system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
What part of honey is antimicrobial?

I've often heard that honey is antimicrobial, and it does seem to have an incredible shelf life for something that's mostly sugar and water. What is in honey that keeps it from going bad?
gpt
Oddly enough, it's the sugar. Honey is so concentrated that it exerts tremendous osmotic pressure, essentially meaning that it sucks the water right out of micro-organisms. In addition, it's fairly acidic, and contains some hydrogen peroxide. You do have to keep honey sealed, or it will absorb moisture and eventually spoil.