16 Facts About Honey

Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees.

Honey is sweet because of its high concentrations of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose.

Honey bees are not the only eusocial insects to produce honey.

Honey is collected from wild bee colonies or from domesticated beehives.

Honey is sometimes adulterated by the addition of other sugars, syrups, or compounds to change its flavor or viscosity, reduce cost, or increase the fructose content to stave off crystallization.

Honey is a supercooled liquid when stored below its melting point, as is normal.

Honey contains electrolytes, in the form of acids and minerals, it exhibits varying degrees of electrical conductivity.

Honey has an effect on polarized light, in that it rotates the polarization plane.

Honey has the ability to absorb moisture directly from the air, a phenomenon called hygroscopy.

Honey contains many kinds of acids, both organic and amino.

Honey is classified by its floral source, and divisions are made according to the packaging and processing used.

Honey is classified by color, though it is not a factor in the grading scale.

Honey is a folk treatment for burns and other skin injuries.

Honey has long been used as a topical antibiotic by practitioners of traditional and herbal medicine.

Honey is generally considered ineffective for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis.

Honey has a mild laxative effect which has been noted as being helpful in alleviating constipation and bloating.