Is honey a healthy addition to a balanced diet?

Is Honey Healthy?

Honey should be consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, but it is fundamentally a source of added/free sugars that contributes to caloric intake and should be limited—particularly in people with diabetes, obesity, or cardiovascular risk factors.

Classification and Dietary Context

Honey is classified as a nutritive sweetener containing calories (along with sugar and agave syrup), and more specifically as a "free sugar" in dietary guidelines 1. This means:

• Honey falls into the same category as table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and other added sweeteners that should be restricted in healthy eating patterns 1
• The American Diabetes Association explicitly groups honey with "sugar, honey, and agave syrup" as nutritive sweeteners that should be replaced with non-nutritive sweeteners when consumed in moderation for people with diabetes 1
• Both the 2023 and 2025 Diabetes Care guidelines consistently categorize honey alongside other added sugars 1

Recommendations for Limiting Honey Intake

The American Heart Association recommends limiting all added sugars, including honey, to less than 6 teaspoons (25g) daily for a 2000-calorie diet 2. This is critical because:

• Added sugars (including honey) contribute substantial calories without providing essential nutrients, promoting weight gain 1
• Sugar intake has not been shown to directly increase cancer risk, but sugars including honey add calories that promote weight gain and often replace more nutritious food choices 1
• The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee explicitly advises restriction of both refined grains and added sugars together 1

Special Considerations for High-Risk Populations

People with Diabetes

• Honey is metabolically similar to sucrose (table sugar) and high-fructose corn syrup, containing approximately equal amounts of glucose and fructose 1
• While honey may have a variable glycemic index (32-85 depending on botanical source), it still impacts blood glucose and should be limited 3
• For diabetic patients accustomed to sugar-sweetened products, non-nutritive sweeteners are preferred over honey 1

Cardiovascular Risk

• High doses of rapidly digested fructose (present in honey at ~38%) directly stimulate hepatic fat production, visceral fat accumulation, and uric acid production 1
• The American Heart Association emphasizes that honey, like other added sugars, should be minimized to reduce cardiometabolic risk 1, 2

When Honey May Have Relative Benefits

The only context where honey shows potential benefit is as a replacement for other added sugars or sugar-sweetened beverages—not as an addition to the diet 4. Specifically:

• A 2023 meta-analysis found that honey (particularly robinia, clover, and raw unprocessed honey) may improve fasting glucose, lipid profiles, and liver enzymes when consumed within a healthy dietary pattern as a sugar substitute 4
• These benefits were modest and based on low-certainty evidence, with effects likely attributable to polyphenolic compounds 5, 6, 7
• Beneficial effects require higher doses (50-80g per intake), which would exceed recommended added sugar limits 3

Practical Clinical Approach

Advise patients to:

• Minimize all added sugars including honey as part of a healthy eating pattern focused on vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains 2
• If using sweeteners, choose honey over high-fructose corn syrup or table sugar only when replacing (not adding to) existing sugar intake 4
• Recognize that honey's purported health benefits do not justify exceeding daily added sugar limits 1
• Focus on whole fruits rather than honey for sweetness, as fruits provide fiber and nutrients without the concentrated sugar load 1, 2

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Do not recommend honey as a "health food" simply because it contains trace polyphenols—the sugar content outweighs these benefits in typical consumption amounts 1
• Avoid the misconception that "natural" sugars like honey are fundamentally different from processed sugars—metabolically, honey behaves similarly to sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup 1
• Do not suggest honey for infant feeding—processed baby foods with honey have elevated advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and should be avoided 1