It’s one of those solutions that seems perfect. You try honey in your tea or coffee for the first time and, happy surprise, it tastes great. But can it be true? Can a solution that tastes so good actually be good for you?
You’ve been hearing so much about how bad sugar is for your weight and health. Normally that would mean giving up something you love for something that tastes, well, blah. But honey has its own special sweetness that can even make you think twice.
So here’s the first bit of bad news. While honey isn’t as bad for your weight and health as refined sugar, it’s not like you’re off the hook for watching how much of it you eat.
Using Honey Instead of Sugar: The Good & Bad
Let’s start with a similarity. Both substances are simple carbohydrates that are made up of glucose and fructose.
First the Bad News: Their similar composition is where the bad news about honey as a substitute for sugar begins.
The Bad News
- The Health & Weight Risks are Similar Too – Your body metabolizes glucose and fructose really quickly, which spikes your blood sugar, giving you an energy rush and the crash that follows. Fructose and glucose are associated with many of the weight and health issues surrounding sugar, including obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
- Honey Has More Calories – Almost 25% more calories. A tablespoon of sugar delivers 49 calories and a tablespoon of honey has 64 calories.
The Good News
- Honey Has Lower Amounts of Glucose and Fructose – And More Vitamins and Minerals – Sugar is 50% fructose and 50% percent glucose. Honey is 40% fructose and 30% glucose. Honey also contains water, pollen, and vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, niacin (vitamin B3) and ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
- It Spikes Your Blood Sugar Less than Sugar – Honey is less refined than sugar. That, combined with lower levels of glucose and fructose, means your body doesn’t metabolize the energy in honey quite as quickly as it does for sugar.
- It Has Other Health Benefits – Research has linked honey with reducing coughs, and relieving some allergy symptoms. But the benefits are relatively minor.
Ultimately, its best to exercise the same caution around using honey as you do with sugar. Herbal supplements, including Ultra Carb Bloc, can give you the fibre needed to stabilize your blood sugar levels and minimize the health risks of sugar and honey
If you enjoyed this post, check out our recent article about how much fibre you need every day.