Why Honey Should Be Your New Sugar Substitute

By Nicole Stevenson
[Nutrition & Diet]
What’s the difference between raw honey and processed?  Nicole Stevenson reveals the sweet benefits of nature’s sugar.
Sugar isn’t good for you, but you knew that.  Some say artificial sweeteners aren’t good for you either.  So when you’re making your tea in the morning or getting to some baking, what should you use?  As it turns out, the liquid gold once used in religious ceremonies to pay tribute to the gods, embalm the dead and perhaps more famously, combined with milk as a skin-softening bath for Cleopatra herself, honey should be the top choice for a sugar substitute.  More and more studies are showing that honey, the sticky stuff bees produce that will never, ever go bad, is not only the most nutritious sweetener available, but also the only one that can improve your health as well as your tea.

Raw Nutrients

Honey is produced through a complicated process in which bees collect the nectar of flowers, which mixes with enzymes in their saliva.  The bees then place what has now turned into honey into the walls of their hives.  Afterwards, the bees create a substance called propolis and seal the hive, protecting it from bacteria and microorganisms.  While propolis has been found to contain not-so-healthy substances, such as road tar, it generally contains anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal resins, and beekeepers will sometimes use a trap on the inside of the hive in order to seal in this special substance, which will then find its way into the honey in small doses.  Both raw honey and propolis contain several tongue twisting properties that may prevent cancer and tumours, like phenylethyl caffeate and phenylethyl dimethylcaffeate.  Honey also contains high amounts of good bacteria, antioxidants and amino acids.  However, the more processed the honey, the more phytonutrients it loses.  If you can, head to your local health food or organics store and get raw honey rather than the pasteurized and processed kind lining grocery store shelves (which is still better than sugar or sugar-imposter chemicals).

How Honey Helps

Ever wonder why so many cough remedies are honey flavoured?  Well, as it turns out, they may be trying to mimic the effects of the real thing.  One study of children with nighttime coughing showed that a single dose of buckwheat honey provided more effective cough relief than regular DM cold medication.  While honey should never be given to children under a year old due to the risk of infantile botulism, this may be an alternative remedy for coughs in children under the age of six, who may not take over the counter cold medications.

The sweet stuff may also help control blood sugar.  As it is an almost equal balance of fructose and glucose, it facilitates the incorporation of glucose into glycogen, which is stored in liver and muscle cells and gives the body fuel during sleep and prolonged exercise.  Without adequate amounts of this glycogen, stress hormones are enlisted to convert muscle protein into glucose and may eventually lead to insulin resistance and increased risk of heart disease.  These stores of glycogens also help athletes perform better for longer and help muscle recuperation after exercise.  Even though honey is a sugary, 64-calorie-per-tablespoon delight, when consumed with warm water, as in tea, it actually aids in the digestion of fat and thus promotes weight loss.  It contains antioxidants, which protect your cells against cancer-causing free radicals, it reduces cholesterol and it can even leave your skin and hair soft and radiant.
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