Stuff You Should Know

Honey: Nature's Wonder Sugar

March 20, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • Honey is created when bees regurgitate nectar, mixing it with their enzymes and dehydrating it, which transforms the nectar into a complex mixture of sugars, amino acids, enzymes, and polyphenols. 
  • Honey is remarkably shelf-stable due to its acidic and antibacterial properties, allowing it to last for millennia, and crystallized honey can be easily returned to liquid form by gently warming it in hot water. 
  • Honey possesses numerous scientifically studied health benefits, including reducing rhinitis (allergies), possessing anti-inflammatory properties via flavonoids, and showing potential in treating wounds and even neurological disorders. 
  • A former student contacted Dr. John Vance, who was mentioned by Chuck on the podcast, leading to a positive exchange where Dr. Vance shared his post-retirement writing career spanning mystery, thrillers, literary horror, humorous romance, and historical fiction at authorjohnvance.com. 
  • One of the hosts considered Dr. Vance, an English professor, to be one of the few college professors who significantly impacted him, drawing a comparison to the character played by Robin Williams in *Dead Poets Society*. 
  • The podcast production team provided contact information for listener feedback ([email protected]) and standard closing information regarding the production of *Stuff You Should Know* by iHeartRadio. 

Segments

Introduction and Honey Basics
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(00:01:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Honey is a complex substance created by bees, often enjoyed simply on toast with butter.
  • Summary: The episode introduces the topic of honey, described as nature’s wonder sugar. One simple enjoyment mentioned is eating honey on toast with butter. The hosts promise listeners will learn much they never knew about honey.
Creamed Honey Format
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(00:03:32)
  • Key Takeaway: Creamed, spun, or whipped honey retains the same healthful properties as regular liquid honey.
  • Summary: Creamed honey, also called spun or whipped honey, is the same substance as regular honey in a different physical format. The process of spinning or creaming the honey does not alter its inherent healthful properties. This is analogous to the same song existing on both an eight-track and a record.
Nectar Collection and Honey Stomach
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(00:07:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Bees store collected nectar in a specialized ‘crop’ or ‘honey stomach’ capable of holding the nectar equivalent of a thousand flowers.
  • Summary: Foraging bees collect sugary liquid called nectar from flowering plants, storing it in their crop, or honey stomach. This organ can expand up to a hundred times its original size to carry the harvest back to the hive. This storage organ is separate from the digestive system, primarily serving as a transport vessel.
Nectar Transformation to Honey
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(00:09:54)
  • Key Takeaway: Nectar is transformed into honey through regurgitation, mouth-to-mouth transfer, and the mixing of bee enzymes, which dehydrates the mixture and forms new compounds.
  • Summary: Bees transfer nectar mouth-to-mouth, chewing it slightly and mixing in their own enzymes during the process. This action absorbs moisture and transforms the nectar into honey. The resulting honey is a dehydrated mixture of bee enzymes, flower nectar, and pollen.
Honeydew Honey Production
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(00:12:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Honey can be produced from honeydew, which is the sugary liquid excreted by aphids feeding on plant sap, resulting in ‘honeydew honey’.
  • Summary: Besides blossom honey made from flower nectar, bees can produce honeydew honey. This alternative honey is made from honeydew, which is produced by aphids that suck juice from plant stems, leaves, or bark. Bees harvest this honeydew similarly to how they harvest nectar.
Honeybee Species and History
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(00:13:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The Western honeybee (genus Apis) is the primary species domesticated for producing surplus honey that humans can harvest without harming the colony.
  • Summary: Not all bees produce honey; the Western honeybee is the chief honey producer that humans have domesticated. Humans have been collecting honey for a very long time, with evidence dating back to the Mesolithic period via cave drawings. Intentional beekeeping likely began around 5,000 years ago in regions like Egypt, the Indus Valley, and Mesopotamia.
Honeycomb Structure and Wax Production
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(00:44:56)
  • Key Takeaway: Beekeepers provide pre-formed beeswax cells to save bees the significant energy cost of producing wax from honey.
  • Summary: Honeycomb is the hexagonal wax structure bees use for storage and housing the brood. Bees must consume six pounds of honey to produce just one pound of wax. By providing pre-formed beeswax frames, beekeepers allow bees to conserve honey, leading to a greater surplus for human harvest.
Honey Grading and Processing
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(00:47:13)
  • Key Takeaway: American consumers often reject crystallized honey, leading producers to filter or pasteurize honey, though ultra-filtering can remove so much that the USDA deems the product no longer ‘honey’.
  • Summary: Honey is graded by processing level, with raw honey only undergoing macro-filtering (straining) to remove large solids. Pasteurization is done primarily to improve pourability and prevent slight fermentation from mold or yeast, though it alters flavor. Ultra-filtering, which requires heating and water dilution, removes nearly all solids, potentially disqualifying the product from being labeled as honey.
Honey Color and Flavor Profiles
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(00:53:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Honey color is measured using the Pfund scale (0 for water white to 114+ for dark amber), and flavor is categorized as monofloral (single source) or multifloral (wildflower).
  • Summary: Honey flavor is determined by the flowers the bees visit, resulting in monofloral honeys like orange blossom (citrus notes) or buckwheat (dark color, slight bitter note). Multifloral honey, or wildflower honey, uses whatever is available in the area. Organic honey is a separate classification based on farming techniques applied to both the bees and the plants.
Health Benefits of Honey Compounds
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(00:57:57)
  • Key Takeaway: Compounds found in honey possess an extensive list of protective properties, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and neuro-protective effects.
  • Summary: Honey compounds exhibit numerous beneficial properties, such as being antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antioxidant. Furthermore, they are shown to be cardioprotective, anti-hypertensive, and neuro-protective. These properties suggest honey is beneficial for overall health, including improving sperm motility and protecting against age-related deterioration.
Follow-up with Dr. Vance
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(00:59:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Dr. John Vance, a former professor, is retired, traveling, and actively publishing various genres of fiction.
  • Summary: A listener’s correspondence led to contact with Dr. Vance, who expressed gratitude for remarks made on the Stuff You Should Know podcast. Dr. Vance is enjoying retirement, traveling, and spending time with grandchildren. His published works, available at authorjohnvance.com, include mystery, thrillers, literary horror, humorous romance, and historical fiction.
Professor Appreciation and Reference
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(01:01:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Dr. Vance was a highly impactful college professor, prompting a reference to the film Dead Poets Society.
  • Summary: One host identified Dr. Vance as one of the few college professors who truly impacted him during his studies. This positive recollection led to a comparison referencing the film Dead Poets Society. The reference was clarified to be about the character’s impact, not necessarily the ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ line.
Listener Contact and Production Credits
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(01:01:22)
  • Key Takeaway: Listeners can submit feedback via email to [email protected], and Stuff You Should Know is an iHeartRadio production.
  • Summary: Listeners are encouraged to send updates or feedback via email to [email protected]. The segment concluded with standard production credits, noting that Stuff You Should Know is a production of iHeartRadio. Information on finding more podcasts is provided via the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or other listening platforms.
Sunday Lawn Care Advertisement
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(01:01:51)
  • Key Takeaway: Sunday offers a chemical-free lawn care alternative using ingredients like soybean proteins, iron, seaweed, and molasses to improve soil health.
  • Summary: The lawn care industry is criticized for selling toxic chemicals, which Sunday aims to replace with natural ingredients. Sunday’s formula feeds the lawn using soybean proteins, iron, seaweed, and molasses to promote thicker, greener grass through better soil health. Consumers can receive a custom yard plan for the season by ordering at GetSunday.com.
Virgin Voyages Alaska Cruise Ad
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(01:02:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Virgin Voyages offers award-winning, kid-free Alaskan cruises featuring immersive shore excursions and panoramic views.
  • Summary: Virgin Voyages promotes its Alaskan cruises, highlighting unreal scenery including mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls. The ships are designed for panoramic views, supporting activities like hiking, kayaking, and whale watching. These are advertised as award-winning, kid-free experiences with zero kid energy.
Skypop Protein Soda Promotion
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(01:02:52)
  • Key Takeaway: Skypop Protein Soda provides 10 grams of complete protein and zero sugar in a crisp, refreshing beverage available at Target.
  • Summary: Skypop Protein Soda is presented as a soda alternative containing 10 grams of complete protein and zero sugar, with only 45 calories per serving. It aims to deliver the taste of real soda without sacrificing nutritional benefits. Skypop Protein Soda can be purchased at Target.