Why you should think twice before drizzling more HONEY on your breakfast

Honey has a glowing reputation. The Ancient Greeks believed that honey instilled poetry and wisdom in us, carried to Earth by the gods. In more modern times, many honey has been hailed as the healthy alternative to sugar, a promoter of overall wellness, and a purported natural 'treatment' for everything from sore throats to bacterial infections and even fertility. And many go so far as to advise that raw honey is the only way to get the real health benefits of the ingredient. The honey market's value has climbed - even amid concerns over sustainability - and specialty supermarket sections and free-standing stores have cropped up. But honey may not be all it's cracked up to be. As obesity continues to plague the US (and much of the world), sugar has been identified as a primary culprit in the epidemic. Sugar is quickly absorbed into the blood stream, and is considered empty calories. There are about 16 calories in each of those teaspoons and carbohydrates are about all your body can glean from the sweet crystals. And high-sugar diets are a common theme in the unhealthy Western Diet, raising risks for heart disease, obesity and diabetes.