Spoon for spoon, honey is more energy-packed and sweeter than sugar. A tablespoon of honey has 65 calories, compared to the 45 calories in a tablespoon of granulated sugar. Incidentally, because of its rich, sweet taste, some parents dip pacifiers in honey. This is not a good idea. Prolonged use of honey-dipped pacifiers is one of the major causes of tooth cavities in young children.
Honey has antioxidants, as do most fruits and vegetables.
The darker varieties of honey, in particular, can contain large quantities of a particular antioxidant called flavonoids. These are the same substances, found in red grapes, that have been linked with the lower risk of heart disease among wine drinkers, especially in France. The nectar can be used to produce alpha hydroxy acids, a vital ingredient in skin creams and moisturizers. These acids are said to help skin shed dead surface cells and increase the rate of cell renewal. Honey also helps the skin retain moisture.