Why you should put honey in your coffee

Why you should put honey in your coffee

Do you sweeten your coffee? If you do, you more than likely toss in a cube or teaspoon of refined sugar or an artificial sweetener or perhaps pour in a flavoured syrup.

Have you thought of honey instead?

Here's 10 reasons why you should put raw honey in your daily coffee.

1. Refined sugar is bad for you. The UK government has heeded health warnings about the dangers of refined sugars in manufactured beverages and is imposing a levy (also known as the "sugar tax") on the soft drinks industry from April 2018 to encourage companies to reduce the amount of refined sugars in their products.
2. Technically a teaspoon of honey has more calories than a teaspoon of white sugar (21 kcal v 16 kcal) but as honey tastes sweeter than white sugar, you only need a quarter of a teaspoon of honey to sweeten coffee so you're really saving calories using honey.
3. Raw honey is an antioxidant and contains vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Depending on the floral source of the honey, these can include magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, sulphur, copper, iodine, zinc, phosphate, selenium, manganese, vitamin A, vitamin C and B vitamins.
4. Raw honey generally has a lower glycemic index than white sugar. Gustare's very own Australian Yellow Box honey has a proven low GI of 35. Low GI foods are broken down more slowly so cause only a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time, leaving you more energised for longer.
5. And there’s more science to prove the benefits. This study has shown that putting honey in your coffee could be more effective than pharmaceutical options at treating post-infectious coughs (those annoying coughs that hang around for weeks after a cold or respiratory infection).
6. You might already flavour your coffee with syrups (hazelnut, vanilla, caramel etc) – these are delicious but they contain a high percentage of refined sugar and use artificial colouring agents. You’re better off with 100% raw and natural honey, which can enhance the flavour your coffee just as well if not more effectively than sugary syrups.
7. If you currently use those artificial sweeteners (e.g. saccharin) in your coffee (or tea), take note – they are not as beneficial as you might think. A recent scientific review has shown that over the long term, use of artificial sweeteners can be associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome (combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity which puts you at greater risk of heart disease and stroke).
8. Raw honey can subtly enhance or even alter the flavour of your coffee rather than simply sweeten it. Use a mild tasting honey if you want to sweeten your favourite blend or a richer tasting honey if you want to experiment with a different flavour to your coffee.
9. Coffee connoisseurs will be more selective about which honey should accompany different blends. With a myriad of different raw honeys and coffees from a range of exotic places available to purchase on-line or from your favourite retailer, there's no limit to the combinations you can try.
10. Australia is one of the world's leading coffee and café culture trendsetters. Cafes in Sydney and Melbourne are already serving honey in coffee. Baristas simply ask their customers if they would prefer honey instead of refined sugar and most say "yes". These cafes use up to 2kg of honey per day serving it in coffee. They use Australian Eucalyptus honey, which of course we recommend.

Hot tips:

• If you are making your coffee at home, wait a couple of minutes to add honey to your freshly boiled cup – to maximise the health benefits of raw honey.
• Next time you order coffee at a café, ask your barista to put some raw honey in it. No more white sugar.
• We recommend an Arabica blend of coffee from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (Australia's nearest neighbour) which is available for sale worldwide and half a teaspoon of Gustare's Mild Grey Iron Bark Honey. It's a match made in heaven.