# Advantages of Honey? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2022, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175 "2022-02-09T21:22:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/21 "2022-02-10T14:58:13Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Honey has a distinctive flavour and aroma - this might mean you could use less of it than plain sugar, for the same perceived level of sweetness, so that might be a thing. This is true for us. Our neighbor has bees that we see periodically feeding on clover in our horse pastures. He gives us a bottle out of each batch (he does the same with the maple syrup he makes, tapping some of our trees). It is a precious commodity. There’s something about eating honey drizzled on toast while looking at the field that produced the honey. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/22 "2022-02-10T15:12:52Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > They sell bandages with honey in them, and honey ointments. The advantage is supposed to be anti-microbial action, and positive immunologic and physiologic effects on wound healing. A Cochrane systematic review in 2015 found that while honey dressings were effective in speeding healing of partial thickness burns by several days, overall effectiveness was questionable. “The differences in wound types and comparators make it impossible to draw overall conclusions about the effects of honey on wound healing. The evidence for most comparisons is low or very low quality. This was largely because we thought that problems with the design of some of the studies made their results unreliable and for many outcomes there was only a small amount of information available. In some cases the results of the studies varied considerably.” Nutritionally speaking as others have pointed out, honey is far from being a “superfood”, as it is mostly sugar with scant trace vitamins and minerals. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/23 "2022-02-10T15:32:03Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Nutritionally speaking as others have pointed out, honey is far from being a “superfood”, as it is mostly sugar with scant trace vitamins and minerals. Not that one should eat that much sugar, but the advantage of honey may be that different nectars taste different, so you have a little variety of choice beyond the white sugar lump/crystal vs the brown sugar lump/crystal. Even the wound ointment stuff says on the tube that it is 100% manuka honey, not that I tried licking it. ---
**Author:** ![Rangerdanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/67e7ee/32.png) [@Rangerdanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rangerdanger)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/24 "2022-02-10T15:39:23Z")
Honey requires us to have bees - hours of entertainment just watching them fly around and beard and sip at our bee bath. Our beekeeper does almost all of the work, but we try to help. Maybe having honey doesn’t require us to have bees… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/25 "2022-02-10T15:41:36Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Even the wound ointment stuff says on the tube that it is 100% manuka honey, not that I tried licking it. My understanding is that medical grade honeys used in wound healing are sterilized and prepared as dressings, and may be of different types of honey, not necessarily Manuka. There’s a lot of hype out there about Manuka honey, but a paucity of evidence to show superiority in wound treatment to other types. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/26 "2022-02-10T16:04:19Z")
I find that if I use honey as the starter for my bread, the bread doesn’t go stale quite as quickly as it does if I use sugar. I like the flavor of honey for many things, but find it too aggressive for many other things. I mostly cook with cane sugar. But I keep a nice little collection of honey, too. I am especially partial to a crystalized blueberry honey. It’s flavor is quite mild, but the texture is fabulous, and it feels cool as it melts on the tongue, and I just enjoy it a lot. I also have a honey with butterscotch overtones that a some of a friend’s bees make. (The ones that forage in a particular area.) ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/27 "2022-02-10T16:58:00Z")
In my experience adding a spoon of honey to a cup of hot tea is really soothing for a sore throat. Much better than hot tea alone, or tea with sugar. Could obviously be a placebo effect, but I’ll take it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/28 "2022-02-10T16:59:48Z")
placebo painkillers are the best painkillers, so long as they work. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/29 "2022-02-10T18:46:00Z")
Here is a very good video from a food scientist/dietician breaking down some myths about various sweeteners. She goes into the differences between the different types of sugars (glucose, sucrose, fructose, and maltose) and the effects on blood glucose levels. One key point that she mentions: fructose has less of an effect on blood glucose levels (because it isn’t glucose), but can increase cholesterol and triglycerides. If you want to skip to the honey sections, it’s around 14:40. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BU3bTBWnvT4/maxresdefault.jpg "Debunking "Healthy" TikTok DESSERTS | Ann Reardon How To Cook That") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU3bTBWnvT4) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/30 "2022-02-10T19:43:50Z")
Awesome video! I highly recommend @Jim_B and any other Type 2 diabetics (such as myself) check this out. There’s a ton of misinformation out there about the differences between sugars and this really does a great job of explaining it. I just had a conversation the other day with a smart, educated person who said he assumed honey was way better for diabetics than any other kind of sugar. Spoiler: It’s all the same in your gut. Just eat less sweet stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/31 "2022-02-10T19:59:16Z")
There are also good reasons to purchase local honey. [https://www.betterhensandgardens.com/reasons-to-buy-raw-local-honey/#:~:text=Raw%20honey%20has%20anti-bacterial,and%20reduce%20pollen%20allergy%20symptoms](https://www.betterhensandgardens.com/reasons-to-buy-raw-local-honey/#:~:text=Raw%20honey%20has%20anti%2Dbacterial,and%20reduce%20pollen%20allergy%20symptoms). > Raw, local honey also contains a blend of local pollen, which can strengthen a person’s immune system, and reduce pollen allergy symptoms. > **[6 Amazing Health Benefits of Local, Raw Honey](https://www.farmersalmanac.com/local-raw-honey-22439)** > > From a sleep remedy to a healing salve, read how raw honey is a natural, powerful antioxidant is a must-have in your home. > Eating unfiltered, unheated, raw honey produced within your area, (50-mile radius or less) is like receiving a natural anti-allergy shot! Quercetin, a component of honey, has been found in studies to reduce inflammation and pollen allergy symptoms. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/32 "2022-02-10T20:04:24Z")
My favorite was always fireweed honey. We could get it in Alaska fairly easily. I never had any that crystalized and the flavor was great. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/33 "2022-02-10T20:11:18Z")
@Railer13 all those assertions in that link should be taken with a HUGE shaker of salt. from [this study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S096399692031111X): " Despite the promising reports of _in vitro_ anti-inflammatory activity, well-designed clinical trials need yet to be performed to confirm the benefits of honeys from different botanical sources in diseases that include episodes of inflammation." In other word, it seems to have features that work in a test tube, but we should see if it works in actual living organisms. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/34 "2022-02-10T20:56:13Z")
incidentally, honey made from bees that frequent certain types of rhododendrons contain neurotoxins that can cause poisoning and even death. Some people seek out “mad honey” for its reported hallucingenic effects. > [@](#): > > **Grayanotoxins** are a group of closely related [neurotoxins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotoxin) named after _[Leucothoe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucothoe_(plant)) grayana_ , a plant native to Japan originally named for 19th century American botanist [Asa Gray](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asa_Gray).[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-chem-1) Grayanotoxin I (grayanotaxane-3,5,6,10,14,16-hexol 14-acetate) is also known as **andromedotoxin** , **acetylandromedol** , **rhodotoxin** and **asebotoxin**.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-2) Grayanotoxins are produced by _[Rhododendron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron)_ species and other plants in the family [Ericaceae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ericaceae). [Honey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey) made from the [nectar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nectar) and so containing [pollen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen) of these plants also contains grayanotoxins and is commonly referred to as **mad honey**.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:1-3) Consumption of the plant or any of its secondary products, including mad honey, can cause a rare poisonous reaction called grayanotoxin poisoning, mad honey disease, honey intoxication, or rhododendron poisoning.[[3]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:1-3)[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-4) It is most frequently produced and consumed in regions of [Nepal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal) and [Turkey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey) as a recreational drug and traditional medicine.[[5]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:0-5) > > … > > The intoxicating effects of mad honey have been known for thousands of years. Not surprisingly, there have been many famous episodes of human inebriation caused by its consumption. [Xenophon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophon), [Aristotle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle), [Strabo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strabo), [Pliny the Elder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliny_the_Elder)[[16]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-mad_honey-16)[[21]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:10-21) and [Columella](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columella) all document the results of eating this “maddening” honey, believed to be from the pollen and nectar of _[Rhododendron luteum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron_luteum)_ and _[Rhododendron ponticum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron_ponticum)_ .[[22]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:11-22) According to [Xenophon’s _Anabasis_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabasis_(Xenophon)), an invading Greek army was accidentally poisoned by harvesting and eating the local Asia Minor honey, but they all made a quick recovery with only some fatalities.[[23]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:12-23) Having heard of this incident, and realizing that foreign invaders would be ignorant of the dangers of the local honey, [King Mithridates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithridates_VI_of_Pontus) later used the honey as a deliberate poison when [Pompey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompey)’s army attacked the Heptakometes in Asia Minor in 69 BC.[[24]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:13-24) The Roman soldiers became delirious and nauseated after being tricked into eating the toxic honey, at which point Mithridates’s army attacked.[[25]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:14-25)[[26]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:15-26)[[27]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#cite_note-:16-27) Adrienne Mayor wrote about “mad honey” at length in her book _Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World_ [Grayanotoxin - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayanotoxin#:~:text=pollinated%20by%20bumblebees.-,Mad%20honey%20intoxication,of%20grayanotoxin%20poisoning%20in%20humans). ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2022, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/35 "2022-02-10T21:18:03Z")
There is also some evidence that higher triglycerides may negatively affect glycemic control. [https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/home/topics/diabetes/type-2-diabetes/elevated-triglyceride-levels-affect-glycemic-control-in-type-2-diabetes/](https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/home/topics/diabetes/type-2-diabetes/elevated-triglyceride-levels-affect-glycemic-control-in-type-2-diabetes/) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/36 "2022-02-12T15:50:18Z")
The problem with placebos for pain (or other ailments) is that while they often _seem_ to work for a time, the effect typically goes away and the users winds up on a constant search for new placebos. If you’ve got the money and time and the health issue is not critical, this may not be such a bad thing - unless you’re overlooking consistently effective evidence-based treatments. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/37 "2022-02-12T16:01:50Z")
Cite? We gave one of the children a spoonful of “placebo” (water, corn syrup, and red food coloring) every time they were sick but didn’t have a fever for years, and they felt better every time. I’m also not convinced there are any good long-term evidence-based treatments for pain. I mean, if you learn that you have arthritis that can be alleviated with a hip replacement or if a doctor suggests using a heavy dose of anti-inflammatory drugs to allow an injury to heal, sure. I’m not suggesting you ignore modern medicine. But if honey soothes your sore throat when you have a cold, i think it’s better to use honey than to use a drug that might have more side effects. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/38 "2022-02-12T16:30:36Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Cite? A good evaluation of placebos and their limitations can be found in R. Barker Bausell’s “Snake Oil Science” (Bausell is a biostatistician and was a research director for the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine). > **[Snake Oil Science: The Truth About Complementary and Alternative Medicine:...](https://www.amazon.com/Snake-Oil-Science-Complementary-Alternative/dp/0195383427)** > > Snake Oil Science: The Truth About Complementary and Alternative Medicine: 9780195383423: Medicine & Health Science Books @ Amazon.com A telling indication of the tenuousness of placebos is the vast number of “alternative” therapies (read: placebos) listed for various ailments. If any one of them was truly effective there’d be no need to try so many others. But people do wind up on a merry-go-round, using (and swearing by) a supplement pill or dietary ingredient, until giving it up after it stops relieving symptoms. > [@](#): > > I’m also not convinced there are any good long-term evidence-based treatments for pain. There are, but of course there are significant downsides with chronic use, which is why evidence-based medicine is increasingly gravitating to non-pharmaceutical modalities for treating pain. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/39 "2022-02-12T16:40:44Z")
I guess I’ll take your word that that book presents evidence that > [@Jackmannii](#): > > the [placebo] effect typically goes away and the users winds up on a constant search for new placebos. That’s not in the blurb, nor in the dozen reviews I read. The topic is “lots of alternative medicine is just placebo”, which is an excellent critique of expensive alternative medicine, but not a critique of cheap safe placebos you already have around the house, like a teaspoon of honey in tea for a sore throat. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175/40 "2022-02-12T20:26:32Z")
Honey to my knowledge is not considered a placebo treatment for sore throat (it is one of the home therapies for sore throat recommended by the CDC for instance). There are are other physically soothing things one can use in this setting like soup or tea, despite a lack of convincing evidence that the X factor is an antimicrobial, antioxidant or other substance within them that “heals” the sore throat. Upping fluid intake to maintain hydration has value as well. There are quite a few herbal remedies for sore throat and other superficial irritations that have in common a soothing syrup or other lubricating base that people respond to. The herb may or may not have a significant role. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advantages-of-honey/959175.md?page=3)