People like clover honey because it tastes sweet and slightly fruity. Unlike table sugar and other popular sweeteners, it has a lot of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that may be good for your health.
This article discusses the applications, nutritional value, and health advantages of clover honey.
Origin and uses
Bees collect nectar from clover leaves to make clover honey, which is a thick, sweet syrup. People who like honey often choose this brand because it has a mild flavor and a light color.
Clover trees are easy to find, can survive in a variety of weather conditions, and honeybees love the nectar they produce. This is why clover honey is so common.
Table sugar doesn’t taste as good as clover honey, so many people use it to sweeten tea, coffee, and sweets.
Food companies are also making more foods and drinks with honey added to them because people want healthier alternatives to sugar.
Clover honey’s unique health-promoting qualities, including its capacity to eradicate germs and alleviate sore throats, frequently feature in cold and cough medications and home remedies.
Clover honey nutrition
Clover honey has a lot of sugar, but it also contains some good things for you.
Clove honey comprises one tablespoon (21 grams).
- Calories: 60 calories
- Protein: 0 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbs: 17 grams
Natural sugars, or carbohydrates, make up the majority of this type of honey. But it also has small amounts of magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc, among other vitamins and minerals. Plus, it has a lot of antioxidants that are good for your health.
Benefits of clover honey
Clover honey might be good for your health in a number of ways.
Antiviral and antibacterial
Clover honey and other types of honey can kill viruses and germs.
Researchers looked at how well 16 types of honey killed germs. The clover type was the best at killing harmful Staphylococcus aureus cells, which is the same as taking 2.2 mg of the antibiotic kanamycin.
Additionally, because germs can’t adapt to honey, it works well as an antibacterial dressing for wounds like burns and scratches.
A 3-month study used clover honey to treat 30 different wounds on diabetic feet. Of those, 43% healed fully, and another 43% got much smaller and had fewer bacteria.
Clover honey may also be a strong virus killer.
In a test-tube study, applying a 5% clover honey solution to chickenpox virus-infected skin cells significantly reduced the virus’s ability to survive.
Keep in mind that fresh, raw honey may be more effective at killing bacteria than pasteurized or long-stored honey.
Rich in antioxidants
There are many antioxidants in clover honey. These are chemicals that can stop or lessen the damage that free radicals do to cells. This could make you less likely to get sick.
Free radicals hurt the livers of rats in a study, but clover honey extract fixed the damage. This is likely due to the extract’s antioxidant properties.
There are a lot of anti-inflammatory flavonol and phenolic acid vitamins in clover honey. Flavonols may be good for your heart and lungs, and phenolic acids are good for your brain and spinal cord.
Minimal drawbacks compared to table sugar
Although honey primarily consists of sugar, it offers several unique benefits that make it a superior replacement for table sugar or other sweetening agents, such as high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Several studies suggest that honey might be more beneficial than table sugar for weight management and cardiovascular health.
The participants of a 6-week study who alternated between consuming 70 grams of honey and table sugar daily exhibited improved HDL (good) cholesterol levels and reduced levels of total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides in the honey group.
A study involving eighty children also found that an equivalent amount of table sugar induced a greater spike in blood sugar than a solitary dose of honey, including in participants with type 1 diabetes.
Despite being a healthier alternative to conventional sugar, honey is still classified as an added sugar, and its consumption should be restricted.
Regardless of the type, diets that are excessively high in added carbohydrates are linked to obesity and an elevated incidence of specific cancers, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Aim to consume no more than 5% of one’s daily caloric intake from added sweeteners (including table sugar) for optimal health.
Comparison with other types of honey
The processing and storage time, along with the type of nectar extracted, all influence the composition, flavor, and color of honey.
In addition to clover honey, the following honey varieties are pale in color and have a mild flavor: alfalfa, orange blossom, and wildflower. The antioxidant content is comparable between these varieties.
In contrast, medicinal honeys such as buckwheat and manuka exhibit a significantly deeper color and more robust flavor, potentially attributable to their elevated mineral and antioxidant concentrations.
Manuka honey, which is derived from a native New Zealand plant, is highly regarded for its robust medicinal properties as well.
A test-tube study found that 5% solutions of manuka honey and clover honey, respectively, were equally effective in preventing the spread of the varicella virus, despite having a higher antioxidant content than clover honey.
However, when utilizing honey for medicinal purposes, a darker variety, such as manuka or buckwheat, may be preferable.
Raw honey
Many individuals prefer unpasteurized and unadulterated raw honey over pasteurized varieties because it is more nutritious and contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Additionally, it comprises pollen, which potentially provides advantageous properties including immune system stimulation, inflammation reduction, and liver protection against free radical damage.
You can purchase raw honey, including that from clover plants, from both physical stores and online. Numerous farmers’ markets readily offer locally harvested raw honey.
Note that individuals with compromised immune systems should avoid consuming unprocessed honey. Indeed, administering honey products to infants under the age of one year poses a significant risk of severe illness.
The bottom line
Popular, light-colored, and mild-tasting clover honey is an excellent source of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
It potentially possesses potent antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Although slightly healthier than table sugar, we should limit its use.
