Choosing the perfect sweetner is not easy and there are several things to take into account when making this choice.
If you have not yet decided what to use for sweetening your tea or coffee or when preparing different types of sweets, you should learn the major difference between sugar and honey, as well as the benefits of the latter.
Does Honey Affect Your Silhouette?
As with any other product, honey can be a factor of concern when it comes to your weight if you use it in excess. However, a spoonful of honey in your coffee will not have a fattening effect on you. A teaspoon of honey has about 64 calories and a sugar one only 46 calories, but the natural sweetness of honey is higher, so you will not have to use the same quantity you would with sugar.
Honey, the Natural Alternative
Another major advantage is that honey is natural, at least theoretically. Honey is a natural sweetener that does not involve human intervention in its production, thus preventing the infiltration of harmful substances.
Both sugar and honey contain fructose and glucose, but the latter has something in addition that makes it a healthier sweetner for people of all ages: 5% of honey is made from natural pigments, antioxidants and enzymes that help digestion. Moreover, honey contains seven of the B vitamins, vitamin C and a number of minerals such as calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus and magnesium.
How to Choose Natural Honey?
All the benefits mentioned above come, of course, from natural honey. Unfortunately, it is more difficult to find pure natural honey today, when counterfeiting has become a fashion among some of the honey producers. However, there are ways to distinguish between natural and fake honey. Natural honey is pure, homogenous, in the form of a viscous fluid, free from impurities and without any trace of something similar to foam.
One of the most appreciated types of natural honey, the Acacia honey, is light, almost transparent and it distinguishes from all other types of honey are distinguished by the fact it does not crystallize. If someone tries to sell you crystallized acacia honey, it means that it is not authentic.
Lime blossom honey has a stronger flavor and a golden color. It is normal for this kind of natural honey to crystallize, and the crystals formed are small to medium size.
Finally, multi-flower honey can vary in color from yellow to brown shades, sometimes with tints of green or red. This type of honey can for crystals and their size range from medium to high.