Is Honey Nutritionally Better Than Sugar?

Talk to any honey enthusiast and he is likely able to give a list of reasons why the natural sweetener is superior to granulated sugar. The distinctive taste, which is dependent on the bees' nectar source, offers a rich flavor in cooked foods, desserts, salad dressings or hot tea. Honey also contains a variety of nutrients, but it's not exactly a nutritional powerhouse. The bottom line: honey is still a high-calorie sweetener that should be enjoyed in moderation.

Type of Sugar

Sucrose, or table sugar, is a disaccharide made up of the two simple sugars called glucose and fructose. It is the most prevalent natural sugar on the planet and is derived from sugar cane or sugar beets. Sucrose is used to make other common sweeteners including brown sugar and powdered sugar. Honey contains both glucose and fructose in addition to galactose. Honeybees make the syrupy sweetener using nectar that they collect from a variety of flowers. The water in nectar evaporates during the honey-making process, leaving behind the thick, sugary substance.

Nutritional Value

Table sugar is often referred to as a source of empty calories, meaning that it is not a source of essential nutrients. Honey does contain nutrients, some of which are important for your body's functioning. These include niacin, zinc, potassium, folate, calcium, vitamin B-6 and iron, among others. Here's the catch: honey contains tiny amounts of these vitamins and minerals, so the sweetener is not a good source of nutrients. For instance, a tablespoon of honey contains just .05 milligram of zinc and even less of several other nutrients such as riboflavin, vitamin B-6 and folate, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Calories and Digestion

Another important point in comparing sugar with honey is their caloric values. A tablespoon of table sugar contains 49 calories. Honey contains 64 calories per tablespoon, nearly a third more calories than sugar. Keep in mind that the body doesn't distinguish between table sugar and honey during the digestive process; they are both composed of carbohydrates. When carbs are broken down, your body uses them for energy or, if consumed in excessive amounts, stores them as fat. Honey raises your blood glucose level just as other sweeteners do.

Benefits

It's clear that honey doesn't have much of a lead over table sugar when it comes to nutritional value. That doesn't mean the natural sweetener isn't without its benefits. Honey contains more of the simple sugar fructose, making it taste sweeter than table sugar. This allows you to use less of the product, thereby reducing some of the caloric impact. In addition, honey contains antioxidants, which are substances that inhibit cell damage in the body. A "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" study appearing in the January 2009 issue found that honey was a better source of antioxidants than refined sugar. An earlier study, published in March 2003 in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," found that honey increased antioxidant activity in the body.