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Whether you prefer it on a peanut butter sandwich or in your morning tea, honey is a natural (and delicious) sweetener often touted for anarray of health benefits. For example, honey can help soothe coughs andsore throats, heal wounds and relieve gastrointestinal symptoms, and it’s packed with antioxidants. However, that doesn’t mean you should consume it in excess. Since honey is rich in sugar, eating too much can spike yourblood sugar levelsand potentially lead to weight gain. Also, the resulting blood sugar spike from consuming too much honey can be especially problematic if you have diabetes. But, in moderation, honey could lead to some benefits to your body and overall health.
In fact, a new study published on November 16, 2022, in the journalNutrition Reviewsfound that eating honey in moderation may reduce inflammation and slash your cardiometabolic risk—factors that increase your chances of developing heart disease and diabetes. Here’s the lowdown.
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What the Study Found
These findings were unexpected, considering honey’s high sugar and carbohydrate content. Typically, high-sugar foods can increase your CMR and the likelihood of developing heart disease and diabetes. However, not all sugary foods and carbohydrates are created equal. “These results are surprising because honey is about 80 percent sugar,” saidTauseef Khan, PhD, senior researcher on the study and a research associate in nutritional sciences at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, in astatement. “But honey is also a complex composition of common and rare sugars, proteins, organic acids and other bioactive compounds that very likely have health benefits.”
What It Means
All 1,100 participants in the meta-analysis consumed healthy diets withadded sugarscomprising only 10% of their caloric intake. Also, the average amount of honey they consumed was only 40 grams daily, approximately 2 tablespoons. It’s important to note that their findings suggested that honey can only improve metabolic health and lower inflammation if you consume it in moderation alongside a healthy eating pattern. Additionally, honey’s health benefits depend on its processing and floral source. “We’re not saying you should start having honey if you currently avoid sugar. The takeaway is more about replacement—if you’re using table sugar, syrup or another sweetener, switching those sugars for honey might lower cardiometabolic risks,” said Khan.
Regardless of the quality and source of your honey, overconsumption can pose health risks. “There are risks to consuming too much honey,” cautions Gomer. “We’re living in an era of 1 in 3 people havingprediabetesin America and an obesity epidemic. While this study shows that limited amounts of honey can have some health benefits, reducing your total sugar intake is helpful to most people, especially those with metabolic syndrome, obesity and insulin resistance.”
The Bottom Line
A new study out of the University of Toronto found that consuming approximately 2 tablespoons of honey daily alongside an already-healthy diet may help lower inflammation and improve cholesterol levels—key factors contributing to cardiometabolic health. However, avoid eating honey in excess as it’s high in sugar that can negatively affect your health if overconsumed. Future research should focus on unprocessed honey from a single floral source to provide a better understanding of how honey can boost overall health. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian if you have any questions regarding your diet and cardiometabolic health, or are considering adding honey to your eating pattern. And as a reminder, honey is not safe forbabies younger than 12 months old.
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