Glycaemic index

Definition

Honey sits around 50-60 depending on the type, table sugar around 65, and agave syrup between 15 and 30. The differences track fructose share: fructose is absorbed without provoking much insulin response, so a high-fructose sweetener scores low.

Where the word gets used loosely

Agave's low GI is its principal selling point and it is misleading. A low score there reflects a fructose share of 70-90%, and fructose is metabolised almost entirely in the liver, with high intake associated with hepatic fat accumulation. GI measures blood glucose response; it does not measure metabolic consequence, and using it alone to rank sweeteners is measuring the wrong thing carefully.

Guide records that discuss this

• What is actually in honeyA full compositional breakdown, with an honest account of which components matter nutritionally and which are present in quantities too small to do anything.