Many people
swear by honey as a healthy sweetener, an alternative to sugar or
non-caloric chemical sweeteners. But can you go overboard on this tasty treat
and is it really as good for you as you think?
Angela Lemond, a registered dietitian
nutritionist in Texas, warns that sometimes since honey is natural, it isn’t
automatically filed away in our minds as sugar, but, she says, “it is
considered an added sugar when you eat it.” Womp womp.
“It can be easy to go overboard on honey, especially when you’re adding
it directly to smoothies, oatmeal, or other recipes and not measuring it out
beforehand,” says Torey Armul, R.D., an Ohio-based dietitian. “It’s difficult
to gauge portions when using it straight from the bottle, and the sugar content
adds up quickly.” Armul says too much honey consumption is linked to weight
gain, diabetes, and tooth decay. Additionally, “there is a significant amount
of fructose in honey," says Sonya Angelone, R.D.N, a California nutritionist,
who recommends against eating honey in general. Fructose is known to cause
gas and bloating, and Angelone says people can develop those types of GI problems
when eating honey.
This is not to say you should go cold-turkey with your honey. It has its
own benefits, from making food taste better to soothing sore throats. Raw,
unfiltered honey in particular is rich in probiotics and antioxidants that
you won't find in regular sugar.
