Honey vs. Sugar — What's The Healthier Choice?

Glycemic Index

Contrary to the more common belief that sugar has a glycemic index of 100. The glycemic index of sugar is 65.

The glycemic index of sugar being 65 is that it only made 50% of glucose, and the other 50% is fructose. 

In comparison, the glycemic index of honey is 60. 

For a deep dive into the glycemic index of honey, you can read this article.

Sweetness

Honey is sweeter than table sugar. This means consuming less honey and fewer calories for the sweetness needed than sugar.

Quality

Ideally, the best honey that you should consume is from trusted beekeepers who don’t mix sugar with their honey. It’s best to get seasonal honey aswell since beekeepers often feed their bees sugary water to produce honey quickly and in higher amounts. 
So find a trusted beekeeper and get the honey from there. 

You won’t find them on supermarket shelves.   

Diabetes

In diabetic patients, it’s best if they do not consume excess sugar. In cases of insulin resistance, whatever the source of glucose, if post-prandial, there are frequent spikes for long durations. Diabetic complications will start to appear. 
In this case, sugar is a major red flag. Consumption of table sugar, especially in higher amounts, is associated with increased risks of diabetes (1). 

It is important to note that occasionally consuming 1 teaspoon of sugar will not cause diabetes. The dose matters. 
In comparison, honey can be used as an alternate sugar since it is sweeter. However, it’s best to reduce overall foods that would cause glucose spikes in diabetes. 

Overall, some data indicates that the consumption of honey positively affects diabetes. However, it’s best to keep it in low-moderate amounts (2). 

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Honey contains polyphenols and flavonoids that have antioxidative effects. Sugar doesn’t have these properties. Honey is not refined; especially good honey from a trusted beekeeper is ideal (3).

Some references indicate that high sugar consumption in parallel with processed food has detrimental effects on our bodies by increasing risks of inflammatory damage (4).

Cancer

Honey has been shown to have cytotoxic effects on cancer cells. This doesn’t indicate that you can treat cancer, but having proper nutrition on a lifelong basis can decrease your risks of carcinogenesis (5). 

Epidemiological studies have found an association with high sugar intake in high frequencies with the development of cancer (6).

Botulism

There are many cases of botulism in pediatric ages. Raw honey shouldn't be given to babies up to 12 months because it can contain botulinum toxin that can cause botulism in babies (7). 

Allergies

Honey is derived from pollen, which is highly allergic to most people. However, honey has been shown to positively affect allergic rhinitis symptoms by decreasing its symptoms (8). 

You can read about brown sugar vs. sugar in this article.