Honey has been used to sweeten foods and beverages for centuries. It’s a natural sweetener with a variety of health benefits. In coffee, honey is usually used to replace sugar to add a touch of sweetness.
However, sugar and honey are both added sugar. If you put a sachet of sugar or honey in your coffee, you put in the added sugar. Added sugar contributes calories to your diet and can cause health problems such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
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Honey Vs Sugar in Structure and Composition
Sugar is 100% made of glucose and fructose, which are bound together to form sucrose molecules. Honey also mostly consists of glucose and fructose, however, its glucose and fructose are separate, meanwhile, it has about 25 different oligosaccharides in the composition of honey.
Here are the main 6 reasons to put honey to replace sugar in your coffee.
1. Add Sweetness and Flavor
Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you need less of it to get the desired level of sweetness. This means that honey can add a touch of sweetness to coffee without making it too sweet.
In addition, honey has a complex flavor that can add depth of flavor to coffee. It can also help balance out the bitterness of coffee and create a more complex flavor profile.
2. Balance Blood Sugar – Low Glycemic Index (GI) Than Sugar
Another reason to add honey to coffee is that honey has a lower glycemic index than sugar because of its high content of fructose and complicated composition.
A carbohydrate with a high GI leads to a high blood glucose level. The average glycemic index for honey is 55±5, while this number for sugar is 68±5. This means that honey will not cause as big of a spike in blood sugar levels as sugar does. Therefore, Honey provides a low risk of type 2 diabetes.
This can be important for people who are trying to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
3. Provide More Nutrients
Honey contains antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients can help improve your health.
Honey contains varying concentrations of polyphenols, which are plant-based micronutrients that have been linked with health benefits such as cancer prevention, reduced inflammation, and better blood sugar control.
Additionally, honey is a good source of the B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. All of these vitamins are important for energy production and maintaining your overall health.
Honey also contains the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. These minerals are essential for your health and can help keep your body functioning properly.
4. Improve Digestion
Honey is easier for us to digest as glucose and fructose in it are independent, and the natural enzymes and probiotics in honey help us digest other food.
When honey goes into our stomach, it can be digested soon. Meanwhile, the natural enzymes and probiotics in honey help break down food and absorb nutrients. This can improve our overall digestive health.
However, there is no digestion happening when sucrose goes into the stomach because the enzymes in the stomach cannot break down the link between glucose and fructose. It can only be broken down in the small intestine.
This makes honey a good choice for people who have trouble digesting other types of sugar.
5. Antimicrobial Properties
Honey also has antimicrobial properties. This means that honey can help fight infection and improve your overall health.
6. Anti-Inflammatory
Honey is also anti-inflammatory. This means that honey can help reduce inflammation in the body and improve your overall health.
