What Kind Of Sugar Is Best
For those who are healthy and symptom-free, sugar is still something to enjoy in moderation. Substituting in whole food alternatives is healthful for everyone.
If you continue to have sugar in your diet, just make sure its organic evaporated cane juice or unrefined Sucanat . These are less refined, more natural forms of sugar and are not genetically modified.
Even healthier options include maple sugar and coconut sugar .
The Different Types Of Honey
There are over 300 different types of honey worldwide.1 They differ in colour, aroma and flavour depending on the plant source where bees collect nectar. Some of the most well-known types of honey are manuka and acacia honey. 1
Honey can be broadly categorised into raw and processed honey. 1 When honey gets extracted from the beehive, it usually gets strained to remove wax and other non-honey particles. It is then available in its raw honey form which can be further heated and bottled to be available as processed honey, the form which is most commonly available in supermarkets. The heating and bottling process removes potential pathogens, but also the vitamins and antioxidants present in raw honey.
Sugars In Honey Vs Sugar
Honey and sugar are both sweet, but they have slightly different components. Sugar is made up of a type of simple carbohydrate called sucrose. Each molecule of sucrose has one molecule of glucose bound to one molecule of fructose. Overall, sugar or sucrose is 50% glucose and 50% fructose.
Honey, on the other hand, is about 35% glucose and 40% fructose. It has about 9% sucrose, and smaller amounts of some other simple carbohydrates. Though sugar and honey are both mainly made up of glucose and fructose, honey tastes sweeter because most of its glucose and fructose is not bound together into sucrose.
Also Check: Can Eating Sugar Cause Headaches
What Can You Use In Place Of Honey
You need to take a look at substitutions for honey if you are on the keto diet. You might need a sweetener for food or drinks, and there are good substitutes available that are low carb. There are several keto-friendly choices, including the following:
- Stevia: Stevia ranks 0 on the glycemic index, it has no calories, and it is 200 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar.
- Monk fruit: The nice thing about monk fruit is that it doesnt have the bitter aftertaste that Stevia sometimes has. It has a ranking of 0 on the glycemic index, and it is 300 times sweeter than table sugar.
- Erythritol: This sweetener is made of sugar alcohols, and it is sugar-free. It has the same sweetness as honey.
Honey Nut Cheerios Contains More Sugar Than Chips Ahoy
Posted by Briana Santoro on Feb 2, 2015 in Products Undressed
Growing up as a kid I totally fell for all the hype. I can actually remember thinking how cool I was when I ate a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios. My mom was really into health and refused to buy us sugary cereal. However, after much convincing, my brother and I managed to get her to buy us a box in the summer at the cottage as a treat. I thought I was in heaven. Each spoonful tasted AMAZING! Now that I have stripped down the ingredient list I can see why. Honey Nut Cheerios is loaded to the brim with SUGAR!
In fact, this product contains so much sugar that according to a report by the Environmental Working Group, Honey Nut Cheerios contains more sugar than Chips Ahoy! Just 1 cup of Honey Nut Cheerios contains 12 grams of sugar and 3 Chips Ahoy! cookies contains 11 grams. I havent yet met a kid who doesnt love eating dessert for breakfast. Have you?
When we undress this product to see if it looks good naked the facts are clear. This is a refined sugar-filled breakfast cereal that is not a healthy breakfast option.
Recommended Reading: Can Kidney Disease Cause Low Blood Sugar
How Much Sugar Is In Honey Maple Syrup And Agave Nectar
Let’s compare alternative sweeteners to refined sugar
There have been so many articles recently saying that sugar is to blame for a multitude of illnesses and issues: obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s… The list goes on. Studies claim that, as a nation, we’re addicted to sugar, and that it’s as bad for you as opioids. But a recent article in The Outline called “Who’s Afraid of Sugar?” discussed many common beliefs about how sugar is harmful and served to debunkor reexaminemost of them.
This part of the story, in particular, caught my eye: “Its a commonly held misconception that sugars from fruit are ‘better for you’ than sugars from, say, jelly beans, but thats only because an apple has much less sugar than jelly beans. The simple sugars in each are metabolized in the exact same way. Your pancreas really doesnt care where you get those sugars from, just if youre getting them or not.”
Sugar from fruit is no better for you than sugar from candy. Sugar’s just sugar. Things that we think of as having refined sugar just may have a whole lot more of it. The story points out that an apple has 19 grams of sugar, while 100 grams of jelly beans has 70. So, it’s still not the worst idea to look for sugar alternatives.
If you’re someone who takes their sugar with a little coffee, there might be a better way to get that sweet stuff. Here are some common alternative forms of sugar, and how they differ from a spoonful of the regular stuff.
Is It Better Than Sugar
Honey has a lower GI value than sugar, meaning that it does not raise blood sugar levels as quickly. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you may need less of it, but it does have slightly more calories per teaspoon so its wise to keep a close eye on your portion sizes. For diabetics, or those trying to manage their blood sugar levels, there is no real advantage to substituting sugar for honey as both will ultimately affect blood sugar levels. Its also worth remembering that like other syrups, honey is classed as free sugars the type we are advised to cut back on. If you do prefer honey, try to choose a raw variety, which contains more vitamins, enzymes, antioxidants and nutrients than white sugar and use it in moderation. It is worth remembering, however, that any nutritional benefit from consuming honey is negligible.
This article was last reviewed on 24 June 2019 by Kerry Torrens.
A qualified nutritionist , Kerry Torrens is a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including BBC Good Food magazine. Kerry is a member of the The Royal Society of Medicine, Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council , British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy .
Jo Lewin is a registered nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition with a specialism in public health. Follow her on Twitter .
Do you use honey instead of table sugar? Have you noticed any health benefits? Wed love to hear your thoughts
Don’t Miss: What Should You Do If Your Blood Sugar Is High
Is Honey Low Carb
People usually want to know how many carbs are in honey. There are 17 grams of net carbs in honey at one-tablespoon serving size, and 16 of them come from sugar. There is no fat, no dietary fiber, and just 1/10 of a gram of protein. There is very little nutrition in honey, and its high carb content means that it is not low carb and shouldnt be a part of any keto or low carb diet.
How Much Sugar Is In A Spoon Of Honey
teaspoonhoneysugarsugarsugarteaspoon
. Similarly, it is asked, is honey better for you than sugar?
Because honey is lower in fructose and contains other trace minerals, it’s processed and absorbed more slowly by the body than refined sugar. This means longer-lasting energy and a slightly less of a spike in blood sugar, which is easier on your body and digestive system.
Furthermore, is there any sugar in honey? The Answer: Sugar is sugar. Honey is also made mostly of sugar, but it’s only about 30 percent glucose and less than 40 percent fructose. And there are also about 20 other sugars in the mix, many of which are much more complex, and dextrin, a type of starchy fiber.
Beside this, is honey a free sugar?
Free sugar is what we call any sugar added to a food or drink. Or the sugar that is already in honey, syrup and fruit juice. These are free because they’re not inside the cells of the food we eat.
What happens if you eat honey everyday?
Honey has been linked to health benefits like improved heart health, wound healing, and blood antioxidant status. However, consuming too much may cause adverse effects due to its high sugar and calorie content. Thus, it’s best to use honey to replace other forms of sugar and enjoy it in moderation.
Recommended Reading: Does Sparkling Water Have Sugar
Raw Honey Nutrition Facts
Honey is composed primarily of fructose and glucose The Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences in June 2013 explained that sugar accounts for 95 to 99 percent of honey and that water is the second most abundant component.
The sugars in honey are sweeter and give more energy than artificial sweeteners, according to a Nutrition & Metabolismpaper from June 2012. The most abundant sugar in honey is fructose.
One tablespoon of raw honey is 60 calories, 17 grams of carbohydrates and 16 grams of sugar. It contains many amino acids, vitamins, minerals and enzymes, too. The exact composition of raw honey varies depending on the plants the bees collected nectar from, explains the paper published in the Iranian journal.
Honey contains protein in minute amounts just 0.1 to 0.5 percent. According to the Nutrition & Metabolism paper, honey contains trace amounts of the following:
- B vitamins
- Vitamin C and K
The amounts of these nutrients is so slight, just 0.1 to 1 percent, explains the IJBMS paper, that they don’t register on the USDA database. The amount of these nutrients in a serving of honey doesn’t contribute to your daily requirements for them.
The paper reports that honey also contains enzymes, with amylase, saccharase and glucose oxidase being most abundant.
Read more:5 Easy Ways to Cut Down on Sugar
How To Purchase Honey
Not all honey is created equal.
In fact, some low-quality brands are often mixed with syrup in an effort to cut costs and maximize profit.
While it may be slightly more expensive, opting for a high-quality brand of raw honey is a simple and effective way to guarantee youre getting the best bang for your buck.
Unlike regular honey, raw versions are not pasteurized, filtered, or processed, allowing them to retain their potential natural health-promoting properties .
Whats more, choosing a raw variety ensures that your honey is free of added syrups or extra ingredients that can diminish possible benefits.
Keep in mind that raw honey should never be given to children under one year of age due to the risk of infant botulism, a serious disease caused by toxins from a specific strain of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum.
After the age of one, the digestive system is typically developed enough to fight off potentially harmful toxins and minimize the risk of disease .
Summary
Regular honey is often pasteurized, filtered, processed, and mixed with syrup in an effort to cut costs. Selecting raw versions instead is the best way to maximize potential health benefits.
Honey has been linked to health benefits like improved heart health, wound healing, and blood antioxidant status.
However, consuming too much may cause adverse effects due to its high sugar and calorie content.
Thus, its best to use honey to replace other forms of sugar and enjoy it in moderation.
Recommended Reading: What Happens To Diabetics When Sugar Is Too Low
Glycemic Index Of Honey And Sugar
The glycemic index, or GI, indicates how fast and how much blood sugar levels will rise after eating food with carbohydrates. The higher the GI, the faster and higher your blood sugar level will rise for a specific amount of carbohydrate.
The glycemic index of sucrose, or sugar, is 65, according to Harvard Medical School . The glycemic index of honey varies because the exact composition of honey varies. One study, published in Diabetes Care, found it to be 61 . Since the glycemic index of honey can vary from low to high, and there is no way to tell before you eat it if it is low or high, it is not safe to assume that it is low. Instead, it is safer to assume that honey will affect your blood sugar similarly to white sugar.
Reduces Risk Of Cancer
Honey impacts the development of cancer during multiple stages of the progression of the disease. Honey has been shown to induce tumor cell apoptosis , reduce inflammation, and inhibit tumor growth. Although honey is not an effective treatment for cancer in itself, preliminary studies suggest the need for further investigation.
Don’t Miss: How To Lower Blood Sugar
Honey Vs Sugar: A Comparison
Honey vs sugar: which is the best? Is honey better than sugar, are there any health benefits of eating honey, and if so, should we try and substitute honey for sugar?
Here is a comparison of honey and sugar based on nutritional values and calorie content expressed as aPercentage of the Ideal Daily Value and based on a typical daily calorie intake of 2000. I think this is the best way to put honey in perspective, so that we can really see where honey holds its value in our diet.
In particular, in our comparison of honey vs sugar we’ll take a look at:
- calorie and carbohydrate comparison of honey vs sugar, including carbohydrate type
- Vitamin Content
- Protein and Amino Acids Content
- Mineral Content
I have compiled the results into separate nutritional tables . Only when armed with the facts can we really consider whether honey is healthier than sugar!
In order to add further perspective, I added in a further food : actually an apple!
Why an apple? Well why not? Especially where minerals are concerned, I thought it would be a good idea to compare honey with an additional every-day, healthy food.
More Difficult To Digest Than Honey
As previously said, sugar does not contain the enzymes that honey does, so is more difficult to digest.
It is possible to consume too much of both honey and sugar. The risks of overconsumption are the same for both, as well. The main concerns are:
- weight gain
- blood sugar peaks and crashes
- increased risk of tooth decay
Therefore, both products should be used in moderation or not at all. While honey does have some health benefits, they are mostly observed when used in response to specific issues, such as a cough or allergies, or when used topically, which does not affect blood sugar levels.
If opting for honey over sugar, choose dark, raw varieties, which contain more nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants.
Read Also: How To Cut Down On Sugar
Health Benefits Of Honey
Honey contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals, including niacin, riboflavin, thiamin and vitamin B6. It can also aid digestion. Sugar does not have these benefits. Honey is also typically less processed than table sugar.
A scientific study to measure the effectiveness of honey on children’s health with acute cough found that honey was effective in reducing frequency of cough, reducing bothersome cough and improving the sleep quality of the child but had no significant benefit in resolving severity of cough. The effects of honey were equivalent to the medication Dextromethorphan, which is available under brand names like Robitussin Pediatric Cough Suppressant, Tylenol Simply Cough and Vicks 44 Cough Relief.
Variations Of The Keto Diet
There are a couple of variations on the keto diet, and you can eat a small amount of honey on each one. The first is the targeted keto diet. This version allows you to have 20 to 50 extra carbs within an hour of your workout. You could eat a tablespoon of honey either just before or just after your workout.
Another variation of the keto diet is called the cyclical keto diet. This is designed for people who exercise and it involves sticking to the standard keto diet five days a week and then loading carbs the other two days. This way, you replenish your glycogen stores for the week, and it is a good idea if you exercise a lot and need the extra energy. You can eat some honey on the carb-loading days.
You may be able to have honey on the standard keto diet, as long as you know that it wont kick you out of ketosis. Everyone is different, and some people have to have much less than 50 grams of carbs, whereas some can have a little more. You need to get to know your own body to find out where you fall.
Recommended Reading: Does Blood Sugar Go Up At Night
How Much Sugar In Honeydew
Related Articles
Sugar has a negative reputation, but it isn’t all bad. You need to avoid added sugars from junk food, pastries and sodas. These foods don’t have much to offer, other than calories. Natural sugars from fresh fruits, like honeydew, aren’t a big concern, since you’ll also get fiber and lots of other beneficial nutrients.
Sugar The Other White Stuff
Here is a simple sugar conversion to honey chart to convert white sugar to honey or maple syrup. It is about the weight of the sugar used not necessarily how it is measured. A liquid will weigh more than the small white sugar crystals. If you are unsure you can always weigh the correct amount of sugar and then measure out the equal weight in honey.
Under 1/4 cup you can substitute equal amounts, since it is so insignificant. You may need to play around with cooking times, since you are adding more wet ingredients to the dish. I would add less oil or milk by half of the natural sugar you are adding. Example: if using 1/2 cup honey use 1/4 cup less milk or oil. This may take a little trial and error to get it just right. But these tips will get you on the right path faster.
You can also replace sugar with natural ingredients like applesauce or bananas. These will add a natural sweetness as well as an additional flavor to your dish. A few other good natural sweeteners are raisins, dates and prunes. Make sure you look to see there is no added sugar just naturally dried fruit.
If you are having a difficult time with giving up sugar, read 10 foods to help stop sugar cravings to help you through those difficult times. Check out my Pinterest board to take the 31 Day Clean Eating Challenge and for clean eating support like Pounds4Pennies on Facebook. I will continue to share great clean eating recipes as I find them.
You May Like: How Much Sugar Does Beer Have In It