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Is honey healthier than sugar?

Honey and healthReviewed 2026-08-02

Short answerMostly falseEstablished evidence

Only marginally, and not enough to matter. The WHO classifies honey as a free sugar alongside table sugar, and guidance to limit free sugars applies to it identically. Honey is sweeter by weight so slightly less is needed, and it contains trace compounds sugar lacks — but at any realistic intake those are nutritionally negligible. Choose honey because it tastes of something, not because it is better for you.

Where the belief comes from

Honey is unprocessed, ancient and natural, and sugar is refined and industrial, so the intuition is strong before any evidence is considered. It is reinforced by technically accurate marketing: honey does contain antioxidants and minerals, and does have a lower glycaemic index than sucrose in some varieties. Every individual statement is true and the conclusion does not follow.

What is true

  • Honey is about 300 kcal per 100 g against sugar's 390, because roughly a fifth of it is water. Per teaspoon the position reverses, since honey is denser.
  • It is sweeter by weight, so a converted recipe uses less.
  • Some honeys have a lower glycaemic index — the range across types is roughly 35 to 75, driven by the fructose share.
  • It contains trace minerals, amino acids and phenolic compounds. Dark honeys have measurably more.

Why it does not add up to much

Honey is roughly 82% sugar and 17% water, leaving about 1% for everything else. A 21 kcal teaspoon therefore contains around 0.07 g of all the interesting compounds combined. Obtaining a nutritionally meaningful quantity of them would mean eating a great deal of sugar to get there, and a portion of most fruit or vegetables delivers more with fibre attached.

Sources

  • Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children — World Health Organization (2015) · Clinical guidance

How sources are selected and weighted is set out in the sources and evidence policy.

Work it out for yourself

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