Honey vs Sugar: Sugar is the most widely used sweetener followed by honey. Although there are so many sweeteners available these days, sugar and honey still remain the most widely used. Some people love their sugar and can’t think of replacing it while mostly health conscious people prefer honey over sugar considering it’s a healthier option. But is that really the case? Is honey healthier or better as compared to sugar? Well, let’s take a look.
Honey vs Sugar:
Let’s compare the two and see what their similarities and differences are. Let’s take a look at the following points in honey vs sugar comparison:
Their contents: Honey and sugar both contain glucose as well as fructose. However, their proportions in both vary. Sugar contains 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Whereas, honey contains 30% fructose and 40% glucose. The remaining constituents of honey are water, and some minerals including potassium and magnesium.
Their glycaemic index: Taking into consideration their glycaemic indices, the glycaemic index of sugar is higher than that of honey. This means that, sugar raises blood sugar levels more rapidly than honey. Honey gets released into the blood stream slower than sugar.
Their calories: Honey contains more calories than sugar. However, on the positive side, honey is required in less quantity than sugar is.
Honey vs Sugar: Honey has benefits
So from the above comparisons it can be observed that honey has the following benefits:
- It contains some nutrients
- It has a lower glycaemic index
- Although it contains more calories, it is required in lesser amounts
- It does not contain as much glucose and fructose as sugar
- It won’t spike your blood sugar levels as rapidly as sugar does
Honey vs Sugar: Other benefits of honey:
Other than the benefits that we saw above (i.e. nutritional content, glycaemic index), honey is considered to be healthier and better because it has some other benefits too. Honey contains anti-bacterial properties. Honey also contains anti-inflammatory properties. It is great for treating coughs too. Honey is also regarded as an excellent and natural energy drink.
Honey vs Sugar: The verdict
So as far as the honey vs sugar battle and the comparison between the two is concerned, honey is the healthier option here. So, while choosing between the two, honey is the better choice. However, we must remember that over use of either of the two i.e. honey or sugar can lead to weight gain as well as higher blood sugar levels. While honey should be preferred, make sure that you do not go overboard using it.
Honey is also a great option for diabetics as compared to sugar but of course should be used in moderate to small amounts.
While choosing honey, choose the raw honey. It is the sweetest and the purest form of honey.
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