Since ancient times, honey has been used as both a food and a medicine.It's very high in beneficial plant compounds, and offers several health benefits.Honey is particularly healthy when used instead of refined sugar, which is 100% empty calories.Honey is a sweet, thick liquid made by honeybees.The bees swarm their environment and collect the sugar-rich nectar of flowers (1).Then inside the beehive, they repeatedly consume, digest and regurgitate ("vomit") the nectar.The end product is honey, a liquid that is supposed to serve as stored food for the bees. The smell, color and taste depend on the types of flowers the bees visit.Nutritionally, 1 tablespoon of honey (21 grams) contains 64 calories and 17 grams of sugar, including fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose.It contains virtually no fiber, fat or protein (2). It also contains trace amounts (under 1% of RDA) of several vitamins and minerals, but you would have to eat many pounds to fulfill your daily requirements. Where honey shines is in its content of bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants.