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The Difference between Honey and Sugar as Natural Sweeteners

By Esther George

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 22Apr2009 Word count: 438 Viewed: 3031 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Honey is a great alternative to sugar and retains most of its properties unlike sugar when processed. With refined sugar, in the process of manufacturing, the protein, nitrogen elements, organic acids, enzymes and vitamins in the sugar cane are destroyed while with honey no real processing is required and nothing is lost from heating it.

Honey also offers incredible antioxidant, antiseptic, antimicrobial and cleansing properties for our bodies and health. Even though both honey and sugar are sweeteners and both contain glucose and fructose, honey is the ideal liver fuel because it contains a nearly 1:1 ratio of fructose to glucose.Fructose "unlocks" the enzyme from the liver cell's nucleus that is necessary for the incorporation of glucose into glycogen (the form in which sugar is stored in the liver and muscle cells).

Honey also may promote better blood sugar control. Proper fueling of the liver is central to optimal glucose metabolism during sleep and exercise. When we eat sugar our bodies have to use a special enzyme in our pancreas called insulin to convert the sugars to glucose which then can be absorbed by the cells in our bodies to provide us with energy. However, with honey the bees have already added a special enzyme to the nectar that divides the sucrose into glucose and fructose.

These are two simple sugars that our body cells can absorb directly. Hence, compared to processed sugar, honey has a healthier Glycemic Index (GI) which measures the negative impact of a given food on the blood-glucose level. The lower the GI rating, the slower the absorption and infusion of sugars into the bloodstream and hence a more gradual and healthier digestion process.

Because honey is sweeter than sugar, the total calories intake is lower as less honey is needed to sweeten the same quantity of food item (cereals, cakes, pies, tea, coffee, etc). Therefore, if you are watching your weight or trying to loose weight, honey will be a smarter choice than refine sugar.

Also, the wonderful taste of honey is so unique that is why it is used in several recipes such as honey bread, honey chicken recipes, chicken honey mustard, honey glazed chicken, and honey baked chicken to name a few. When using honey in a crystallized form like with organic honey crystals you get the benefits of honey without the sticky mess that is sometimes an issue with honey. With organic honey crystal you can add a taste of honey to your favorite cookies, breakfast cereal, cakes, pies, rolls, coatings, dressings, and even to sweeten your coffee or tea! by just replacing sugar 1:1 for a delicious sweet honey flavor.

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