The mixture of glucose and fructose produced by the in version is called invert sugar and has been known in the form of honey for many countries.

The nectar of flowers from which bees make honey consists largely of sucrose, during its passage through the bee's honey sac, and during further activity by bees in the hive the sucrose in hydrolyzed by enzymes into glucose and fructose and the product - Honey - consists of about 20 percent water and 76 percent glucose and fructose. The balance is made up of a small amount of unconverted sucrose, some other disaccharides and minor quantities of minerals, acids, vitamins and flavour producing substances, for these reasons honey is not pure invert sugar.

The very variable flavour of honey depends essentially on the flowers from which the nectar was collected. Honey contains over 200 different substances, but honey lovers are able to distinguish honey derived mainly from clover, for example, from that originating from other flowers..

Although honey is now mainly eaten as a spread like jam, it has been used as a sweetener since ancient time and it was the only sweetening agent used until sucrose (sugar) become available. It was also used for making the alcoholic drink made, which is a beer made by fermenting honey.

The nutritive and curative properties of honey are often grossly exaggerated. Like other sugars, its function in the diet is solely to act a source of energy.