Honey has been used as a sweetener since ancient times. It is produced by honey bees from nectar, which is a thin sweet liquid containing complex sugars excreted from plants as a reward to the bee for pollination. Enzymes are added to the nectar turning the complex sugars into simple sugars. Water is removed.
The result is a sticky, viscous, and sweet carbohydrate food with a low pH (acidic) which will not spoil when stored in a cool dry area. Honey has properties making it antibacterial and antifungal. While there is no statistical or legitimate medicinal consensus that honey can be used to alleviate allergies, many people have reported decreased symptoms when consuming it. It is thought that this is due to a placebo effect.
Honey should not be fed to infants younger than 1 year of age.