A sugar free diet is the latest mantra in the market. Avoid those extra calories and reduce your weight. What's more, it helps you maintain your blood sugar level as well. In the same rhythm, people are also going ga-ga about honey. It is natural, it is healthy, and it has antioxidant properties that keeps you fit and fine. So, is eating honey better than sugar? Should I switch over to honey, or is it another marketing gimmick to make us buy their products? In order to lay all my doubts to rest, I went on to search for answers that helped me determine which is better: honey or sugar. Thus, the following write up, calories in honey vs sugar, will help you understand the difference between these two sweeteners. So continue reading further and find out more about calories in honey compared to sugar.
Calories in Honey Compared to Sugar
I shall begin with information related to calories in honey vs sugar. So, basically these are both sweeteners that help sweeten foods and drinks. Sugar is manufactured from sugarcane after denaturization of proteins, nitrogen, organic acids, vitamins and enzymes. Honey on the other hand is made from the hard work of honey bees. Coming back to calories in honey vs sugar. One tablespoon of sugar contains 46 calories. When you compare honey, it contains about 64 calories. Thus, there are more calories in honey than sugar. Do not hit the panic button, if you had honey with cereals in breakfast today. Honey is more sweeter than sugar. Thus, one adds slightly less honey than sugar. Also, honey is a lot more expensive than sugar. Thus, we are more liberal when using sugar instead of honey. So, in the end, we consume less calories with honey than sugar.
Which is Better Honey or Sugar?
As we found from the above paragraph on calories in honey vs sugar, there are more calories in honey than sugar. This made me wonder, which is better honey or sugar? People go raving about the heath benefits of natural honey. Is this true? So, I decided to dig in deeper and clear out all the doubts.
Have you heard about Glycemic Index (GI)? It is a method of measuring the effect of carbohydrate rich foods on the blood sugar levels. The scale of measuring GI is 0 to 100. Foods that rank high on the scale cause greater fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Thus, lower the ranks, healthier the food. Honey ranks 55 on the Glycemic Index, whereas sugar stands at 61. Thus, honey is better than sugar and it proves to be a better source of energy.
Speaking of energy, sugar contains 100% sucrose and honey is made up of just 1.5% sucrose. The rest is all fructose and glucose, that are a type of monosaccharides. Those who are health conscious, or athletes, will know what I am talking about. Monosaccharides or simple sugars can enter the bloodstream directly. They do not need to be metabolized into simple sugars like sucrose. Thus, they prove to be a source of instant energy and nutrients for the body.
As we move on to nutrients, you will find sugar contains no minerals, vitamins or proteins. Just plain carbohydrates (read between the lines: just plain calories). I have already explained in the beginning, sugar is made by destroying the nutrients in sugar cane. Thus, no nutrients in sugar. On the other hand, honey is a natural product made by honey bees. It contains calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, magnesium, vitamin B6, riboflavin, niacin, pathothenic acid, tryptophan, threonine, lysine, tyrosine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine and many more vitamins, minerals and amino acids. No, this does not mean you can eat honey and get rid of those boring vegetables in your refrigerator! One tablespoon of honey does not contain enough nutrients that meet the recommended daily dose for your body. The nutrients are present, but you will have to eat a hell lot of more honey to achieve your recommended daily nutrient dose. This will lead to weight gain and yeah, diabetes!
Weight gain occurs due to excessive calorie intake in the diet. Thus, the first thing knocked off by the dietitian is sugar from your diet. You can substitute a tablespoon of honey for the sugar you are not supposed to eat. This will give you instant energy and get easily absorbed in the body. However, too much honey will cause you to gain weight. So, if you feel you can gain all the precious vitamins and minerals by eating more honey, think again. You are going to put on more weight than normal.
Honey vs Sugar: Conclusion
So, in conclusion to the calories in honey vs sugar debate, honey proves to be a better bet than sugar. Honey contains more calories than sugar. But, it is not just full of empty calories, it is packed with vitamins, minerals and amino acids in minute levels. So, the end word here, is eating honey in moderation. You should include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet along with a tablespoon or two of honey. Sugar in moderation will also cause no more harm than honey. Watch what you eat as this will help you remain in the 'pink of health'.
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