A sticky situation with natural sugar and what to know before choosing your team
Are you team honey or team sugar substitute? This might sound like a silly question until you realize that your answer could actually say a lot about how you approach your health. On one side, you’ve got those who opt for sugar substitutes because they don’t spike blood sugar as much. On the other, you’ve got folks choosing honey because it’s a whole food and far less processed. So which one is better? Well, the truth is that it really depends on you and where you are on your journey toward optimal health.
Before you start pouring honey into your morning coffee or swapping out every sweetener in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what honey actually offers. A tablespoon of honey clocks in at 64 calories and contains 17 grams of sugar. That sugar includes fructose, glucose, maltose, and sucrose. No fat, no protein, no fiber, just sugar. This is exactly what stirs up the debate.
Even though honey can raise blood sugar levels, it generally doesn’t spike it as much as refined sugar does. And unlike refined sugar, honey comes with some nutritional perks. Research shows that buckwheat honey, in particular, may help raise antioxidant levels in your blood. A quick trick if you’re looking for more antioxidants is to look for darker-colored honey, the darker the honey, the more antioxidants it likely contains.
The health benefits of honey may include The health benefits of honey may include lower triglycerides and LDL (bad cholesterol), reduced blood pressure and inflammation, and increase good cholesterol. All of that sounds great, but it’s worth asking what the honey is replacing. Are these results showing up because honey is being swapped in for table sugar or even junk food? If someone goes from regularly eating refined sugar and carbs to replacing them with honey, sure, triglyceride levels might go down. But were there other changes in their diet and lifestyle during that time? We don’t always get the full picture.
And here’s the kicker. Most of the human studies on honey haven’t been long-term. So while the findings are promising, they aren’t definitive. That means it’s important to stay in tune with your body and your symptoms. How do you feel when you have honey versus a sugar substitute? Use that feedback to help guide your choices.
Now, beyond its antioxidant properties, honey is also anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. This is one of the reasons it’s been used for centuries as a natural remedy for healing. In fact, there’s research showing honey may be more effective at treating burns and wounds than many commercial topical agents. One study found a 43% success rate using honey after surgery to treat wounds. Manuka honey specifically has been shown to help heal burns and diabetic foot ulcers. In another study, Manuka honey helped inhibit 67% of gastric ulcers. There’s also emerging research into honey’s potential benefits for conditions like psoriasis and herpes lesions.
When it comes to coughs, honey is more than just an old wives’ tale. Studies have shown that honey may work better than some over-the-counter medications, especially in kids. During allergy season, local honey might help because it contains trace amounts of pollen from local plants. The idea is that consuming it helps your body gradually build up a tolerance to these allergens. If you’re trying this, make sure the honey you buy is actually local to your area.
Of course, just like with anything else in the nutrition world, not all honey is created equal. You’ll want to do a little research and a little label reading. Color, flavor, and even smell will vary depending on which flowers the bees visited. Look closely at the ingredient list because not all honey is 100 percent pure, some are mixed with syrup or other sweeteners.
So where does that leave us? Should you start drizzling honey on everything or avoid it entirely? As with most things, balance is key. Honey can be a great swap if you’re trying to focus on more natural foods and limit processed sugar. But that doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all. Having honey in small amounts can be helpful, especially when you’re using it purposefully, say, for a cough or even as a soothing skin cleanser. Yes, really. Some people swear by honey as their go-to facial wash thanks to its antibacterial properties.
So whether you’re team honey or team sugar substitute, the most important thing is that your choice fits your goals and your body. And if you happen to burn yourself in the oven or feel a tickle in your throat, don’t be surprised if you find yourself reaching for that jar of honey. Turns out there’s a lot more buzz to it than just the taste.