How healthy is honey? – AHA

As temperatures fall, honey’s popularity tends to rise. Whether used as an ingredient in autumn recipes and holiday desserts, added to a celebratory cocktail or given to ease a child’s cough, it certainly satisfies a sweet tooth.

Although marketers may tout honey as a healthy alternative to regular sugar because of its antioxidant content, experts warn against adding any extra sugar to your diet, according to the American Heart Association News.

“Added sugars in the diet are definitely something that people should keep low, regardless of the source,” said Maya Vadiveloo, assistant professor of nutrition and health sciences in the College of Health Science at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. “Holistically speaking, I would not say consuming large amounts of added sugars – whether it be from honey, sugar, maple syrup or corn syrup – is a good thing.”