Honey? Here Are Some Facts

at 3:35 PM

There are several myths about honey that I would like to clear up.  I think some people think that honey is not sugar.  Well, let's first define sugar.  Table sugar (or sucrose) consists of two sugar molecules; fructose and glucose.  Our digestive system has to use its own enzymes to break down the sugar bonds so that we can use the sugar molecules for energy.  When bees make honey, they use their own enzymes to break down the sugar molecules so honey is already broken down into its constituents: glucose and fructose.  However because honey has more fructose than table sugar it is sweeter than sugar.

Each tablespoon of sugar has 46 calories, whereas each tablespoon of honey has 64 calories.  Although honey has several vitamins and minerals, they are in trace amounts.  So in order to get significant amounts of your daily vitamins and minerals from honey, you would have to consume a lot of it, hence a lot of calories.  For example to get 3% of your daily riboflavin (vit B2) you would have to consume 5 tablespoons of honey.  In fact, all other vitamins contained in honey are in the single digits (1-3%) for every 100 grams.

Glycemic index is important for diabetics and should be important for all of us.  It measures how much a given food affects blood sugar levels.  The glycemic index of honey is around 55 (the exact number depends on the variety of honey), and that of sucrose (table sugar) is 61.  So as you can see there is not a major difference between the two.

So honey in general is less processed and adulterated than sugar and because it is sweeter (has more fructose) less can be used to achieve the same sweetness.  However do not be fooled if you read something and it says it's 'sugar-free' because it contains honey! 

If you are watching your calories, also beware of the amount of honey you consume.