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People have used honey for centuries to add sweetness to foods and beverages, including tea and coffee. In fact, many people prefer honey as a healthier alternative to white sugar or zero-calorie sweeteners. But is it good for you and should you put honey in coffee?
However, honey has some drawbacks to consider in addition to the health benefits. In this post, we’ll review the pros and cons of adding honey to your morning brew.
How Many Nutrients To Expect by Putting Honey in Coffee
Honey, unlike white sugar and artificial sweeteners, which offer few nutrients for the calories, includes vitamins, minerals, and other health benefits. These additions might make honey a better choice than refined sugar or sweeteners for people looking for a small nutritional boost.
Plus, honey contains antioxidants, which might help prevent damage to cells caused by harmful compounds called free radicals.
In addition, honey includes pollen, which some people believe helps reduce allergies and boost the immune system. This is particularly true when consuming local honey, since it will contain pollen from the plants in your area.
However, putting honey in hot coffee is unlikely to make a significant difference in your health. Plus, the downside of how it affects blood sugar may not be worth the trade.
To Summarize
Honey, unlike sugar and artificial sweeteners, is a valuable source of nutrients and other compounds with some health benefits. The tiny quantity of honey in coffee typically added to coffee isn’t likely to make a significant difference in your health.
Mostly Empty Calories With Adding Honey
Honey is mostly natural sugar and contains very few nutrients. Choose honey only occasionally and in small quantities. Shoot for only around 5% of your daily caloric intake and certainly don’t add as much honey as you might like.
Honey can add more calories to your beverage than you might expect. Adding two teaspoons (14 grams) of honey to your coffee may easily cause you to exceed this limit, especially if you’re an avid coffee lover that drinks many cups each day.
Obesity, type 2 diabetes, spiked blood sugar levels, and heart disease are all linked to excessive added sugar consumption. If you’re trying to reduce your daily caloric intake, it might be best to skip honey in coffee altogether, and instead, focus on the quality of your coffee. Alternatively, try using a natural sweetener instead.
To Summarize
More honey, more calories. Adding honey to coffee adds significant amounts of sugar (and calories) to your coffee and raises blood sugar levels. If you’re trying to reduce your daily caloric intake, it might be best to skip honey in your coffee cup altogether. Alternatively, try using a natural sweetener to sweeten coffee instead.
Flavor Effects: Raw Honey, Buckwheat Honey, and Manuka Honey
Honey may alter the taste of your coffee.
The flavor of honey varies depending on the type of pollen it is made from. Clover honey, for example, has a very faint flavor, while other types, such as buckwheat or manuka, have a considerably more powerful taste.
Even mild clover honey will change the taste of your coffee, compared to white sugar or other sweeteners. Using raw honey in coffee could alter the flavor even more. Experiment with honey before using it in your coffee every day, so you know what to expect.
If you want to add honey to your coffee, start with a small amount of a mild honey, such as clover, to minimize how much the taste is altered and adjust how much honey you add until you have found your sweet spot.
To Summarize
Adding honey might alter the flavor of your coffee. Start with a small amount of a light-tasting honey, such as clover honey, to minimize this effect.
Should I add honey, honey?
Honey, unlike sugar and low-calorie sweeteners, has tiny amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. When added to coffee, honey also adds sugar and calories while changing the flavor.
Whether you choose honey as a sweetener for your coffee comes down to your personal taste and dietary goals.
To your coffee journey!
From a very young "growth-stunting" age, Clint Doerfler has had a deep-rooted love for coffee. As a result, he founded Coffee Gear Gurus® to share his passion for incredible home brewed coffee with others. When he's not watching true crime shows with family or playing music, he's devoted to helping fellow coffee feins make amazing coffee at home - regardless of their experience.
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