Sweetener Showdown: Honey vs. Sugar

Simple sugars are broken down quickly in the body, causing a blood glucose surge, and what doesn’t get used right away is stored as fat. Table sugar consists only of the simple sugars glucose and fructose, while honey has about 20 other sugars in the mix—many of which are much more complex—plus dextrin, a type of starchy fiber. Your body expends more energy to break it all down, which means you end up accumulating fewer calories. But don’t go downing honey like it’s health food—sugar is still sugar, after all.

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