A lot of times I get asked if as a diabetic patient, substituting honey with sugar would help manage blood sugar levels. Here are some quick pointers.
For folks
with diabetic levels of sugar, neither is good. Both honey and sugar will raise
your blood sugar levels. Honey breaks down slowly and would take longer to
digest than sugar. And hopefully, and mostly, you would take less honey than sugar since honey is sweeter than sugar. But still, as a diabetic or pre-diabetic, I would say, stay away from both. And satisfy
your sweet cravings with natural fruits like apples.
But for
folks who do not have diabetic issues, honey maybe a better alternative due to
many other nutrients that it has when compared to refined sugar.
From
calorie counting standpoint, honey has 21 calories per teaspoon compared to 16
calories of refined white sugar so use less than sugar to control your caloric
intake.
Honey
does have small amounts of Vitamins C and Folate and Magnesium and
anti-oxidants whereas sugar has none of these. But if you are really after
anti-oxidants, blueberries and walnuts are far superior alternatives than
honey. And you can get more Vitamin C from Oranges including much needed fiber than honey.
In
summary, folks with diabetes should stay away from both honey and sugar and the
rest of you should use it in moderation and not rely on it for nutrition value.
