Is Honey Good for You?
Honey has a beautiful golden color, and it tastes delicious to boot. As such, you are probably wondering if anything that tastes that good can be good for your health, which is understandable. Read on to learn more about whether or not honey is good for you and what to consider when shopping for a healthy type of honey.
Is Honey Good for You?
Honey is a sweetener that is made from the nectar of flowering plants. Bees consume the nectar, digest it and then regurgitate it into honeycomb structures in their hives. Humans gather the honey through beekeeping. There are several different types of honey available on the market. The most popular is clover honey, but you might also find orange blossom honey, blueberry honey and even avocado honey.
Honey is made almost entirely of carbohydrates with little fat, protein or fiber. It does contain some beneficial compounds, including phenolic acids and flavonoids, as well as trace amounts of iron, potassium and zinc. Some research suggests that regular consumption of antioxidants can help protect against chronic conditions such as heart disease and cancer. There is some evidence to suggest that honey increases blood glucose less than refined sugar, which is helpful for those at risk of diabetes. There is also some evidence that consuming honey in lieu of refined sugar can help keep your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels low. People also like to apply honey topically as a skincare treatment due to its antibacterial properties.
Because of these antioxidants, honey is often a healthier choice of sweetener than refined sugar and other heavily processed options which do not offer these nutritional benefits. It is also very versatile and can be used in beverages, desserts, dinners and more. However, it is important to consume in moderation, as it does still contain sugar. It should be counted as part of the rest of your sugar intake, alongside maple syrup, agave syrup and desserts.
Choosing a Honey
Not all honeys are created equal. When shopping for honey, there are several things that you need to look out for. Ideally, you should choose a raw honey that has not been pasteurized, filtered or processed. These additional refining methods can change the honey and decrease the antioxidants and other beneficial compounds in it. Choosing a raw honey is the easiest way to ensure that you are getting a high-quality product that will have the health benefits you are looking for.
The most common refining method is heat, which is used to thin the texture of the honey, make it easier to pour and reduce the chances that the honey will crystallize. While this may make the texture more enjoyable, the heat damages the antioxidants and enzymes in the honey. Raw honey has not been subjected to these heating processes, which is why it usually has a thicker texture and does not pour as easily.
While you may be tempted to get a cheaper honey, many lower quality products are heavily processed and sometimes even cut with syrup in order to reduce costs and increase profits. Buying products that have been cut with other things will not offer the health benefits that genuine raw honey will, not to mention the taste and texture can be compromised if the honey is mixed with other things. When you buy a higher quality honey, you know that you are getting 100 percent honey and not a product that has been adulterated with other products.
When creating the Brightland honey, we knew that we wanted to offer a high-quality, 100 percent genuine raw honey product that would provide excellent health benefits as well as a delicious taste. We source, harvest and package our honey with the same care that we do for all of our other products so you know you are getting exactly what the label says. You can buy our raw honey with complete confidence that it has been held to the highest quality standard.
