Honey is mostly sugar, but it isn't only sugar. Tucked into every spoonful are small amounts of plant compounds that come from the flowers bees visit. Many of these compounds have antioxidant activity. Here's what that means and how much it really matters.
What are antioxidants?
Your body constantly produces unstable molecules called free radicals as part of normal metabolism. Exposure to things like UV light and pollution adds more. Antioxidants are molecules that can neutralize free radicals. Your body makes its own, and you also get them from food, especially plants.
Which antioxidants are in honey?
Researchers have identified a wide range of compounds in honey, including:
- Flavonoids such as pinocembrin, chrysin, galangin and quercetin
- Phenolic acids such as caffeic acid, gallic acid and p-coumaric acid
- Enzymes such as glucose oxidase and catalase
- Other compounds including small amounts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and carotenoids
The exact mix depends heavily on the floral source, region and season. Manuka honey, for example, has its own distinctive profile.
Why darker honey has more
Study after study has found that darker honeys, such as buckwheat, chestnut and some forest honeys, tend to have higher phenolic content and stronger antioxidant activity than pale honeys like acacia or clover. One University of Illinois study found buckwheat honey had many times the antioxidant content of light-colored honeys.
So if antioxidant content matters to you, color is a useful rough guide.
Does eating honey raise antioxidant levels?
A small 2003 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that adults who consumed buckwheat honey showed increased antioxidant activity in their blood afterward. Some research has also looked at honey replacing other sweeteners in the diet.
That's promising, but keep it in context. These studies are small, and honey is still mostly sugar. You'd get far more antioxidants from a bowl of berries, a cup of green tea, a handful of nuts or a spoonful of raw cacao.
Does processing matter?
Heavy heating and ultrafiltration can reduce some of honey's delicate compounds, including enzymes and pollen. Raw honey, which is strained but not heavily processed, generally retains more of what the bees put in. Storage matters too: honey kept in heat or sunlight can slowly lose quality over time.
A note on ORAC scores
You may see honey or other foods marketed with ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) scores. The USDA withdrew its ORAC database in 2012, noting that test-tube antioxidant values don't necessarily reflect what happens in the human body. Treat these numbers with skepticism.
How to get more from your honey
- Choose raw honey from a trusted source.
- Try darker varieties like buckwheat or forest honey.
- Store it well: sealed, cool, away from sunlight.
- Pair it with antioxidant-rich foods like berries, cacao, tea and nuts.
Antioxidants beyond honey
If you're looking to increase antioxidants in your diet, focus on variety. Colorful fruits and vegetables, especially berries, leafy greens and red cabbage, are excellent sources. Green and black tea provide catechins and other polyphenols. Coffee is one of the biggest sources of polyphenols in many people's diets. Nuts, beans, herbs, spices and dark chocolate or raw cacao round out the list. Honey can be one small, delicious part of that mix, especially if it's replacing refined sugar that offers none of these compounds.
Antioxidant-rich ingredients, together
HYVE Mind Focus & Memory pairs raw honey with another antioxidant-rich ingredient: organic raw cacao, known for its flavanols. Each 14g packet combines 100% raw, USDA Organic rainforest honey (every barrel third-party tested for pesticide residue) with cacao, 222mg of organic lion's mane extract (20:1, dual-sourced from 100% fruiting body), 80mg of L-theanine, organic bee pollen and organic vanilla.
It's 45 calories, caffeine-free and vanilla-chocolate flavored.
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Not for infants under 12 months or anyone with bee or bee-product allergies.
