Honey vs. Sugar: The Cholesterol Results Might Surprise You

Here's what two university studies found.

Honey is technically sugar — but research suggests your body doesn't treat it the same way. In studies, honey behaved differently from regular table sugar when it came to cholesterol and blood sugar. It's not medicine, and it's still sugar. But as a smarter swap for the sugar you're already using, honey may have a mild edge — especially raw, minimally processed honey.

From a biology and chemistry standpoint, honey really is made up mostly of sugars. But it isn't the same product as ordinary table sugar. Research from a university in San Diego, and later from the University of Toronto, suggests that honey and regular sugar affect your lipid profile — including cholesterol — differently.

Sounds strange, right? A spoon of honey and a spoon of sugar have almost the same calories. But researchers noticed something interesting.

In a clinical study at San Diego State University (USA), people replaced their regular sugar with honey. The result: their cholesterol didn't get worse, and their triglycerides (the "blood fats" that tend to rise with sugar) didn't stay elevated on honey the way they did on sugar. Bonus: when people used honey, they ended up eating less sugar and fewer calories overall.

A large review of dozens of studies from the University of Toronto pointed the same way: within a healthy diet, raw honey may have a gentler effect on blood sugar and cholesterol than regular sugar.

Honest and important: this doesn't mean honey "cures" anything, or that you should eat it by the spoonful. Honey works as a smarter swap for sugar — not as something you add on top. The point is simply that, on several measures, honey behaves a little better than regular sugar.

A note from the researchers: the type of honey matters. Raw, unprocessed honey performed best. The ordinary processed honey on most supermarket shelves isn't the same thing.

That's why our products use only raw honey from trusted beekeepers we work with directly. We don't buy anonymous honey in bulk — it matters to us where it comes from and who makes it. And you can get to know our beekeepers too, and learn more about their apiaries and the honey we use. 🐝

Honey is not recommended for children under 1 year of age.

FAQ

Is honey healthier than sugar?

Honey is still sugar and similar in calories, but studies suggest it may affect cholesterol and blood sugar a little more gently than regular sugar — particularly raw honey, and particularly as a replacement rather than an addition.

Does honey lower cholesterol?

Research doesn't show honey as a treatment for cholesterol. What studies found is that, compared to regular sugar, honey didn't worsen cholesterol and helped keep triglycerides from staying elevated.