Is Honey a Good Diet Sweetener?

(Suzy Cohen) - Question: I'm on a diet that only allows me honey as a sweetener. Do you think that's OK?

Answer: OK? It's awesome. In fact, pure honey is my pick for a sweetener. It's natural, it doesn't ferment in the stomach and, because it's predigested, you get instant energy. The body recognizes it as a naturally occurring substance. Its lubricating qualities are well-known; simply put, it has a mild laxative effect. Unlike artificial sweeteners, honey aids in the digestive process.

Specifically, the enzymes in honey can help you digest carbs better. Sweet. There is nothing good for the body with artificial sweeteners; they are unnatural substances that the body has to reckon with.

However, honey and other bee products, such as royal jelly, are powerful natural healing substances. Some naturalists and holistic doctors have seen people with bronchitis and allergies get better by eating a teaspoonful of honey each day - specifically raw honey, which contains trace amounts of bee pollen, dust and molds.

These substances cause 90 percent of all allergies, so when people with allergies eat raw honey, they slowly develop an immunity to these allergens. But this is not a given, nor an excuse to discontinue prescribed medication. One more note of caution: Raw honey may be contaminated by a toxic strain of botulinum spores. Contamination is extremely rare, but possible, which is why there's a warning on honey-jar labels not to give it to children younger than 1 year old. That's also why some honey advocates don't like raw honey straight from the beehive.

There are lots of medicinal benefits. Some animal studies have shown that honey has anti-tumor, anti-cancer effects. When applied to burns and wounds, raw honey can promote healing. It may be strong enough to kill bad bacteria in the gut, such as E. coli, shigella and salmonella, and can improve diarrhea. Several small studies in humans have concluded that honey, when consumed daily, halts the growth of helicobacter pylori; this is the bad bug implicated in ulcer formation.

And if all that doesn't make you happy, how about the fact that honey contains precursors to help your body make serotonin, which has antidepressant benefits? And honey doesn't spoil very easily - it has a shelf life of 100 years.

Honey is a wonderful alternative to white, refined sugar, which is not good for you.