If you have diabetes, you know that sweets should be eaten in moderation and monitored carefully...
However, as long as you are careful an occasional treat may not be the end of the world.
For example, if you want to sweeten your tea or have oatmeal with a bit of syrup, though you'll be adding
sugar to your day, don't worry. These choices may still be okay - in moderation. And while there are
sugar-free syrups available nothing beats the real deal - both for flavor and for health.
That's why we're about to take a close look at two of the healthiest, most natural syrups available...
We're starting a battle between honey and maple syrup, which is better for diabetics?
Should you try either at all? We'll tell you everything you need to know...
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And stick around to learn how you can grab two free gifts on us.
Now that we've got that out of the way, let's start the showdown!
This is Honey versus Maple Syrup, which is better for diabetics?
Okay let's start by getting a taste of honey.
Let's be certain where honey comes from.
Bees aren't just essential for keeping our world pollinated, they're also the source of all that delicious honey.
But how do they make it?
First, bees extract nectar from flowers.
They keep the nectar inside their honey stomach or crop which is separate from their regular stomach...
Then, back in the nest, they pass the stored nectar onto other bees.
These bees chew it, pass it around, and soon its moisture content is reduced from 70 percent down to just 20 percent...
From here the nectar turns to honey...
which is then stored by the bees within their honeycomb...
But what exactly is honey syrup?
The syrup version is simply honey which has been diluted with water.
Regular honey tends to be too thick for spreading across food.
However, you can make honey syrup by mixing equal parts honey and water.
The history of honey...
Honey has been used as a sweetener for a very long time in human history.
In fact, even the ancient Egyptians loved their honey.
Not only would they use honey to sweeten various foods, but they would give honey as a gift to the gods.
They even used honey for embalming, due to its long-lasting properties.
More on that in a second...
First, let's take a closer look at the nutrition of honey...
One tablespoon of honey has about 64 calories,
11 milligrams of potassium
and 17 grams of total carbohydrate - all in the form of sugar.
It also has trace amounts of vitamins and minerals.
Despite not having many vitamins and minerals, honey is packed with antioxidant polyphenols.
These polyphenols have the ability to lower blood pressure...
Plus, honey may help to reduce your chances of heart attacks, strokes, and some cancers.
Honey may also be good for your eyes too.
Also, did you know that honey can be used as a natural remedy for various ailments?
For generations, humans have utilized honey as a topical soothing agent for burns.
And honey is often used to soothe sore throats...
But here's an important point...
The health benefits do depend on the type of honey.
Generally, raw, high quality honey, is the healthiest honey choice.
Many packaged food corporation-produced honey products are highly refined...
And their beneficial antioxidants are often stripped away...
But the truth is, natural, raw honey is still, practically, ageless.
That means, it can sit on your shelf pretty much indefinitely, without it ever going bad.
Therefore, if you can afford the extra cost, it's probably better to go straight for raw untreated honey
instead of the more packaged and processed varieties.
So, exactly how long does honey last?
You heard it right. Honey doesn't have an expiration date.
Archaeologists have found jars of honey dating back to the days of ancient Egypt...
And it's still edible...
While you probably don't need your honey to last thousands of years, it's still one of the most convenient natural foods on the planet.
Honey can crystallize and change texture with time
But even then, it will still be edible, and it will maintain the delicious flavor.
So, is honey good for diabetics?
Good question. Honey has plenty of sugar and carb content
if you're trying to cut back on carbs, honey may be difficult to include in your normal diet.
However, honey does have a relatively low glycemic load of 10 and a glycemic index of just 58.
This means that while eating a jar full of honey on its own might spike your blood sugar, anyone worried
about diabetes can take advantage of honey by using it as a healthier stand-in for table sugar
or even certain artificial sweeteners.
So yes, if you suffer from diabetes you can still eat honey, in moderation.
But make sure to monitor your blood sugar levels, and try to pair your honey with a healthy protein choice
to help your body stabilize your glucose levels.
With that said, honey does have several specific health benefits for diabetics...
For instance, honey may help lower triglycerides.
Honey may work to reduce weight and improve blood lipid levels.
Honey may improve zinc and copper levels.
The antioxidant content may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer.
But at the end of the day, it's important to be smart about your honey consumption.
Go for natural, raw honey, and talk to your doctor about any changes in blood sugar levels.
Your doctor can help monitor you
and make sure you are reaping the positive benefits from honey not the negative.
Is honey vegan?
Technically, no it's not.
After all, it's produced by bees.
So among vegans, honey is quite a controversial food.
Some say that because honey is produced in excessive quantities, you are not harming bees when you harvest their precious bounty.
However, others say that the beekeeping industry exploits bee populations...
And with other natural sweeteners being more vegan-friendly, honey should be avoided.
If you are vegan and consider honey to be off the table then perhaps maple syrup might be right for you.
Before we spread the knowledge about this delicious natural sugar syrup it's time for those two free gifts...
Learn about other natural sugar foods that can actually help you fight diabetes with
Superfoods for Diabetics. Plus, learn the real truth about diabetes from some of the world's leading
medical and nutritional professionals with episode 1 of That Diabetes Documentary.
To grab both gifts, simply click the link in the description below...
And now let's dive into... Maple Syrup.
So what exactly is maple syrup again?
Maple syrup comes naturally from maple trees.
The sap in maple trees is collected, then evaporated, and condensed.
The result - maple syrup.
The History of Maple Syrup
While maple syrup hasn't been in usage for as long as honey,
it's also been around for quite a while...
The indigenous tribes of North America were the first to utilize maple syrup.
They would use it to cook, and recognized that it was a source of energy for the human body.
Native Americans even showed European settlers how to tap into maple tree trunks to acquire the sap within.
Soon, fur traders recognized the potential for selling maple products...
And by the 1860s maple syrup became a widely manufactured product in America.
By the 1990s, Canada overtook America to become the world's leading manufacturer of this natural liquid gold.
The Nutrition of Maple Syrup
One tablespoon of maple syrup contains 52 calories it also has 42 milligrams of potassium
2.4 milligrams of sodium and 13 grams of total carbohydrates
which of course is a fairly large quantity to be found within just one tablespoon.
So yes, maple syrup is quite high in sugar content.
However, it still contains less sugar than honey.
Incredibly, maple syrup is also extremely high in manganese content...
80 milliliters of maple syrup houses a whopping 165 percent of your recommended daily manganese intake.
Manganese can help reduce inflammation and has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels.
Also just like honey, maple syrup supplies antioxidants.
In fact, studies have found that maple syrup houses up to 24 unique antioxidants.
These antioxidants can have anti-inflammatory properties and may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer.
However, scientists have noted that the antioxidant content of maple syrup still can't compare with other plant-based foods
like nuts and seeds.
Therefore, if you are looking to up your antioxidant content, you can probably find less sugar-rich food sources to achieve that goal.
However, just like honey, people do use maple syrup as a topical skin-soothing agent...
And also like honey, it's best to go for natural unrefined pure maple syrup over the more processed varieties.
If you see a maple syrup product listed as golden syrup, think twice.
Golden syrup is not pure maple syrup, even though they look very similar.
Golden syrup is actually made from caramelized cane sugar.
There are also different grades of maple syrup based on the color.
Grade A features lighter-colored varieties of syrup
and Grade B is applied to darker syrups, which tend to be extracted later in harvest season.
Grade B syrups are slightly more nutrient-dense
but in the end the only real difference between grades are the color and the taste.
The darker B grade syrups tend to have a bolder maple flavor than grade A varieties.
But if you go for the good stuff, pure maple syrup...
And if you consume it in moderation, this breakfast staple can still provide positive health benefits.
How long does maple syrup last?
Unlike honey, maple syrup does expire.
If left unopened in a cool dry place, it may be able to last for a long while...
However, once opened, pure maple syrup lasts for about a year.
After that, it may begin to grow mold.
Is maple syrup good for diabetics?
Like honey, maple syrup does have plenty of calories and a high carb load.
In fact, two-thirds of maple syrup is pure sucrose
and just 80 milliliters contains a staggering 60 grams of sugar.
So, if you are diabetic, it's important to eat maple syrup in moderation.
Maple syrup has a glycemic load of 10, which is equivalent to honey.
Its glycemic index is 54, which is slightly lower than honey.
Incredibly, studies suggest that consuming small quantities of pure maple syrup may reduce glucose absorption
which can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
And as mentioned before, the high manganese content can work to better manage fasting glucose levels.
Like honey, you should consult your doctor, and monitor your blood glucose.
If you want to consume maple syrup with the least risk possible.
Is maple syrup vegan?
Yes, maple syrup is vegan.
After all, it comes directly from maple trees.
Plus the process of tapping does not harm the tree.
So, now that we know the truth behind both honey and maple syrup...
It's time for the showdown...
It's honey versus maple syrup
Who wins?
Let's compare these two breakfast staples and crown a king...
Taste - this is subjective and it does depend on what kind of honey or maple syrup you consume.
Depending on the flowers the bees get the nectar from, or the type of maple tree
the tastes can differ.
So, in this regard, both can be a winner for you.
Nutrition
Honey and maple syrup have similar nutrition...
with trace amounts of vitamins and minerals in each.
Plus, both are packed with beneficial antioxidants.
However, maple syrup has slightly fewer calories and a smaller carb load.
When you are a diabetic, every gram counts.
So, maple syrup wins in this category.
Shelf life
Honey doesn't expire.
Its texture can change with time, but even after thousands of years, it's still edible.
While an unopened bottle of maple syrup can last a very long time,
its shelf life drops to about a year after being unsealed.
Therefore, when it comes to longevity, honey wins this round.
Diabetes-friendliness.
Maple syrup and honey have the same glycemic load
but maple syrup scores just a bit lower on the glycemic index.
Both also have compounds which may help your body fight the effects of diabetes.
With that said, both have the potential to skyrocket your blood sugar.
However, maple syrup generally has a smaller fructose load than honey so it may be a better choice when
it comes to blood sugar management.
When consuming either make sure you're mindful of your portions
try to pair either choice with some protein and keep track of your blood sugar readings
to see how they affect your post-meal glucose levels.
However, as it has a slightly lower glycemic index and a tiny bit less sugar, we're giving this round to maple syrup.
Vegan-friendliness
While hotly debated, honey does come from bees
which means many vegans may consider this sweet treat to be a no-no.
Meanwhile, maple syrup is produced by trees and the extraction methods used typically do not harm the trees
that means that this category also goes to maple syrup.
So, who's the winner?
Well looks like we gotta go with maple syrup.
Yes, both maple syrup and honey share similar nutritional value and carry similar health benefits and risks
for you, it may come down to personal preference
or you may enjoy using both, depending on the meal.
For example, maybe you like a small bit of maple syrup in your oatmeal,
but you can still try a bit of honey in your tea.
As long as you are consuming both in moderation, these sweet syrups can be good for your body
especially if you are using either as a substitute for your typical higher carb sweetening choices.
So yes, by all means, if you are used to sprinkling an artificial sweetener in your tea
or you bake with cane sugar
try switching to honey or maple syrup
but just remember, both honey and maple syrup are chock full of natural sugars
so neither of these sweet treats should be eaten in excess.
Enjoy both honey and maple syrup but practice portion control and try to limit your frequency
for consuming these two delicious delicacies.
And there we have it, two natural sweeteners that have health benefits when consumed in moderation.
While we believe that maple syrup is today's winner, you may feel differently
Let us know your thoughts about which sweeteners you prefer by commenting below...
And while you're there, don't forget to click the link to grab both of your free gifts.
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Thanks for watching we hope you're having a diabetes-fighting day!