise manipulate the wax to remove and separate out the raw honey. (1) Small-scale beekeepers usually stop here and sell honey in its raw state, but most mass producers of honey sold in supermarkets take the process a step further, buying up big batches of honey, and then diluting, heating, and filtering the raw product to remove pollen and other naturally occurring substances. (5) More in Diet and Nutrition The Best and Worst Sweeteners for Weight Loss What Is Caffeine Health Benefits Sources and Side Effects 8 Family-Friendly Apple Cider Vinegar Recipes 7 Teas That Can Help or Harm Your Heart How Honey Gets Its Color Flavor and FragranceHow honey looks and tastes depends on the type of flower that provides the nectar and can also be affected by weather conditions in different regions. Lighter-colored honeys (such as clover, tupelo, and alfalfa) are generally milder in flavor, while amber-colored honeys (such as orange blossom, avocado, and eucalyptus) are more moderately flavored. The more deeply colored honeys, such as those from buckwheat and knotweed (sometimes known as bamboo or Japanese bamboo) have the most intense flavor of all. (6,7) You can substitute your favorite honey for sugar in almost any dish or drink. Because honey is sweeter than sugar, you’ll probably want to use less. Honey is also considered a liquid, so you may need to make adjustments to some of your recipes. Tips for Using Honey in Homemade Baked Goods Here are some general tips for baking with honey: (8)Substitute about ½ cup honey for 2⁄3 cup white sugar (the stronger the flavor, the less honey you need).Reduce the liquid called for in the recipe by ¼ cup for every 1 cup sugar replaced.For every ½ cup honey you use, add 1⁄8 teaspoon baking soda along with the other dry ingredients (unless the recipe already calls for baking soda, then there’s no need to add more).Reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid too much browning. Easy Ways to Use Honey and Sweeten Your DayAdd a few drops to vinaigrette dressing to sweeten green salad and side dish vegetables.Combine with equal parts mustard and just a dab of mayo to make your own honey-mustard sauce for dipping chicken fingers and spreading on sandwiches. Honey and ginger also make a delicious glaze for salmon, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate guidelines.Whisk honey into whipped cream cheese or ricotta; add grated lemon, orange, grapefruit, or lime zest (peel), or try ground cinnamon or ginger. Spread it on muffins or quick breads, or use as cupcake frosting.Drizzle over an open-faced nut butter sandwich.Combine with yogurt and fruit in a bowl or blend into smoothies. Is Honey Good or Bad for You And How Does It Compare to Sugar Nutritionally speaking, raw honey contains very small amounts of a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and disease-fighting antioxidants that, theoretically, make it more healthful than granulated white sugar (table sugar). (9)More on Ingredients With Healing Properties 8 Natural DIY First Aid RemediesBut honey is mostly a combination of glucose and fructose — some of the same sugary substances that make up white sugar (though in varying proportions) — as well as other liquid sweeteners from natural sources, such as agave and maple syrup. (10,11) Compared with granulated sugar, honey is sweeter, higher in calories, and higher in carbs and total sugars. One tablespoon (tbsp) honey, equal to 21 grams (g), provides about 60 calories and 17 g carbohydrates (16 to 17 g from sugar), while 1 tbsp granulated sugar provides 49 calories and 13 g carbohydrates (13 g from sugar). (12) Honey’s natural antibacterial qualities are well known. In the hive, as the original nectar dehydrates and is converted into what we know as honey, small amounts of antiseptic hydrogen peroxide are produced. (13) Because hydrogen peroxide has antibacterial qualities, honey has traditionally been used as a topical medication and is currently used to promote healing and prevent infection in skin wounds, burns, and ulcerations, including surgical wounds, pressure sores, diabetic foot ulcers, and various types of leg ulcers. When modern antibiotics were developed, medicinal use of honey fell out of favor. But with the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in recent decades, researchers are looking anew at honey’s antibacterial qualities. Because bacteria do not generally seem to develop resistance to honey, it has therapeutic potential for use as a broad-spectrum antibiotic (one that can treat different types of infections). Just be sure to follow your doctor’s orders. This potential benefit doesn’t trump the known benefits of modern medicine. Honey is the subject of ongoing research as a potential ingredient in supplements and medications that could be used to treat a wide range of health issues, including asthma, gum disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, diarrhea, fungal infections, inflammation, internal and external ulcerations, viruses, and even certain types of cancer. (9) Because most experiments to date have been performed on laboratory animals and in petri dishes, using specially prepared, medical-grade honey, it’s not yet clear if or exactly how honey can be used successfully by people for most of these conditions. If future research confirms honey’s effectiveness in humans, scientists will also need to determine which types of honey are potent enough to have a medicinal effect and, when taken orally, how much honey is effective for different conditions. (14) 6 Surprising Alternative Treatments That Worked for People With Diabetes From chromium picolate and bitter melon to magnesium and cinnamon, these possible natural remedies for type 2 diabetes may be worth exploring, some research suggests.Article How Certain Honey Varieties Like Manuka and Tualang May Be Used as a Natural RemedyTherapeutic honeys — such as manuka (leptospermum) from New Zealand and Australia, and tualang from Malaysia — are used as topical antiseptics in skin gels, creams, wound dressings, and other medicinal skin treatment products, and are available in most markets that feature natural or alternative remedies. These honey varieties are of particular interest to researchers and the medical community because of their unique ability to stimulate healing and reduce the formation of scar tissue in spite of low levels of hydrogen peroxide. (15,16,17) Traditional Indian Ayurveda medicine, sometimes incorporated into alternative and complementary medical practices in the United States and other Western countries, finds many uses for honey as a home remedy. These include mixing 2 parts lime juice with 1 part honey to use as a gargle for sore throats and mixing an equal amount of honey and ginger juice for use as a cough syrup. Ayurveda practitioners may have been among the first to use honey as a topical remedy for burns, cuts, and various forms of dermatitis and eczema. And if you partied a little too hard last night, Ayurveda medicine also recommends stirring about 2 teaspoons honey and ½ cup plain yogurt into ½ cup orange juice as a hangover remedy. (1,18) Beauty and the Bees The Possible Skin and Hair Benefits of Honey The healing components of honey are also used in many cosmetic skin and hair preparations, not only for their antiseptic and antioxidant potential but for their softening, soothing, and conditioning effects. Honey lubricates your skin and holds onto moisture, making it an ideal ingredient in the production of beauty products ranging from lip balms and lotions to shampoos and facial scrubs. (1,19) Proponents of natural skin care and cosmetics sometimes recommend practices like applying honey directly on pimples and dry lips, and diluting about a teaspoon of honey in 4 cups warm water to use as a hair rinse for added sheen. (1) Most Recent in Diet and Nutrition Later Meals Increase Hunger Decrease Calories Burned Zinc 101 Uses Dosage Foods Supplements Risks and More 6 Bugs You Can Eat and Their Health Benefits Whole Grains 101 Health Benefits Nutrition Facts Recipes and More Bee-Ware The Health Risks of Adding Honey to Your DietThough honey generally falls into the “can’t hurt, might help” category of functional foods and natural remedies, and may have advantages over table sugar, there are a few cautionary tales to tell. If you are trying to lose weight, have high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or diabetes, or are watching your carb intake for any reason, take your honey in small doses if at all. In fact, if you have any blood sugar issues, speak with your doctor or dietitian about incorporating honey into your diet. Although animal studies have shown that honey can lower both blood sugar and blood fats (triglycerides) and increase the amount of insulin released into the bloodstream, these benefits occurred while using honey in combination with diabetes medications and have yet to be confirmed in humans. (20) Although rare, there have also been reports of allergic reactions ranging from rashes and hives to life-threatening anaphylactic shock from both topically applied and ingested honey. Take extra care if you know you are allergic to bees or pollen. Honey is a known allergen, and those with an allergy to it should take extra caution, according to a February 2016 case study published in Contact Dermatitis. (21, 22) Frequently Asked Questions About Honey Answered Q: Can honey go bad? The same substances that give honey its medicinal qualities also make it shelf-stable and resistant to spoilage. In fact, as long as it’s tightly covered to keep out humidity, and no liquid is added, you can store honey indefinitely at room temperature. It may thicken and crystallize over time, but that’s not a sign of spoilage. (23, 24) Q: Is there any benefit to buying honey from a beekeeper rather than from a supermarket? A: If you buy from a beekeeper, the honey that comes to your table is likely to be harvested pretty much straight from a hive, with nothing added or removed. But honey products purchased from a supermarket or grocery chain, even those labeled “pure honey,” may be highly filtered, and some may even be diluted with less expensive sweeteners like corn syrup. (5) Filtering removes beneficial pollens and other natural ingredients that are thought to contribute to its healing power and also help identify its source, when necessary. While the brand name may be familiar, there’s no way for you to tell where ultrafiltered commercial honey actually came from. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued nonbinding recommendations for honey production, packaging, and labeling, but products are not strictly regulated, nor are the FDA's rules necessarily enforced; they are simply presented as guidelines for the industry. (25) To be sure you’re getting the real thing, it’s best to buy raw honey from a locally known and respected beekeeper. You’ll also have the pleasure of knowing that you’re supporting a local industry.More on Best and Worst Sweeteners Which Sugars Are Good for You — and Which to AvoidQ: Is it true that honey is actually bee vomit? A: Technically, no, and it’s not a form of bee poop either (another common misconception). As bees buzz around, collecting nectar that ultimately becomes honey, they carry it in their crop, or “honey stomach,” an expandable, pouchlike organ separate from their regular stomach. From there, the nectar is transferred to worker bees back at the hive that have been busy building honey storage cells. These worker bees chew on the nectar to eliminate some of the liquid, and then deposit it into the cells of their hive. It is correct to say, however, that nectar is regurgitated from the collector bee’s crop or the worker bee’s mouth parts to transfer honey from bee to bee and make these deposits into the hive. (1) Resources We LoveAcademy of Nutrition and DieteticsBenefits of HoneyGalway Beekeepers’ AssociationNational Center for Complementary and Integrative HealthNational Honey BoardU.S. Department of AgricultureNEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Diet and Nutrition Newsletter SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking Ediriweera ERHSS, Premarathna NYS. Medicinal and Cosmetic Uses of Bee’s Honey — A Review. AYU. April–June 2012.How Do Bees Make Honey. Galway Beekeepers’ Association.How Is Bee's Wax Made. Galway Beekepers’ Association.How Honey Is Made. National Honey Board.Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn’t Honey. Food Safety News. November 7, 2011.Honey Floral Source Guide. National Honey Board.4 Rules for Successfully Swapping Honey for Sugar in Any Baked Goods. Kitchn. May 5, 2016.Ahmed S, Sulaiman SA, Baig AA, et al. Honey as a Potential Natural Antioxidant Medicine: An Insight Into Its Molecular Mechanisms of Action. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. 2018.Mellado-Mojica E, Lopez MG. Identification, Classification, and Discrimination of Agave Syrups From Natural Sweeteners by Infrared Spectroscopy and HPAEC-PAD. Food Chemistry. January 2015.Mellado-Mojica E, Seeram NP, Lopes MG. Comparative Analysis of Maple Syrups and Natural Sweeteners: Carbohydrates Composition and Classification (Differentiation) by HPAEC-PAD and FTIR Spectroscopy-Chemometrics. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. September 2016.Full Report (All Nutrients): 45197207, Blue Agave Sweetener, UPC: 070038640042. U.S. Department of Agriculture. January 19, 2018.Mandal MD, Mandal S. Honey: Its Medicinal Property and Antibacterial Activity. Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. April 2011.Kwakman PHS, Van den Akker JPC, Güçlü A, et al. Medical-Grade Honey Kills Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria In Vitro and Eradicates Skin Colonization. Clinical Infectious Diseases. June 1, 2008.Lusby PE, Coombes A, Wilkinson JM. Honey: A Potent Agent for Wound Healing? Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing. November 2002.Ahmed S, Othman NH. Review of the Medicinal Effects of Tualang Honey and a Comparison With Manuka Honey. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences. May 2013.History and Heritage of Honey in Wound Healing. Wound and Burn Dressing Medihoney With Active Leptospermum Honey.Ayurvedic Medicine. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. September 24, 2017.Burlando B, Cornara L. Honey in Dermatology and Skin Care: A Review. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. December 4, 2013.Erejuwa OO. Effect of Honey in Diabetes Mellitus: Matters Arising. Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders. January 29, 2014.Katayama M, Inomata N, Inagawa N, et al. A Case of Contact Urticaria Syndrome Stage 3 After Honey Ingestion, Induced by Epicutaneous Sensitization During Skin Care With Honey. Contact Dermatitis. February 21, 2016.Aguiar R, Duarte FC, Mendes A, et al. Anaphylaxis Caused by Honey: A Case Report. Asia Pacific Allergy. January 2017.Samarghandian S, Farkhondeh T, Samini F. Honey and Health: A Review of Recent Clinical Research. Pharmacognosy Research. April-June 2017.The Science Behind Honey’s Eternal Shelf Life. Smithsonian. August 22, 2013.Guidance for Industry: Proper Labeling of Honey and Honey Products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 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