EDUCATION
Craving Honey: Why Do We Like Sweet Things?
8 minute read
Essential Takeaways
Our earliest ancestors wouldn’t have consumed much sugar. It was rare to come across something sweet like ripe fruit in general, let alone a tree that hadn’t been ransacked by other apes or monkeys. So whenever humans found sweet, energy-packed foods, they gorged.
Today, we haven’t stopped. The problem is that these sugary foods are readily available everywhere. Our environments have totally changed, but our biology is practically the same. Our bodies can’t handle the vast amounts of added sugar that we now consistently consume.
Opting for pure, raw honey with a lower glycemic index than sugar is a great way to aid sweet cravings. Honey not only offers a sweet kick, but antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory benefits too. A number of our customers have been able to curb their sugar cravings by eating Manuka honey.
Most people have heard about the dangers of eating too much sugar.
For some, it may be a daily struggle. Refined and artificial snacks are everywhere, and usually very affordable. For others, it’s something they can manage in moderation.
So if they’re not necessarily good for us, why do we like sweet things?
Where do our sweet cravings come from, and why do we crave honey specifically?
Is there a way that we can manage or stop our sweet cravings? That’s what this guide is all about.
In this guide to sweet tooth and honey cravings:
Why Do We Like Sweet Things?
It’s generally accepted that our love of all things sweet has a simple evolutionary explanation¹.
Our ancestors roamed the kinds of landscapes that were short on delicious, high-energy sweets. Ripe fruits would have been the main sugary source available to us at the time, which were both rare and seasonal².
These treats packed a high-energy punch, so on the off chance that humans found them before a troop of baboons or chimps, we would gorge. It could be a long time before another opportunity would present itself.
Today, things are a little different.
“For the vast majority of our evolutionary history, our sweet tooth helped us select energy-dense foods to prepare us for fights and chases, and to see us through lean times.
Today, most of us aren’t running from saber-toothed cats or hunting mammoths, yet our sweet tooth remains: We are hard-wired to love sugar.”
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Zoe³.
The risks that come from eating too much sugar weren’t a thing for our ancestors. But now, we can access sweet foods whenever we want them. Whilst our environment has drastically transformed, our biology hasn’t caught up. It’s wreaking havoc with our health.
The overconsumption of sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, overloading our organs and having lasting, knock-on impacts⁴.
Conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes⁵, heart disease³, tooth decay⁶, liver disease, nerve, eye, and kidney damage, and cognitive decline⁷ are just a few of the common problems associated with high sugar consumption.
So what’s the answer? Do we have to give up sugar altogether?
Fortunately, no. Sugar is an important part of a balanced diet. And there are ways you can enjoy sweet foods in a healthy, more holistic way.
What Honey Cravings Mean
Honey is a sweet food thanks to its high fructose content⁸.
Produced by bees, honey provides a source of energy to see them through the winter months. But unlike refined sugar, it also contains beneficial nutrients and chemical compounds.
Manuka honey is high in antioxidants, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and it has been passed down through the generations for its incredible versatility as a medicine and functional food⁹.
The benefits of honey go beyond just a sweet hit. So what is it about honey that makes us crave it, specifically? Naturally, it will be different for every person.
Eating honey is a multi-sensory experience.
Its unique flavour and texture can vary drastically between different types, from light and floral through to dark, thick, and caramel-like with a bitter aftertaste.
It could simply be an affinity for these delicious combinations.
It could also be that many people associate eating honey with taking a moment for themselves. It might complement their morning cuppa, help them wind down at night, help them prepare for or recover from restorative exercise, or even make vegetables more palatable for the kids.
Many pregnant women crave honey, along with those suffering from a cold.
Honey cravings could be your sweet-tooth talking. But it seems just as likely that your positive associations with the experience of eating honey may be the real narrator.
One of the world’s oldest healers, honey is often associated with fertility, wellness, healing, and restoration - it’s nourishment in a jar.
What’s not to crave?
Which Honey Is Best for Your Sweet Craving
There’s just one problem with using honey to satisfy your sweet craving. It’s one of the most faked foods on the planet.
What makes it fake? It is often overly processed and diluted with added sugars, which, as we now know, are not good for our bodies.
Even honey that is labelled “pure” might not necessarily be so. Unfortunately, the tests required to use that term don’t always pick up the added sugars¹⁰.
Manuka honey is the most regulated honey in the world.
Thanks to its uniquely potent antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties¹¹, a dedicated grading system was developed to protect its integrity.
The Unique Manuka Factor™ grading system tests for four chemical markers, which indicate the potency, authenticity, and freshness of a batch of honey. Only pure, raw, fresh, monofloral Manuka honey produced and packaged in New Zealand can get a UMF™ grade.
The higher the UMF™ grade, the more potent its antibacterial properties.
So the best honey to satisfy your sweet craving may just be UMF™ certified Manuka honey.
By opting for this kind, you can rest assured that you not only get that delectable and unique flavour and texture of a thick, dark honey, but the added health and wellness benefits, too - with none of the nasties.
It’s one ingredient with 2000 natural compounds.
“Love the taste and texture of this honey. I believe it has helped me with my sugar cravings and inflammation.”
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Christy B., verified buyer | UMF™ 15+ | MGO 514+
“Have been taking this product everyday for a couple months and have already ordered more to give to friends. My digestion has improved, my cravings have curbed and my sleep has improved.”
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Olivia G., verified buyer | UMF™ 15+ | MGO 514+
How to Control Sweet Cravings
A number of our customers have found that using Manuka honey to satisfy their sweet tooth cravings has actually helped to reduce their consumption of refined sugar.
“I have used this honey off and on for years. My particular purchase of late was to sweeten my cup of coffee and not have to worry about sugar. Cutting out all sugar has been a quest of mine and this honey has made it possible.”
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Anonymous, verified buyer | UMF™ 24+ | MGO 1122+
“I have been using this honey for almost 7 months. I eat it daily with steel cut oatmeal and blueberries. This has enabled me to cut cane sugar out of my diet completely. This is some seriously good stuff.”
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Anonymous, verified buyer | UMF™ 20+ | MGO 829+
Although Manuka honey contains fructose, it is lower on the glycemic index. This means that it doesn’t cause the same level of peaks and troughs that refined sugar can cause in our blood. It helps us feel satisfied and fuller for longer.
By replacing sugar with honey where possible, we can have the best of both worlds.
Here are 3 top tips for aiding your sweet cravings using honey:
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Consume your honey with fibre. Fibre is important for slowing digestion and helping us to control our blood sugar and cholesterol¹². Try adding Manuka honey to vegetable side dishes, healthy snacks, or salads for that balanced boost.
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Use it before or after exercise. Manuka honey can provide you with an energy boost to fuel your workout - along with amino acids to support recovering muscles afterwards¹³. Low serotonin levels have been linked to sugar cravings¹⁴. Studies show that exercising can increase serotonin¹⁵, helping us feel better and want to choose better foods.
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Make a moment for your honey. Enjoy it and look forward to it. By carving out a few minutes to savour your sweet kick, you can work on reducing those bad habits and quick fixes. This may also help to relieve stress, which is a great way to beat cravings¹⁴. Try slowing down with honey in your coffee, green tea, or smoothie.
A healthy, balanced lifestyle is potentially the best way to control your sweet cravings. And Manuka honey with its sweetness and added wellness benefits, is the perfect partner.
Satisfy Your Honey Craving with New Zealand Honey Co.
Our UMF™ grade Manuka honey offers so much more than sweetness. Packed full of health and wellness benefits, our Manuka honey range is also non-GMO, glyphosate-free, Halal, and Kosher.
Responsibly sourced from some of the best beekeepers in New Zealand, every batch is sustainably packaged and traceable.
Satisfy your sweet tooth honey craving with New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka honey.
“This is honey is so good. It’s like no other honey I’ve tried before, the taste is amazing and a little goes a long way. I’ve enjoyed it in my smoothies, teas and in dessert recipes as a substitute for sugar and I am never disappointed. I’m a Manuka customer for life! 🥰.”
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Richard D., verified buyer | UMF™ 24+ | MGO 1122+
Unsure which grade is right for you?
Sources:
¹ The evolution of the sweet tooth, Smithsonian.
² Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari.
³ Added sugars and how to avoid them, Zoe.
⁴ The sweet danger of sugar, Harvard Health.
⁵ Diabetes symptoms and causes, Mayo Clinic.
⁶ Sugars and tooth decay, Action On Sugar.
⁷ Relationship between added sugars consumption and chronic disease risk factors, National Library of Medicine.
⁸ Manuka honey vs sugar, New Zealand Honey Co.
⁹ The story of NZ Manuka honey, New Zealand Honey Co.
¹⁰ How to tell if your honey is pure, New Zealand Honey Co.
¹¹ Manuka honey vs regular honey, New Zealand Honey Co.
¹² Fiber: the carb that helps you manage diabetes, CDC.
¹³ Manuka honey: pre-workout superfood, New Zealand Honey Co.
¹⁴ 6 reasons why you’re always craving sugar, Real Simple.
¹⁵ Serotonin, Mayo Clinic.
