Is Honey Healthy? Is This Natural Sweetner Better for You Than Sugar?

Is Honey Healthy? Is This Natural Sweetner Better for You Than Sugar?
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Is Honey Healthy?

If you’ve been told to cut back on sugar in your diet, you may have wondered if substituting honey for table sugar is a healthy alternative. Although honey is a natural substance and is one of the world’s oldest sweeteners, natural isn’t necessarily synonymous with healthy. If this were true, smoking would be healthy since tobacco is derived from a plant. Likewise, it’s important to be cautious when using natural sweeteners which can, in some cases, cause the same negative effects as table sugar. Is honey a healthy substitute for table sugar?

Glycemic index

One factor to consider when considering whether a natural sugar substitute is healthy is the effect it has on blood sugar levels. Table sugar has a glycemic index of 58. Surprisingly, most sources list honey as having a higher glycemic index than table sugar at 83. When comparing caloric values, honey is also slightly higher in calories at 64 calories per tablespoon compared to table sugar’s 50 calories. One health advantage of honey is that it has a rich, concentrated taste which may allow you to use less of it to get the same degree of sweetness.

Nutrition

The second factor to consider when determining the health value of honey is its nutritional value. Although honey is slightly higher in minerals than table sugar, the mineral concentration in a tablespoon of honey isn’t extremely high. It’s unlikely that such small quantities of minerals would have a significant impact on health. As far as nutritional value goes, honey doesn’t offer significant advantages over table sugar.

Not for children under a year

Another potential problem with honey is that it contains bacterial spores that can cause botulism in young infants under the age of one year. For this reason, honey should never be given to babies less than twelve months of age.

Maybe, if you have sinus problems

Honey does seem to have antibacterial properties. According to a study published in Science Daily, honey was more effective than conventional antibiotics at killing the bacteria that cause chronic sinus infections.

If you have a sore throat or cough

Honey can be quite beneficial if you’re suffering from cold symptoms. It has the ability to soothe a sore throat by coating its surface and reducing pain. Studies have also shown that buckwheat honey given at bedtime reduces nighttime cough in children more effectively than over-the-counter cough medications. This is good news with the increasing concern about the safety of cough and cold medications in young children.

Although honey may not give significant advantages over table sugar as an alternative sweetener, it does have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which make it useful for treating the effects of colds and sinus infections. A jar of fresh honey may very well come in handy this winter when cold and flu season rolls around.

References:

Pharmacotherapy 22(11):1479-1483, 2002

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1140-1146

Science Daily October 1, 2008