Honey is distinguished not only for its excellent taste and smell, but also for healing properties. It contains many vitamins that are important for the health of amino acids, minerals and enzymes. Often honey is recommended for use as a restorative. People leading a healthy lifestyle and watching their diet, always include it in their diet. At the same time, honey does not belong to dietary products, since it has a sufficiently high calorie content. The question of how many calories in honey is of concern to those who follow their figure in the first place. In moderation, it will be useful to dieters and can be a great substitute for harmful sweets.
The composition and calorie content of honey
Honey contains vitamins of groups B, C and PP. It contains many enzymes, essential oils, acids and nitrogenous compounds. In total, honey contains about 300 substances.
Elite varieties contain about 33 different trace elements. Moreover, more than 70% of the composition falls on fructose and glucose. The first component makes honey smoother. While with a high glucose content, it begins to crystallize faster. The water in honey is 15-22%. Its quantity depends on the variety and maturity.
The taste of the product is created by the organic acids that make up its composition. These include:
- apple
- dairy;
- lemon and others.
Honey contains about 20 amino acids and enzymes, including diastase, invertase and lipase. Per 100 grams of honey, on average, about 70% of fructose and glucose. Because of this, it is a very high-calorie product.
How many calories are in honey? Depending on the variety, 100 grams may contain from 320 to 380 kilocalories. The most high-calorie are dark varieties, they can be up to 415 kcal. On average, honey, which can be purchased at the store, contains about 328 kcal.
The energy value of honey is comparable to the energy value of lamb, wheat bread and condensed milk. A healthy person is advised to eat 2 tablespoons of honey per day. Children from three years old - no more than 1 teaspoon. In this case, you need to consider how many calories in a teaspoon of honey, if it is with a slide, the energy value can increase several times.
What determines the number of calories in honey?
The amount of calories in honey depends on a number of factors. First of all, this is influenced by the place of honey collection and weather conditions. Climate and soil composition also affect how many calories are in honey.
Nutrition and energy value can vary even within the same variety. Weather and collection time greatly affect quality. As a rule, the highest grades of honey have less water in their composition. Therefore, they have the most carbohydrates.
How many calories are in a spoon of honey?
A teaspoon holds about 8 grams of honey. If you calculate the number of calories based on the average calorie content of the product, you get 26 kcal. In a tablespoon fits 10 grams. This corresponds to 32 kcal. If a spoon is stacked with a slide, it can fit up to 25 grams. Thus, in one tablespoon of honey can be up to 80 kcal.
Cellular honey is slightly more high-calorie. For 100 grams of such a product, approximately 82 grams of sugar are produced. In addition, honeycombs are formed from wax, which is also easily absorbed by the body. How many calories are in a tablespoon of honey from honeycombs? Approximately 35 kcal. Such a product can be eaten in small portions, washed down with tea, or with warm water. Also, do not forget that honey in honeycombs is primarily a natural product, the quality of which you can not worry about.
The healing properties of honey
Regardless of how many calories are in honey, it is able to improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it is prescribed to people suffering from dysbiosis. It also contributes to the normalization of sleep and prevents the development of sclerosis.
From bee honey, you get a good painkiller, which also can accelerate the healing of wounds at times. It is used as a disinfectant and in the fight against inflammation. Honey is recommended for cataract patients to improve blood circulation. It is useful for people suffering from disorders of the nervous system and patients with anemia.
Since honey is well absorbed by the body, it is recommended for recovery after surgery and with weakened immunity. It also has a good therapeutic effect in diseases such as:
- dystrophy;
- thrush;
- hepatitis;
- pneumonia;
- asthenia;
- cholecystitis;
- stomatitis.
Everyone knows that honey is especially effective for sore throats and coughs. With these symptoms, it is added to tea or warm milk. Such a drink is able to improve the condition of the mucosa and facilitates the removal of sputum from the lungs.
If used properly, honey will bring great health benefits. However, it must be remembered that it is contraindicated for allergies to bee stings and beekeeping products. Even a single teaspoon of honey can provoke an allergic reaction.
The use of honey during the diet
Honey is able to completely replace sugar and become an excellent choice for those who monitor their figure and health. It is less caloric and, moreover, does not contain sucrose, which is more difficult to absorb by the body.
The beekeeping product is rich in carbohydrates, which are necessary for the normal functioning of the whole organism. Just a couple of spoons of honey with tea can provide the body with all the necessary macronutrients and vitamins. In this case, do not forget about its calorie content. Also, a few tablespoons of honey per day are recommended to be used to improve immunity. This becomes especially true in the fall, during epidemics.
Simple sugar is often called an “empty” product. Unlike honey, it does not contain beneficial macronutrients and vitamins. Frequent use of it can lead to high cholesterol and obesity. Thus, it is a product harmful to health and body shape.
Finally
Now you know how many calories in 1 teaspoon of honey, and how it is useful. You should choose only high-quality honey. Only a natural product can balance the processes in the body and improve health. On the market you can find many artificial analogues made from starch and molasses, which have nothing to do with a natural product. They cannot be useful and have a therapeutic effect.