Is Honey a Healthy Sugar? What Science Says About Raw Honey and Blood Sugar Control

Video explaining how Honey affects blood sugar.

Raw honey: A natural preventative for diabetes and chronic disease

This blog is not medical advice — just cool nutrition science! Always check with a healthcare professional before making dietary changes. Raw honey, which is the unfiltered form used in this body of research, may also be contaminated with bacteria, spores, or toxins. Always be sure you trust the source of your honey!

Have you ever savored one of those little straws of specialty honey from a farm stand? Sticky, sugary goodness, often with a unique flavor from local flora.

Not All Sugars Are Created Equal

Sugar has been pegged the new villain in health and nutrition – but is all sugar bad?

For all the bees out there who are offended by the insinuation, I apologize on behalf of humanity. Deep down, we love you (also, please forgive me for panicking whenever you mistake my floral print for a flower buffet).

Here’s the truth: not all sugars are created equal, and honey has some standout scientific properties that show its star quality. *throws pollen like sparkle dust*  

Why Raw Honey Has a Lower Glycemic Index Than Sugar

While your body won’t thank you for downing high fructose corn syrup and table sugar (sucrose), simple sugars aren’t all doom and gloom! Honey is about 35% glucose and 45% fructose and yet has a lower glycemic index than table sugar [1]. This means that a spoonful of sugar spikes your blood sugar more than an equal spoonful of honey. Clinical trials have shown that regimented honey consumption actually lowers blood glucose and promotes healthy distribution of sugars into the body by the liver (glycogenesis). If honey is such a good regulator of sugar metabolism, why don’t we use honey to help diabetics regulate their blood sugar?

Actually, scientists have been working on this! Lots of animal and human trials show that honey supplementation can either prevent or reverse symptoms of diabetes mellitus[1–3]. Meta analysis of controlled trials indicates that honey improves glycemic control, LDL profiles, and hemoglobin A1c levels [4], all factors that reflect a healthier sugar metabolism and overall better health. This study is just the bee-ginning (sorry, I can’t resist a bee pun) in a long chain of literature that supports the buzz about honey! 

But let’s zoom in even further—molecule by molecule. Can we pinpoint exactly why honey has these effects?

For a molecular biologist, here’s where honey makes a *sweet* compound for research. Honey can be obtained from a specific pollen (monofloral honeys like Manuka, sesame, or buckwheat), and we can use standardized methods like chromatography (separation of compounds by size/charge) and spectrometry (measuring molecules by how they absorb light) to understand what active molecules each honey contains.

Key Health-Promoting Compounds in Honey

Since bees digest nectar from plants, many other phytochemicals (plant-derived molecules) and beneficial compounds ride along with the sugars. Here's what’s inside that sticky gold:

1) Phenolic compounds – Powerful antioxidants that protect cells and DNA from damage [5–7],

2) Flavonoids – antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents with far-reaching benefits [8],

3) Methylglyoxal (MGO) – A potent antibacterial molecule, especially abundant in Manuka honey [9], and

4) Lignans – Plant-derived molecules that support immune health and gut probiotics [6,7].

These plant-powered extras help honey do much more than sweeten your tea. Together, they help reduce LDL buildup, lower systemic inflammation, and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease [2]. Phew!

So while Mary Poppins said a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, science is starting to show us that—when it comes to honey—that spoonful is the medicine.

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References

1.             Bobiş, O.; Dezmirean, D.S.; Moise, A.R. Honey and Diabetes: The Importance of Natural Simple Sugars in Diet for Preventing and Treating Different Type of Diabetes. Oxid. Med. Cell. Longev. 2018

2.             Nguyen, H.T.L.; Panyoyai, N.; Kasapis, S.; Pang, E.; Mantri, N. Honey and Its Role in Relieving Multiple Facets of Atherosclerosis. Nutrients 2019

3.             Chepulis, L.; Starkey, N. The Long-Term Effects of Feeding Honey Compared with Sucrose and a Sugar-Free Diet on Weight Gain, Lipid Profiles, and DEXA Measurements in Rats. J. Food Sci. 2008

4.             Ahmed, A.; Tul-Noor, Z.; Lee, D.; Bajwah, S.; Ahmed, Z.; Zafar, S.; Syeda, M.; Jamil, F.; Qureshi, F.; Zia, F.; et al. Effect of Honey on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutr. Rev. 2022

5.             Gheldof, N.; Wang, X.-H.; Engeseth, N.J. Identification and Quantification of Antioxidant Components of Honeys from Various Floral Sources. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2002

6.             Combarros-Fuertes, P.; Estevinho, L.M.; Dias, L.G.; Castro, J.M.; Tomás-Barberán, F.A.; Tornadijo, M.E.; Fresno-Baro, J.M. Bioactive Components and Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Different Varieties of Honey: A Screening Prior to Clinical Application. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2019

7.             Das, A.; Datta, S.; Mukherjee, S.; Bose, S.; Ghosh, S.; Dhar, P. Evaluation of Antioxidative, Antibacterial and Probiotic Growth Stimulatory Activities of Sesamum Indicum Honey Containing Phenolic Compounds and Lignans. LWT - Food Sci. Technol. 2015

8.             Ranneh, Y.; Akim, A.M.; Hamid, H.Ab.; Khazaai, H.; Fadel, A.; Zakaria, Z.A.; Albujja, M.; Bakar, M.F.A. Honey and Its Nutritional and Anti-Inflammatory Value. BMC Complement. Med. Ther. 2021

9.             Green, K.J.; Lawag, I.L.; Locher, C.; Hammer, K.A. Correlation of the Antibacterial Activity of Commercial Manuka and Leptospermum Honeys from Australia and New Zealand with Methylglyoxal Content and Other Physicochemical Characteristics. PLoS ONE 2022