Stevia vs. Honey — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
In short, stevia is a natural sweetener that provides 0 calories and carbohydrates as it is not absorbed into the bloodstream. Thus, honey is naturally higher in calories, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
Honey has a moderate glycemic and insulin index value, while these values for stevia are 0.
Honey and stevia have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health; however, processed, purified stevia can lead have an adverse impact.
Table of contents
Introduction
Choosing a healthy sweetener has become one of the most talked about topics in nutrition today. In this article, we will compare stevia and honey, two sweeteners often referred to as healthy alternatives to sugar, and see their differences in nutrition and health impact.
Classification
Both stevia and honey are classified as natural sweeteners: stevia is made from leaves of the plant called Stevia rebaudiana, belonging to the sunflower family, and honey is made by foraging bees.
Processed purified forms of stevia are at times considered to be artificial sweeteners, such as the steviol glycoside additive E960.
Taste and Use
Stevia is used as a sweetener in the production of soft drinks, such as sodas, canned fruit, jams, dairy products, such as ice cream, and desserts. Stevia is also used as a substitute for white sugar.
Honey has similar uses but is less commonly used in the production of soft drinks and confectionaries.
Honey is 25% sweeter than sucrose, while stevia, depending on the production method, can be 300 times sweeter than sucrose.
Nutrition
The infographics below show information about 100g serving sizes of herbal extract powder from Stevia leaf and raw honey.
However, these sweeteners are usually used in smaller serving sizes. One average serving size of stevia can be considered 1 package, weighing 1g, while one 0.5oz packet of honey is 14g. One tablespoon of honey equals 21g.
Macronutrients and Calories
Stevia consists of 100% carbs, while honey consists of 82% carbohydrates, 17% water, and 1% other nutrients.
Calories
Stevia is well known for containing no calories, whereas honey is a high-calorie food. One tablespoon of honey provides 64 calories.
Purified stevia provides zero calories as it does not metabolize in the body. Steviol compounds are not absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract but metabolized by gut bacteria. There is no accumulation of stevia compounds in the blood (1).
Carbohydrates
Stevia consists of 100% carbohydrates; however, these compounds aren’t carbohydrates in the strict sense. The sweet taste of stevia is due to naturally occurring part-carbohydrate compounds called steviol glycosides.
The carbohydrate content of honey makes up about 95% of its dry weight. One tbsp of honey provides 6g of carbohydrates, while 100g or 5 tbsp of honey contains 82.2g. The sugar content of honey is made up predominantly of fructose and glucose.
Purified stevia leaf extracts can contain one steviol glycoside or several different glycosides, which can be up to 300 times sweeter than sucrose (1).
Protein and Fats
Stevia and honey contain negligible amounts of protein and fats.
Vitamins and Minerals
Stevia does not contain vitamins or minerals, therefore, honey is relatively richer in both.
However, honey is generally not a good source of many vitamins. It contains moderate levels of vitamin C and low levels of some B-group vitamins.
Honey also contains moderate levels of manganese and iron and lower levels of other minerals.
Vitamin Comparison
Mineral Comparison
Glycemic Index
Depending on the variety, the glycemic index value of honey can fall in the range of 35 to 74. However, the mean glycemic index of 17 types of honey has been calculated to be 61. This puts honey in the moderate glycemic index category (2).
On the other hand, stevia has a glycemic index of 0, as its carbohydrates are not absorbed in the bloodstream and do not increase blood glucose levels.
Insulin Index
The insulin index shows the increase of insulin in the blood after consumption of the food.
Honey has been researched to have an insulin index value in the range of 40 to 67. The average insulin index of honey is 62. This can be considered a moderate insulin index.
Stevia, once again, has an insulin index value of 0, as it has been found not to raise insulin levels (3).
Health Impact
Cardiovascular Health
Honey has been studied to have a variety of heart health beneficial properties by improving lipid metabolism, antioxidant activity, reducing blood pressure, restoring heartbeat, and reducing the area of myocardial infarction (4).
Recent research has also suggested that stevia and its metabolites promote cardiovascular health and reduce high blood pressure. In experimental animals, stevia intake showed improved lipid levels and decreased atherosclerosis (5).
However, a higher intake of artificial sweeteners, including steviol glycosides (E960), has been correlated with increased cardiovascular disease risk (6).
Diabetes
As mentioned previously, stevia consumption does not affect blood glucose, insulin, or lipid levels. Stevia can be an alternative tea sweetener to sucralose in diabetic patients (3).
Overall, studies have concluded stevia to have antidiabetic properties, reducing blood glucose and improving metabolism (7).
Despite the moderate glycemic index, honey has also been researched to have antidiabetic properties, reducing blood glucose and potentially preventing diabetic complications (8).
Cancer
Research has found both honey and stevia to have anticarcinogenic and antitumor properties (9, 10).
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4890837/
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/114/5/1625/6320814
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7103435/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7277934/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7059728/
- https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj-2022-071204
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsn3.2904
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5817209/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8874712/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3865795/
Infographic
Macronutrient Comparison
Comparison summary table
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| Lower in Sugar |
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| Lower in Sodium |
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| Lower in Glycemic Index |
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| Lower in price |
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| Rich in minerals |
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| Rich in vitamins |
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| Lower in Cholesterol | Equal | ||
| Lower in Saturated Fat | Equal | ||
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
| Nutrient | |
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Opinion |
| Net carbs | 100g | 82.2g |
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| Protein | 0g | 0.3g |
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| Carbs | 100g | 82.4g |
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| Calories | 0kcal | 304kcal |
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| Fructose | 40.94g |
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| Sugar | 0g | 82.12g |
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| Fiber | 0g | 0.2g |
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| Calcium | 0mg | 6mg |
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| Iron | 0mg | 0.42mg |
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| Magnesium | 0mg | 2mg |
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| Phosphorus | 0mg | 4mg |
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| Potassium | 0mg | 52mg |
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| Sodium | 0mg | 4mg |
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| Zinc | 0mg | 0.22mg |
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| Copper | 0mg | 0.036mg |
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| Manganese | 0mg | 0.08mg |
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| Selenium | 0µg | 0.8µg |
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| Vitamin C | 0mg | 0.5mg |
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| Vitamin B2 | 0mg | 0.038mg |
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| Vitamin B3 | 0mg | 0.121mg |
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| Vitamin B5 | 0mg | 0.068mg |
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| Vitamin B6 | 0mg | 0.024mg |
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| Folate | 0µg | 2µg |
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| Tryptophan | 0.004mg |
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| Threonine | 0.004mg |
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| Isoleucine | 0.008mg |
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| Leucine | 0.01mg |
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| Lysine | 0.008mg |
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| Methionine | 0.001mg |
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| Phenylalanine | 0.011mg |
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| Valine | 0.009mg |
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| Histidine | 0.001mg |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?
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| Low Fats diet | Equal | |
| Low Carbs diet |
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| Low Calories diet |
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| Low Glycemic Index diet |
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People also compare
Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary
References
All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.
- Stevia - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170679/nutrients
- Honey - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169640/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.