 The Apples & Honey flavor of Honeydrop tastes like apple juice and honey. As the bee says, it tastes good! Photography by Corey Lugg | THE NIBBLE.
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KAREN HOCHMAN is Editorial Director of THE NIBBLE.
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April 2009
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Honeydrop Honey Drink
Page 2: Honey Nutrition
This is Page 2 of a three-page article. Click on the black links below to visit other pages.
Is honey better for you than refined sugar (also known as white table sugar, granulated sugar or sucrose)? Yes!
Honey Nutrition
Nutritive Value
Table sugar is stripped of most nutritive value, while honey contains 2% minerals, vitamins, pollen and protein. The nutrients include B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and some amino acids. The flower nectar itself is composed mainly of sucrose and water; the bees add enzymes that create additional chemical compounds, inverting the sucrose into fructose and glucose (due to the high level of fructose, honey is three times sweeter than table sugar). The water is then evaporated to an average of 18%; honey has so little water that it rarely spoils, and edible honey has been found in the tombs of the Pharaohs! (The less water content the honey has, the better the quality of honey.)
Unlike honey, table sugar lacks a nutrient profile—that’s why sugar-laden foods are called “empty calories.” Instead of providing nutrition, they draw upon the body’s nutrients in order to be metabolized into the system. When these nutrients are all used up, metabolizing of cholesterol and fatty acid is impeded, contributing to higher cholesterol and promoting obesity. So honey or other low-glycemic sweeteners (agave syrup, maple syrup) are smarter choices for sweetening than sugar.
Calories
 One tablespoon of honey has 64 calories, zero fat, zero sodium, 16g sugars and 17g total carbohydrate. While one tablespoon of table sugar contains only 46 calories, honey is three times as sweet.
When 1/3 the amount is required, the equivalent sweetness of honey contains less than half the calories (21.3 calories for 1/3 tablespoon of honey, compared to 46 calories for one tablespoon of sugar).
Photo by Michael S. Richter | Morguefile.
Glycemic Index
Many diabetics use honey as a sweetener; it has a lower Glycemic Index than table sugar. Honey has less glucose than refined sugar and more fructose, which is absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream—and, as noted above, one-third the amount is needed. (Each diabetic has specific needs, and needs to work with his healthcare advisor to incorporate honey and other carbohydrates into meal planning—it is the total amount of carbohydrates that is key, not specifically sugar products.)
Continue To Page 3: Honey Drink Flavors
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