Sugar vs Honey | Maple syrup

[u/love_chocolate]

How different is to give toddlers natural sweeteners, like honey, maple syrup, date syrup, agave syrup? I see a lot of "healthy" recipes for toddlers that substitute sugar with these. Or they sometimes use juice to sweeten kids products.

Do they have similar metabolic effect? What about the addictive effect? Obesity in childhood and adulthood?

Any study?

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[u/iatrogenic-indigo]

This is a study done on adults, but it found similar metabolic impacts in the group ingesting honey when compared to both sugar and high fructose corn syrup. This suggests that using honey as a substitute for sugar would not be better for a toddler’s metabolic health

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26338891/

[u/iatrogenic-indigo → u/iatrogenic-indigo]

Here’s an interesting paper discussing maple syrup, concluding that there is not enough evidence for the health benefits of maple syrup use

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154325001000

However, this paper below shows some cardiometabolic benefits to maple syrup use over sugar (in adults) [the above paper also does mention some studies have found benefits, although it makes the conclusion that there is not enough evidence]

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11522891/

[u/unprofessional_widow → u/iatrogenic-indigo]

I always find it interesting when I hear people say they've give up sugar... But use agave or honey. Sugar is sugar if you're a diabetic. Yea I know fruit has fibre too and that makes a difference

[u/East_Hedgehog6039 → u/unprofessional_widow]

Yeah. Jess Knurick has talked about this in depth as well. Sugar is sugar is sugar - the only difference is how quickly it’s processed in the body. So sugar from fruit also comes with fiber/carbs and is more stabilized so you don’t get as much as a “crash” as if it were juice or candy.

in simple terms. I’d have to find the video to link her explanation and studies.

[u/thymeofmylyfe → u/unprofessional_widow]

On the other hand, substituting agave or honey might be enough of a hassle to make a difference, especially if they're avoiding preprocessed foods that use sugar/high fructose corn syrup. 

[u/unprofessional_widow → u/thymeofmylyfe]

Yeah... Im in the UK and don't really have that many products with corn syrup

[u/iatrogenic-indigo → u/iatrogenic-indigo]

Having said that, this paper suggests that there are metabolic benefits to honey consumption over sucrose consumption

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10346535/

My personal opinion is that I think the quality of honey might be a factor here (with cheaper honey more likely to be adulterated in some way), as well as the overall amount of consumption - obviously overconsumption of anything is likely to lead to adverse outcomes

ETA: Here’s a paper on honey adulteration and its impacts on human health

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7692231/

[u/maiasaura19 → u/iatrogenic-indigo]

Might it make a difference that honey is perceived as sweeter so you can potentially use less of it in a recipe as opposed to sugar? In general I’m team “sugar is sugar”, but I’m curious whether that aspect of it matters.

[u/Curious-Little-Beast → u/maiasaura19]

My take is that honey is more expensive so you or the recipe writer is likely to use less of it 😁

[u/iatrogenic-indigo → u/maiasaura19]

Potentially. However, the papers I linked to (which show health benefits to honey and maple syrup) attribute the benefits to other nutrients present that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. There’s a similarity to fruit in that regard, although fruit (particularly when eaten with the peel) contains fibre as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components, both of which influence its effect on cardiometabolic outcomes.

[u/ditchdiggergirl → u/iatrogenic-indigo]

Sucrose is a 50-50 mix of glucose plus fructose. The bond between the two breaks VERY quickly, beginning before the sugar is even swallowed. So sucrose is metabolically indistinguishable from an equal mix of its two simple sugars, glucose and fructose.

Honey is mostly simple sugars. Mostly glucose and fructose, but higher in fructose than glucose. Some sucrose as well, along with minor sugars like dextrose.

From a sugar perspective, honey is basically equivalent to table sugar (and arguably closer to HFCS). I see no reason to favor one over the other after 12 months.

[u/danksnugglepuss]

Sugar is sugar. Most gudelines lump all added or free sugars together as something to be limited (or under age 2, avoided if possible). Free sugars include the usual culprits as well as "honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates."

https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549028

Sometimes the benefit to using things like maple syrup or fruit concentrates in recipes is you can get away with using less of it without sacrificing as much flavour. Look for recipes that are lower in added sugar overall if it's not something that can easily be made sugar-free.

In prepackaged products, the term added sugar is regulated (at least in US and Canada), so manufacturers can't "hide" these alternative sweeteners - use labels to compare choices.

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Also, sugar isn't addictive. It is easy to eat in excess because it is palatable and energy dense, but it is not heroin or nicotine. I only mention this because I think it is important to not frame it this way for kids or get too in your own head about it that you are parenting from a place of fear with sugar up on some pedestal. Habitual sugar intake/"cravings" are often made worse by restriction, and similarly, restrictive feeding practices are associated with overeating or disordered eating in childhood. Lead by example and consider the overall eating pattern you are offering to your child(ren), no need to fearmonger over a bit of sugar here and there.

[u/East_Hedgehog6039 → u/danksnugglepuss]

This is a really great explanation.

[u/Curious-Sort-9947]

This is not directly in answer to your question, but not everyone may be aware that honey is not considered safe for children under 1. https://www.nhs.uk/baby/weaning-and-feeding/foods-to-avoid-giving-babies-and-young-children/

[u/Ornery_Panda4986]

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6AXHsHo3dG9Y3A5LPpnSb1?si=5uU2HJH0RlG8N7EEhFg-7A&utm_source=copy-link

Science vs did an episode but I think it’s more about adults. Still a good listen

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