BASIC HONEY FACTS
Honey is best known as the world's most natural, healthy, and beneficial sweetener, and has established itself as a staple for households all over the world. More than just being an all-natural sugar substitute, more and more people are turning to honey as they seek healthier alternatives and lifestyles. Thus honey continues to play a role in those who are seeking optimal health naturally.
1. What is honey? Honey is a sweet syrup extracted from the honeycomb of a beehive. Basically it is a nectar of flowers collected by the honeybees, and it is stored in the honeycomb inside of the beehives by the bees.
2. What is in honey? Honey contains mostly sugar, as well as a mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc and antioxidants. In addition to its use as a natural sweetener, honey is used as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antibacterial agent (www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-honey/art-20363819).
3. What is the purest form of honey? Raw Honey is the purest form of honey. Raw honey is unfiltered, unpasteurized and unprocessed and usually unheated or heated minimally.
4. What is the difference between Pure Honey and Raw Honey? Pure Honey is unadulterated honey, i.e. no additives. This doesn't necessarily mean the honey is also raw or organic.
5. What is the story with "Organic" Honey? Organic is a term that covers all the things that affect the honey before it is harvested from the hive and processed. If the bees harvested nectar from organic vegetation and no herbicides, miticides, or pesticides were used around the bees, then the honey can be considered organic by nature. Honeybees often travel up to a three mile radius from their hive in foraging for nectar. Thus the honey producer would have to prove that plants within that radius were organically grown. But understand that Organic Honey is not necessarily Pure, Raw, or Unfiltered.
6. How many varieties of honey are there in North America? There are well over 300 unique varieties of honey produced in North America.
7. What is the most produced Honey in North America? Across North America Clover Honey by volume is the most produced and consumed honey. It is mild in flavor and varies greatly in color from water white to light amber.
8. Is Honey sweeter than Sugar? Honey on average can be 25% sweeter than sugar as it contains a higher content of fructose than glucose. Sugar is made up of a combination of fructose and glucose, which bond together to form sucrose. Fructose is sweeter than glucose so less honey can be used to obtain the same sweetness. Honey is slightly higher in calories, one teaspoon of honey contains 22 calories while one teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories.