What nutritional differences are there between honey and table sugar (sucrose)? [closed]

My girlfriend has been putting honey in my coffee instead of sugar. She says it is better for me, but she can't give me an explanation I understand. I think she is being influenced by someone she works with.

What nutritional differences are there between honey and sucrose? Are they digested differently?

Best Answer

I'd say yes, honey is a bit healthier than sugar, but this really depends on the type of sugar or honey. Raw honey is better than pasteurized honey. Highly refined sugar is less healthy than some less refined sugar.

Assuming you are talking about table sugar and raw honey, in general:

Sugar is sucrose. You need some enzymes to split it into fructose and glucose, your body has to make these enzymes and can digest those mono-sacharides. When you eat honey, there is no need for such body-made enzymes, because the fructose and glucose aren't combined, but they appear there as mono-sacharides. So honey is less demanding for your body.
Honey is better for your blood-glucose level (this level raises more if you eat sugar than if you eat the same amount of honey).
Honey contains some vitamins and minerals, which sugar lacks.
As a consequence of all these points: If you use sugar, you have a higher risk of high cholesterol and obesity than if you use honey.

I didn't mention anything about the taste, since that is not health-related.

Source and more info: http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/honey-vs-sugar.html

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What is the difference between honey and table sugar?

Honey is actually 25% sweeter than table sugar, meaning you can use less in recipes. For example, if what you're making calls for one cup of sugar, a good rule of thumb is to go with a \xbe-cup of honey.

What is the difference between sucrose and honey?

Each molecule of sucrose has one molecule of glucose bound to one molecule of fructose. Overall, sugar or sucrose is 50% glucose and 50% fructose. Honey, on the other hand, is about 35% glucose and 40% fructose. It has about 9% sucrose, and smaller amounts of some other simple carbohydrates.

Is there a nutritional difference between sugar and honey?

One tablespoon of honey contains 64 Calories. By contrast, a tablespoon of sugar contains 45 Calories. However, honey tastes sweeter than sugar, and people tend to use less, thereby saving calories.

Is there a nutritional difference between the different types of sugars?

Natural and added sugars are metabolized the same way in our bodies. But for most people, consuming natural sugars in foods such as fruit is not linked to negative health effects, since the amount of sugar tends to be modest and is "packaged" with fiber and other healthful nutrients.

Carbohydrates \u0026 sugars - biochemistry

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