Correction, October 2026: we removed or corrected claims and figures on this page that our sources did not support. How we handle corrections
Honey Antioxidant Value Index
Which honey gives you the most antioxidants for your money? Nobody has measured antioxidants and price on the same jars. Here is what has been measured, and how to use it when you buy.
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Key Finding
In a Polish study of 49 honeys, buckwheat averaged 182.6 mg of phenolics per 100 g, 6.2× linden (29.23 mg). Darker honeys scored higher on average, so colour is the one antioxidant clue you can see on the shelf. Price is not: no study links what a jar costs to what it contains.
What Has Actually Been Measured
ORAC, 2002
Honeys from 7 floral sources scored 3.1–16.3 µmol Trolox equivalents per gram. The darkest, such as buckwheat, scored highest, and ORAC tracked phenolic content (R² = 0.95). Per 21 g tablespoon that is 65–342 µmol TE. The abstract gives no value for each honey. Gheldof & Engeseth 2002
Phenolics and colour, 2022
49 Polish honeys, each from a different beekeeper, tested for colour, total phenolics and two antioxidant tests (FRAP, DPPH). Colour tracked phenolics (r = 0.77) and FRAP (r = 0.68); DPPH did not track colour. Puścion-Jakubik et al. 2022
What a lab antioxidant score is not: the USDA withdrew its ORAC database of foods in 2012, saying the values have no relevance to the effects of specific bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, on human health. Use these tests to compare honeys within one study, not as health numbers.
Phenolics by Honey Type
The only per-variety comparison in this page’s sources with the same tests run on every honey. Dark multifloral honey (187.6 mg) and buckwheat (182.6 mg) led; linden (29.23 mg) and light multifloral honey were lowest.
Group means from 49 Polish honeys, each from a different beekeeper, in milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per 100 g. The swatch and the mm figure are the group’s mean colour on the Pfund scale. Source: Puścion-Jakubik et al. 2022, Antioxidants 11:1312.
Show the data table
| Honey type | Colour, mm Pfund | Phenolics, mg GAE/100 g | FRAP, µmol Fe²⁺/mL | DPPH, % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multifloral (dark) | 124.4 | 187.6 | 0.218 | 56.7 |
| Buckwheat | 166.4 | 182.6 | 0.402 | 42 |
| Heather | 125.2 | 91.78 | 0.141 | 46.4 |
| Honeydew | 109.9 | 86 | 0.323 | 58.6 |
| Nectar–honeydew | 115.2 | 57.08 | 0.205 | 57.4 |
| Rape (canola) | 81.47 | 33.18 | 0.03 | 47.9 |
| Multifloral (light) | 33.3 | 32.04 | 0.052 | 45.3 |
| Linden | 43.5 | 29.23 | 0.083 | 58.6 |
These are Polish honeys. A US buckwheat or clover jar can differ; the study measured group means, and individual jars vary.
Do Honey Antioxidants Reach the Blood?
Two 2003 studies tested buckwheat honey in people. In 25 healthy men, serum ORAC rose 7% after buckwheat honey in water; tea, sugared tea and tea with honey changed nothing, and two other oxidation tests did not change after any drink (Gheldof et al. 2003). In healthy adults given 1.5 g of buckwheat honey or corn syrup per kg of body weight, plasma phenolics and antioxidant capacity rose after honey (Schramm et al. 2003).
Neither study measured a health outcome. A blood antioxidant rise can also come from fructose: in 2004, the rise after eating apples matched a rise in urate, and plain fructose did the same (Lotito & Frei 2004). More on this in the absorption gap.
Value Buying Guide
More phenolics per spoon
Darkest group in the Polish study (166.4 mm Pfund), 182.6 mg phenolics per 100 g. Molasses-strong flavour; best in dark marinades, oats and baking.
Dark honey from a local beekeeper
Dark multifloral honey averaged 187.6 mg phenolics per 100 g in the same study, the highest group mean. Pick the darkest jar whose taste you like.
Manuka
Manuka is graded and priced on lab tests for methylglyoxal (MGO) and other manuka markers. Antioxidant scores do not enter the grade.
Low glycaemic index
Romanian locust (acacia) honey measured GI 32 in the 2002 international GI tables. It is pale and its phenolics are not the reason to buy it.
Updated October 21, 2026: an earlier version ranked 16 honeys by “ORAC per dollar” (buckwheat 187, manuka 25, acacia 9). Its per-variety ORAC values were not in the studies it cited, so we removed the ranking, the price-versus-potency chart and the prices. Sources: Gheldof & Engeseth 2002; Puścion-Jakubik et al. 2022; Foster-Powell et al. 2002.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which honey gives you the most antioxidants per dollar?▾
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Get the Honey Buyer's Cheat Sheet (free PDF)
16 varieties on one page — color, flavor, best use and what a fair price looks like — from the 304 honeys we track.
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Edited by Sam French · Raw Honey Guide Editorial Team
Source reviewed against primary literature and official guidance where available. Health content is educational, not medical advice, and does not replace a licensed clinician.