How many of you out there are sugar lovers? I’d wager a bet that a lot of you are! If you’re looking for an equally sweet – and much healthier! – alternative to sugar, then look no further than all-natural honey. It’s Dr.-Oz-approved, and better yet, it can even help you lose weight. These facts about this syrupy treat will make you want to trade in that harmful sugar forever.

Interestingly enough, honey isn’t necessarily what you would call a low-calorie alternative to sugar. In fact, honey has about 22 calories per teaspoon, while sugar has 16 calories.

Though it may seem like it could make you pack on some pounds, Dr. Oz brings up the great point that honey is much, much sweeter than sugar, so people usually only use about half as much honey as they do sugar, bringing the calorie count down to 11 per serving. Well, that’s much better!

Another win for team honey is that it is less processed than sugar. What does this mean exactly? Dr. Oz explains that, in the refining process, sugar undergoes quite a bit. In fact, bleaching agents are added to give it that fine, snow white texture.

He goes on to say that “processing actually strips out vitamins and minerals and proteins, and, of course all of the fiber that was naturally present in the sweet stuff.” The doc does have a point! I think it’s safe to say that many of us struggle to keep fiber in our diet, not out of it!

The incredible thing about honey is that it is not processed by man-made machinery; it is processed by bees. As Dr. Oz points out, “There are no metal vats, there are no conveyor belts—none of the stuff which otherwise might expect to be in place.”

The practitioner loves dark honey, in particular, due to its added health benefits. Dark honey is said to boast a higher amount of antioxidants than its lighter cousins. In fact, a study conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign determined that this dark honey has some pretty incredible health benefits.

Dr. May Berenbaum makes the claim that a single-serving of honey “packs the antioxidant power of Vitamin C in a tomato, but most people who would be willing to eat an entire tomato would balk at eating the equivalent of a tomato’s weight-worth of honey.” Wow! That certainly is impressive.

The level of antioxidants in foods can really make all the difference in a person’s health because antioxidant rich foods have been found to cut down cancer and heart disease rates.

Now, let’s talk about the differences in honey. Any one of you who has bought the sweet-smelling stuff knows that there are a lot of options to choose from, ranging from all different prices, colors, and packaging.

Most Americans are used to pasteurized, which is a good choice, but it simply does not have the necessary nutrients that the raw honey has. See the difference?

Watch Dr. Oz’s video below for more tips on how to make the switch from sugar to honey.

Are you a supporter of honey? What is your favorite way to use the sweet ingredient? Do you prefer raw or pasteurized? Tell us all about your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!