Which is more Healthy- Sugar or Honey?

Honey and sugar are  the most commonly used sweeteners. Honey is also regarded as the most healthful option, but is it the case?

Both honey and sugar add sweetness to meals and snacks. However, they have quite different tastes, textures, and nutritional profiles. Let’s check them out!

Honey

bees create honey from the nectar that they’ve collected from flowers. The thick substance is consumed in liquid form and can range from pale yellow to dark brown.

Honey is composed of water and two sugars, i.e., fructose and glucose. But it also contains trace amounts of:

•                 Enzymes

•                 Amino acids

•                 Vitamins B

•                 Vitamin C

•                 Minerals

•                 Antioxidants

Many other types of antioxidants, which are found in honey, are classified as flavonoids. They have many anti-inflammatory properties which can provide some health benefits.

The nutritional makeup of honey also varies based on the origin. There are almost 300 varieties of honey, like:

•                 Alfalfa

•                 Wildflower

•                 Tupelo

•                 Golden blossom

•                 Eucalyptus

Each variety of honey has a distinct color as well as flavor. You can add honey to make a granola oats meal for a healthy breakfast.

Benefits of honey

Honey has been used for a long time as both a sweetener as well as medicine.

It is an amazing liquid produced by honeybees, and they even range in color from straw yellow to dark brown. The bees collect nectar from flowers and mix it with enzymes to form honey before storing it in honeycomb cells.

There are several benefits of honey, like:

a)      It is a cough suppressant

b)      It has allergy relief

c)      It has amino acids

d)      It has antioxidants

e)      It has enzymes

f)       It has minerals

g)      It has vitamins

h)      It is also easier to digest

Sugar

Sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose that bonds together to form a sucrose. It has no added vitamins or nutrients.

Sugar is a calorie-dense carbohydrate that is derived from the sugar beet and sugarcane plants. It needs multistep processing before it is transformed into refined, granulated table sugar which we use most of the time.

Of the various types of sugar available in the market, white, brown, and raw sugar are the most commonly used.

Brown sugar is the combination of white sugar and molasses, and it may have some trace nutrients. Mostly, it is used in baking.

Raw sugar is the less-refined version of white sugar, but it is brown in color and has larger crystals. Nutritionally, it doesn’t vary from white sugar.

Other types of sugar include powdered, turbinado, and muscovado sugar. Packaged granola products use sugar in their product.

Benefits of sugar

Sugar is derived from sugarcane or sugar beet. Although it is derived from natural substances, sugar needs processing before it becomes a finalized product.

There are many benefits of sugar, including:

a)      It is low in calories than honey

b)      It is low-cost and has a long shelf life

Which ones are best?

It is possible to consume too much of these products. The risks of overconsumption are the same for both, as well. The main concerns are:

•                 Weight gain

•                 Increased risk of illness

•                 Blood sugar peaks & crashes

•                 Increased risk of tooth decay

Therefore, both the products must be used in moderation. While honey does have a few health benefits, they are observed when used in response to specific issues, like cough or allergies. If you’re opting for honey over sugar, choose dark, raw varieties containing more nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants.