If I used honey every day to sweeten coffee or tea, what would be any
beneficial or detrimental side effects?

Hi whuffo....

Honey is more beneficial than other sweeteners.
The following, taken from a honey manufacturing website, and may be of
interest to you:



"Our Honey is never heated, filtered, or altered in any way. We
extract the honey and let it settle naturally and then we bottle it.

Honey is an invert sugar formed from natural floral nectars gathered
by bees. Fructose and glucose rank as the predominate carbohydrates,
with maltose and sucrose present in small percentages as well as trace
amounts of nutrients. Because of its high fructose content (almost
40%), honey has a higher sweetening power than sugar. One Tablespoon
contains about 64 calories.

There are more than 300 unique kinds of honey in the United States,
originating from such diverse floral sources as Clover, Eucalyptus and
Orange Blossom. In general, lighter colored honeys are mild in flavor;
while darker honeys are usually more robust in flavor.

Honey and Diabetics
The complex sugars contained in honey are absorbed by a process known
as "active transport." While the term "active" may seem to denote that
this should occur quickly, the opposite is true... since the transport
of the sugars through membranes and into the bloodstream is
accomplished by an actual carrying agent (a chemical that binds the
sugar), the speed with which it is absorded is regulated by the
availability of the transport agent. So complex sugars move into the
bloodstream at a slower rate and are, therefore, less likely to cause
an overstimulation of insulin production."

Steph53

Having kept bees commercially for several years I especially enojed
researching this question for you:

honey is an anitoxident:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/index.php?newsid=6878

Nice explanation of health benefits:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=96

From honey association:
http://www.honeyassociation.com/healthbe.htm

Local Honey for allergies:
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/to_honey.html

honey-treated wounds were found to heal earlier than those treated
with conventional methods:
http://www.medbc.com/annals/review/vol_9/num_1/text/vol9n1p33.htm

Should not be given to infants under 12 months:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ00854

Side effects could be:
Breathing problems or tightness in your throat or chest 
Chest pain 
Skin hives, rash, or itchy or swollen skin
Diarrhea 
Upset stomach and throwing up can occur with certain honey preparations 
Allergic reactions in sensitive people 
A stinging feeling when applied to the skin  
Botulism has occurred in infants fed honey 
http://www.healthtouch.com/bin/EContent_HT/altCareMedShowLfts.asp?fname=00375&title=HONEY+&cid=HTALT

Hope this answers your question and that you can keep on eating and enjoying honey!

pecospearl and steph53, I truly appreciate the effort that you made to
answer my question.  Excellent work.  Thank you very much for your
input.