Honey Facts
Honey is the healthy, nutritious, natural alternative to sugar. Pure honey is naturally sweet and has become a healthier and tastier option over processed sugars and sweeteners. Honey contains many vitamins, minerals and natural antioxidants which help maintain good health and build immunity against sickness.
Nutrition
A healthy natural sweetener, raw honey offers many nutritional benefits without the man-made chemicals found in many other forms of sweeteners. Although nutrition facts vary slightly depending on the floral variety, they remain similar as a whole.
Calories
Each tablespoon of raw honey contains 64 calories and is fat-free, cholesterol-free and sodium-free. The average composition of raw honey is approximately 80% carbohydrates, 18% water and 2% vitamins, minerals and amino acids.
Carbohydrates
Packed with natural sugar – primarily fructose and glucose – raw honey is high in carbohydrates. Each tablespoon contains 17g of carbohydrates, 16g of which are sugars.
Vitamins & Minerals
Raw honey is rich in vitamins and minerals. Vitamin B6, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid are common vitamins found in raw honey, although amounts vary depending on the floral source of the honey. Calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc are abundant minerals in raw honey.
Antioxidants
Raw honey also contains antioxidants, present in the form of polyphenols, which help fight off free radicals that contribute to many serious diseases.
Use Honey First For A Cough
New guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England (PHE) have been developed after looking at the best available scientific evidence in treating acute short-term coughs.
The evidence shows that honey is effective at reducing the symptoms of acute coughs due to upper respiratory tract infections relating to the common cold, flu, acute bronchitis and chest infections.
Antibiotics can be used to treat infections caused by bacteria. However, most acute coughs are caused by viruses which neither need nor respond to antibiotics.
These guidelines give clear best practice recommendations for doctors and other healthcare professionals.
Treat yourself with this simple remedy:
- Squeeze half a lemon into a mug of boiled water
- Add 2 teaspoons of local honey
- Drink while still warm
