Honey vs Sugar: What’s the Healthier Sweetener?

What Are the Main Differences?

Some important distinctions to keep in mind if you’re debating whether to add sugar or honey to your coffee or considering which one to use in your next recipe:

• Components: Honey and refined sugar are made of different natural sugars. For example, honey contains fructose and glucose, while white sugar is made of sucrose. Honey also contains other nutrients, including trace amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
• Glycemic index: Honey contains both glucose and fructose, the latter being sweeter and lower on the glycemic index (GI) (GI 50–60) than glucose (GI 100). As a result, honey may taste sweeter than white sugar, but it has a slightly lower GI (similar to sucrose at GI 65). This may lead to a slower rise in blood sugar, though the difference is not dramatic.
• Calories: Honey contains more calories and carbohydrates (sugars) than refined sugar, but because it’s so sweet, you may eat less honey than pure sugar.
• Health benefits: While sugar may make foods and drinks taste delicious, it won’t improve your health. Honey, on the other hand, has been shown to heal wounds and soothe coughs. Unlike sugar, honey may help fight inflammation.

Health Benefits of Honey

If you’re considering substituting honey for refined sugar, remember that its health benefits may vary by type. With over 300 varieties, honey differs based on the nectar source and region, and some may better align with your specific health goals than others.

Proven benefits of honey include the following:

• Heart protection: There’s some evidence that honey may help lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL or “bad” cholesterol), and triglycerides. High cholesterol and triglycerides increase the risk of heart disease. Look for robinia or clover honey, as these have the most research to support them for heart health.
• Blood sugar regulation: Because of its low to medium GI, honey doesn’t cause blood sugar levels to increase to quite the same extent that sugar does. However, the difference is likely minimal. Honey is still a carbohydrate and will impact blood sugar.
• Weight management: Some small clinical trials have shown that substituting honey for white sugar may help boost weight loss in people with and without diabetes. Raw (unprocessed) honey has the most evidence for this use.
• Wound healing: Honey has antibacterial properties and a long history of use for wound care. It’s been studied for diabetic foot ulcers, surgical incisions to the perineum during childbirth (episiotomies), and abscesses. Manuka honey is your best bet for wound care. There’s evidence that this type of honey may block inflammation, promote healing, and sterilize wounds. It’s also effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria (germs that aren’t killed by antibiotics).
• Cancer complications: Honey may help minimize side effects of cancer treatments, such as mouth pain and weight loss. If you have mouth sores, opt for forest, thyme, clover, or tea tree honeys, but avoid Manuka honey, which is unlikely to help.
• Alcohol intoxication: A study of 45 healthy adults showed that Nigerian citrus honey may help the body metabolize (break down) alcohol more quickly and reduce the time a person is intoxicated.
• Upper respiratory tract infections in children: Buckwheat honey, Iranian, eucalyptus, citrus, and Nairobi dark honey have all been shown to decrease nighttime coughing and help manage cold symptoms in children.

Should You Limit Honey or Sugar?

Absolutely. Both white sugar and honey should be consumed in moderation because they’re both calorie-dense and contain a lot of sugar.

Consuming too much sugar is linked to a host of chronic health conditions, including the following:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• High cholesterol
• Heart disease
• Pancreatic cancer
• Dental cavities
• Developmental disorders

Notably, honey should not be given to babies under one year old due to the risk of botulism (muscle weakness or paralysis).

Key Takeaways

• Replace sugar with honey: It may benefit your overall health.
• Variety matters: There are more than 300 different types of honey, some of which have more evidence for specific health benefits than others.
• Moderation is key: Although honey is more nutritious than sugar, do your best to consume it in moderation because it is high in carbohydrates and calories.