Why is honey sweet?

Honey is sweet because it contains sugar – the answer to this question is quite obvious. However, sugar comes in many forms… Among the numerous carbohydrates found in honey, simple sugars predominate, namely glucose and fructose, which are responsible for honey's sweet taste and its nutritional properties. In nectar honeys, they constitute about 32-40%, while in honeydew honeys slightly less, around 30%.

The next sugar in honey, by quantity, is sucrose, the sweet disaccharide. It comes from nectar, and its percentage content should not exceed five percent (on average about 2-3 percent). Under the influence of a special enzyme – invertase – sucrose is broken down in the bee's digestive tract into simple sugars, namely the previously mentioned glucose and fructose. If there is more than five percent sucrose in the honey, it means that the honey is immature or has been falsified and is not 100% natural. 

Glucose, fructose, and sucrose are not the only sugars found in honey. The next ones are:

  • maltose, also known as malt sugar, which is also a disaccharide,
  • melecytoza, also known as larch sugar, found in honeydew honeys,

as well as trace amounts of other polysaccharides: melibiose, gentiobiose, isomaltose, and others.

Honey is a product that is biologically and chemically pure, rich in simple sugars, organic acids, amino acids, vitamins, enzymes, and bioelements. Regular use of honey and other bee products will help avoid frequent states of general weakness, colds, allergies, and problems with the circulatory, blood, or digestive systems. 

Although honey is an extremely valuable and healthy product, it contains quite a lot of calories and also raises blood glucose levels. Therefore, it should be used in reasonable amounts, especially if suffering from type 2 diabetes or struggling with obesity. Moreover, honey may contain trace amounts of botulinum toxin, so it should not be given to children before completing their first year.

Is the sugar in honey healthy?

Consuming any sugar in excess cannot be considered a healthy habit. However, simple sugars, namely glucose and fructose, are absorbed more easily and quickly than complex sugars. That's why it's said that just a teaspoon of honey is enough to feel a surge of energy and increased concentration – the absorption of sugars and carbohydrates is very fast. Of course, honey, although it mainly consists of 'carbs,' also contains plenty of health-promoting compounds, enzymes, micro and macroelements. This also speaks in favor of the fact that if we are already going to sweeten tea or snack on sweets, we can try doing it with a healthier alternative – HONEY.

Chemical composition of honey:

What does Polish natural bee honey contain? 


By buying native bee honey, we support not only Polish beekeeping,
but we guarantee the continued existence of millions of wild-growing plants
and we protect the natural environment.

What does refined beet sugar contain?

The table was developed based on beekeeping and medical literature