The Honey Trap!

Eisha Sarkar
Posted on Hello Wellness on Oct 29 2010 1:13PM


Sugar or honey? The debate rages on. If sugar is sweet, honey is sweeter. Sugar is widely used. Honey has stood the test of time. Sugar has 'empty calories'. Honey has even more calories. Sugar's white (well, mostly). Honey's gold! Sugar's not 'natural'. Honey is. Sugar is cheap. Honey’s not quite. Sugar is bad. Honey is good. But does honey really score over 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. The University of Sydney's website www.glycemicindex.com, lists table sugar (sucrose) with a glycemic index of 60-84. Honey, which mainly contains glucose and fructose, is said to have glycemic index in the range of 35-65 (though some other sources list higher indices in the range of 75-83). The higher the glycemic index, the more rapidly glucose is released into the bloodstream. 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.


Nutritional value
Both sweeteners contain glucose and fructose. However, the manufacturing process of sugar results in the loss of organic acids, protein, nitrogen elements, enzymes and vitamins from sugarcane, whereas honey subjects only to minimal heating and retains its minerals and vitamins. Even then, the difference isn’t much when you compare one tablespoon of honey with sugar.


Not for babies
Another potential problem with honey is that it contains bacterial spores that can cause botulism, a form of paralysis, in 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 a cough
Honey does seem to have antibacterial properties and can be quite beneficial if you're suffering from cold symptoms. It has the ability to soothe a sore throat. Studies have also shown that honey given at bedtime reduces night-time cough in children more effectively than over-the-counter cough medications.


Although honey may not give significant advantages over table sugar as an alternative sweetener, it does have anti-bacterial 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!