Bees make honey from the nectar of various plants, so today there is more than one honey. three hundred various types of this sweet product.
Plant nectars contain different components, so each variety has a different taste and color. However, what is common to all types of honey is 95-97% of the dry weight of the product, according to doctor, nutritionist Andrey Korolev, co-founder of the healthy food delivery service Svejo.ru. is is Candy.
“To be precise, 100 g of honey contains 82.4 g of carbohydrates. But there is very little protein in honey – it is basically represented by enzymes that help honey mature in the combs,” he explains.
Honey is considered a vitamin-rich food: plenty of vitamins C and B6, as well as niacin, riboflavin, folic acid, and choline. But, according to Korolev, in reality there are even fewer vitamins in honey than in protein, and none of them even come close to the daily norm in terms of content.
The doctor adds that honey also does not differ in the content of any important mineral: the most calcium in honey is 6 mg per 100 g of the product, phosphorus – 4 mg, magnesium – 2 mg. In this case, the daily requirement is 500-1200 mg of calcium, 550-1400 mg of phosphorus and 200-500 mg of magnesium.
“It turned out that honey contains 100 times less minerals than it should. So it turns out that honey is just a supersaturated sugar solution. It does not reach the level of a complete food with enough protein, fat, carbohydrates and other nutrients. It’s just a natural sweetness, ”concludes the expert.
Neuroendocrinologist Yuri Poteshkin, chair of the Scientific Council of the Atlas clinical network, adds that honey is absolutely identical to sugar in terms of bioavailability and how it raises glucose levels.
“This negative effect outweighs any possible benefit, so honey cannot be considered a healthier substitute for sugar. Only stevia can be called a relative substitute for sugar,” the doctor says.
Poteshkin explains that sugar leads to protein glycation, which speeds up the aging process. Also, according to the doctor, glycation underlies type 2 diabetes.
“The glycemic index of honey is as high as that of sugar, so in borderline conditions, that is, when there is no diabetes yet, but there is a predisposition or prediabetes, consumption of rapidly absorbed carbohydrates such as honey inevitably leads to glucose. peaks. Gradually, but this leads to faster aging, ”the doctor warns.
But perhaps the power of honey lies elsewhere? For example, honey is believed to accelerate wound healing and alleviate colds and viral diseases.
“The ancient Greeks recommended applying honey to boils and burns. However, I would not recommend doing this today, as beeswax-based dressings can cause allergies,” warns Andrey Korolev.
Relying on the fact that honey fights cold viruses is not worth it, according to one nutritionist. It does not help with nasal congestion and runny nose, as well as dripping the honey solution into the nose.
“Warm tea with honey soothes sore throat and relieves cough. However, honey should not be given to children under one year old because the product may contain Clostridium spores. Adults endure such acquaintance without problems, but spores that “fall asleep” in the sweetness of honey in children can cause botulism, he warns.
According to Korolev, when honey really helps, it’s for weight control.
“Although honey has no benefits over regular sugar, it’s still a good substitute for added sugars. The important thing is to use it correctly,” he says.
The doctor explains that the best way to control weight is to eat a balanced diet high in complete proteins, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. But getting used to healthy food isn’t as easy as it sounds, because compared to candies, cakes, and sodas, fruit and whole-grain toast aren’t sweet at all.
“This is where honey comes into play as a compromise. Adding honey to a fruit salad or sprinkling it on whole-grain toast for breakfast can make healthy foods much sweeter than if you sweeten them with the same amount of sugar,” Korolev concludes.