I always thought that honey is much healthier than sugar!

Mevater

Wed, Jun 27 2007, 10:49 pm

I'm really shocked! shock

I always thought that honey is much healthier than sugar, and often try to substitute sugar with honey in recipes. Then I read this:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA73912
He's authored many books, and I think he's highly regarded in the health field.

Quote:

Andrew Weil, M.D. is the author of ten previous books, including Spontaneous Healing, Eight Weeks to Optimum Health, Eating Well for Optimum Health, and, with Rosie Daley, The Healthy Kitchen. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, he is clinical professor of medicine and director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. He writes Self Healing, a monthly newsletter, and maintains the Web site DrWeil.com. More of his work on aging can be found at www.healthyaging.com. He lives in Arizona.

The problem with all types of sugar is not that they are "bad" for you, but that we eat far too much of them. Sugary foods and drinks contribute to obesity and tooth decay. They also can raise the glycemic index of meals, putting a burden on the pancreas and raising the risk of insulin resistance, which in turn can increase your risks of obesity, diabetes, unhealthy blood levels of fat and cholesterol and high blood pressure. And, although there's no scientific proof of a connection, many parents notice that their children tend to become hyperactive after eating sweets.

That said, there isn't much difference between white table sugar and other natural sugars including honey, maple syrup (my personal favorite), molasses and sorghum. To the body they are all sugar to be converted to glucose for metabolic fuel.

justanothermother

Thu, Jun 28 2007, 2:44 am

Honey and sugar are the same from that aspect, but there are other factors to consider.

Honey contains nutrients and antioxidents that sugar does not have.

Honey is absorbed into the bloodstream at a slower rate than sugar, resulting in less fluctuation of blood sugar levels.

Seraph

Thu, Jun 28 2007, 3:27 am

Not to mention honey is considered to be a natural remedy for certain things... so yea, its better than just plain ol white sugar. Doesn't mean you should have a ton though...
I guess its sorta like saying- have a huge fatty danish, or have a steak? Both are fattening- however, the steak has iron and protein and the danish has.... fat.

chen

Thu, Jun 28 2007, 7:48 am

Right. Honey is not broccoli, after all. It's a sweet treat, a better alternative than white sugar, but still a sweet treat. Just as dark chocolate may be full of wonderful abtioxidants, but it's still a sweet treat and not a tomato. Or even a blueberry.

All things in moderation. (Ya gotta love that Rambam.)

Nomad

Thu, Jun 28 2007, 6:16 pm

I do scientific research in this area...

all sugars are ultimately coverted into glucose by the body. Bbut lumping together all these sugars as "bad" is foolish. Different sugars are broken down in different ways by the body.

like justanothermother said "Honey is absorbed into the bloodstream at a slower rate than sugar, resulting in less fluctuation of blood sugar levels." this is true, making honey a better sweetener to use than table sugar...