Honey tastes so sweet and therefore lots of people are inclined to think that it is fattening and its calories are a real threat for the figure. Dieters often ask themselves the tormenting question: Is honey fattening? The answer is a definite no.
There is lot of scientific proof to support the no answer given to the question: Is honey fattening. Thus, you should know that honey is composed of fructose (40%) and glucose (36%), which are natural sugars, acids and other enzymes. In the human body, glucose is the sugar that is used more for energy and fructose is more likely to be stored as fat. However, when compared to other calorie-rich foods and foods with high sugar content, honey contains less fructose, making it a lesser fat-contributor in the body. Furthermore, these sugars present in honey are actually simple sugars which mean they are more likely to be digested than stored when taken in the body; as long as the body’s daily caloric needs are not exceeded. If honey is taken without exceeding the body’s caloric needs, there may not be any weight gain at all.
The next time you ask yourself: Is honey fattening?, remember that honey is much sweeter than the regular table sugar and therefore a person using honey as sweetener uses a little amount in comparison to people using table sugar. Indeed, honey makes a good substitute for table sugar. Because of the unique composition of honey, it is classified as a “whole food” and a natural product, complete with carbohydrates, vitamins like niacin and riboflavin and minerals like iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, zinc and many more.
On the other hand, table sugar or refined sugar is classified as a “pure carbohydrate” and a processed food which does not contain vitamins and minerals. This further makes honey a better option than table sugar and a non-fattening food.
In addition, honey helps in improving cholesterol profiles. Studies have shown that people who take at least five tablespoons of honey per month have no significant weight gain but have a significant decrease in cholesterol levels and increase in blood antioxidants. The decrease in cholesterol levels is associated with honey’s activity in lessening low-density lipoprotein (LDL) count. LDL is said to be the bad cholesterol in the body and lessening this results to the improvement of a person’s cholesterol profile. Furthermore, honey undergoes slow digestion in the stomach and the sugars existing in honey is released much more slowly in the blood than the sugars existing in table or refined sugars.
Are you still convince that the answer to the question: Is honey fattening, is yes? Then you should take into consideration that honey is also medicinal because of its high antioxidant properties. In different countries all over the world, the possible anti-cancer effect of honey is also being studied. The presence of vitamins and minerals in honey makes it a good nutritional supplement in some households. In Ayurvedic medicine, the anti-bacterial properties of honey are exploited in relieving throat congestions, cough, colds, flu and digestive problems.
Thus, the next time you ask yourself: Is honey fattening, remember that there are many people who even noticed a decreased in body weight upon taking in honey in a daily basis. Only people who exceed their daily caloric needs gain weight, but not because of honey but due to the other processed sugars they eat.
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