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Honey

What the research shows

Prototype

Not enough

published research on this page yet

2 health findings on this page so far · See the findings

A sweet, thick food made by bees.

It sweetens food and gives a distinctive flavor when used as a sweetener.

Written from Open Food Facts and English Wikipedia12

  • Not vegan
  • Vegetarian

What research says

Studies in people

  • Benefit

    Heart and metabolic health3

    In people, honey intake showed more helpful effects than none on heart and metabolic risk factors, especially when it replaced other sweeteners.

Animal and lab studies only

  • Benefit

    Inflammation in lab cells6

    In lab studies, honey from these flowers showed no pyrrolizidine alkaloids and calmed inflammation in cells.

Study type not stated

  • Open question

    Blood sugar response4

    Honey's effect on blood sugar varies widely depending on which flowers the bees used.

  • Open question

    Unclear healing mechanisms5

    Scientists do not yet know exactly how honey works to help with diseases, so more research is needed.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

Products

The 6 most-scanned of 20,531 products on Open Food Facts that list honey.

  • cruesly mélange de noix Quaker · 450 g 1 additive
  • Biscuits croquants au coeur onctueux de Nutella® nutella · 304 g 5 additives
  • Yaourt Grec Muesli Jaouda · 110 g 0 additives
  • Crunchy oats&honey Nature valley · 42 g 2 additives
  • pan de molde / pão de forma clásico / clássico Schär · 300 g 2 additives
  • Crunchy Oats & Dark Chocolate Nature Valley · 42 g 2 additives

References

  1. 1honey: ingredient taxonomy entry. Open Food Facts.
  2. 2Honey. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026.
  3. 3Palma-Morales M, Huertas JR, Rodríguez-Pérez C. A Comprehensive Review of the Effect of Honey on Human Health. Nutrients. 2023;15(13). doi:10.3390/nu15133056
  4. 4Bogdanov S, Jurendic T, Sieber R, Gallmann P. Honey for nutrition and health: a review. J Am Coll Nutr. 2008;27(6):677-89. doi:10.1080/07315724.2008.10719745
  5. 5Pasupuleti VR, Sammugam L, Ramesh N, Gan SH. Honey, Propolis, and Royal Jelly: A Comprehensive Review of Their Biological Actions and Health Benefits. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017;2017:1259510. doi:10.1155/2017/1259510
  6. 6Moreira R, Fernandes F, Valentão P, Pereira DM, Andrade PB. Echium plantagineum L. honey: Search of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and polyphenols, anti-inflammatory potential and cytotoxicity. Food Chem. 2020;328:127169. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127169