You have heard the debates about whether honey is healthier than sugar. But is honey also suitable for the keto diet or Is Honey Keto?
I will say yes, honey IS suitable for the keto diet. Read on to see why.
Honey vs. Sugar: Is Honey Keto Better For You Than Sugar?
We all know that honey and sugar are full of simple carbohydrates. And honey has a reputation for being healthier than sugar.
But Question is that is honey really healthier than sugar?
I will say Yes, honey is healthier than sugar.
That does not mean that we should drink honey. But my general rule of thumb, if I have a choice, it is to go for the least processed option. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it will be the healthiest option.
To understand why honey is slightly healthier than sugar, you will need to understand exactly what honey is made of.
What is honey?
Bee vomit? Yes, that’s what my kids call it. Say ah!
I was very excited when I decided to write this article, so you will get the full explanation about Honey and Keto.
Bees produce honey when they collect nectar. Nectar is the sweet liquid of flowers.
The nectar is stored in the honey stomach of bees, which is not the same as their digestive stomach.
The bees then regurgitate the nectar (hence the bee vomit) when they return to the hive and transfer it to the bees in the hive.
The bees in the hive chew on it for a time, which allows the enzymes to break down the sugars. This process of going from complex to simple sugars makes honey sweet.
When bees store honey in honeycombs, the water evaporates from the honey, making it thick and sticky.
Now you know! But is keto honey friendly? Don’t worry, I’ll get to that!
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Is honey good for you? The benefits of raw honey
We haven’t really answered the question yet: what exactly is IN honey? What is the chemical composition of honey that makes it slightly healthier than sugar? What are the nutrients in raw honey?
The nectar is stored in the honey stomach of bees, which is not the same as their digestive stomach.
The bees then regurgitate the nectar (hence the bee vomit) when they return to the hive and transfer it to the bees in the hive.
The bees in the hive chew on it for a time, which allows the enzymes to break down the sugars. This process of going from complex to simple sugars makes honey sweet.
When bees store honey in honeycombs, the water evaporates from the honey, making it thick and sticky.
Now you know! But is keto honey friendly? Don’t worry, I’ll get to that!
Is honey good for you in keto? The benefits of raw honey
We haven’t really answered the question yet: what exactly is IN honey? What is the chemical composition of honey that makes it slightly healthier than sugar? What are the nutrients in raw honey?
The simple sugars contained in honey are mostly fructose (40%) and glucose (30%), with some maltose (8%) and sucrose (2%) and other sugars (1.5%).
But there’s a LOT more to honey than sugar!
Beneficial substances in raw honey
Honey contains amino acids, which come from the pollen in honey. This is the amazing part! Depending on the variety (which flowers the bees got their nectar and pollen from), some varieties of honey can have up to 20 types of amino acids!
Minerals in honey: sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, copper, iron, manganese, chromium, and zinc.
Vitamins found in honey: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), ascorbic acid (C), and phylloquinone (K).
Raw honey
Raw honey contains important antioxidants. These antioxidants are catalase, chrysin, pinobanksin, pinocembrin, and vitamin C.
Beneficial enzymes in honey: invertase, glucose oxidase, and diastase (amylase).
Honey has antimicrobial properties. In fact, it is considered a broad-spectrum antibiotic!
Honey is also recognized as a prebiotic.
Honey helps with allergies. I have heard more than once about doctors prescribing LOCAL RAW honey for people with allergies, how great!
Raw honey is amazing in Keto!
Note that there are many factors that can slightly change the composition of individual honey types, including the type of flower that is the source of the honey, the type of bee, the weather, etc.
Is honey good for you? The benefits of raw honey on the ketogenic diet. (Bee on lavender flower, collecting nectar)
Also, when honey is heated or processed in any way, many of these beneficial properties are destroyed. The darker the honey, the more antioxidants.
Always choose raw honey!
(If you’re a freak like me and don’t have enough academic articles on nutrition, read this one on the nutraceutical benefits of honey.)
Great, but how many carbohydrates are in honey?
Prepare yourselves.
As I mentioned before, the profile of each type of honey will be different, depending on various factors. But on average, each tablespoon of honey contains 17 grams of carbohydrates, all or most of the sugar.
Don’t be upset. Keep reading.
(Or if you’re too bummed, you can always try this low-carb copycat honey. And get your antioxidants from blueberries instead. Ha!)
Is honey a good carbohydrate?
I know, I’ve been telling you all the amazing things about raw honey. I have been building a pedestal for honey throughout this entire post. I’m ashamed.
I have to say that there are things (healthy, natural, whole-food ingredients) that I have not been able to completely give up on the keto diet.
I won’t give you a full explanation here, but if you want to know more about why I haven’t completely ruled out honey, read my article on the types of ketogenic diets.
I’m going to repeat myself: you won’t be in ketosis if you drink honey every day.
However, a small amount is fine for most people. But you know your body better than I do! So make your own informed decision.
What do I mean by a small amount? I have a recipe on my site that uses one scoop for a whole “oatmeal” creme brulee.
That’s about 3 grams of honey sugar per serving. Not bad. (7.7 grams of total carbohydrates per serving).
Good Carbs Bad Carbs: Where Honey Is Found
What we REALLY want to know is, are carbs in sugar or carbs in honey better for you?
Do our bodies process honey the same way as honey? And will I gain more weight from eating honey or sugar?
We all know that excess glucose is stored as fat. That’s basic Keto 101.
Processed sugar is about 50% glucose and 50% fructose.
As I explained earlier, only 30% of honey is glucose, 40% is fructose, and the rest are more complex sugars.
Most of the sugars in honey are harder to break down than glucose and just don’t store as fat as easily.
You are consuming more calories simply by breaking down the sugars in honey because it takes more energy to break down the more complex sugars.
And that means putting on fewer calories and less weight.
Please note that I am NOT a medical professional. Most of the research I do is because I am curious and seek the answers myself from credible sources. So everything in this post may not be true for YOU.
Honey and ketosis: can I stay in ketosis while eating honey?
I have. Don’t brag. You can too!
Does that mean anyone can stay in ketosis and still eat honey? The answer is a complicated “no”.
If you read the forums and groups online, you will get a variety of responses. All from different people with different genes and different body types and different lifestyle habits.
Usually, diabetics cannot eat honey at all and remain in ketosis, for example.
For MOST people, honey will not be appropriate on a ketogenic diet. Let me explain more.
I CAN have honey and stay in ketosis, but NOT if I’m sitting all day. In general, my carb allotment can be a little higher on days that I exercise.
This is because when I exercise, my body consumes glucose immediately, rather than storing it as fat. So my body still needs those good ketones to stay fueled.
Again, this doesn’t mean that I can slather my keto muffins with honey and not get kicked out of ketosis.
BUT, I know that one of my favorite keto gurus occasionally takes a spoonful of raw honey during that time of the month. Do you know which?
Many keto experts agree that women generally need a few more carbs during their cycles. Fascinating! Now pass the chocolate.
Honey and ketosis: can I stay in ketosis while eating honey? Honeycomb on a plate.
Bottom Line: Can You Eat Keto Honey? Is Honey Keto Friendly?
Yes. However, honey is not a low-carb food and should be used in moderation.
Or, if you don’t plan to exercise (I don’t recommend this), then honey shouldn’t be used at all.
And of course, as always, all bodies react differently. Maybe you can’t have honey and you never can. (See my ideas for honey substitutes below!)
My own experience with honey on the ketogenic diet
I don’t eat honey every day. Not even close.
But I stay calm when I do, knowing that I have chosen the healthier version of honey and have not overdone it.
When I use honey in keto, it is always raw honey and always in moderation.
Like I said before, my “oatmeal” creme brulee has only 3 grams of honey sugar per serving (7 grams total with all ingredients). And it’s SUPER tasty!
And every now and then, I even grab my fingertip when I’m feeling down. Just one taste on the tip of my tongue is enough to ease a craving or stimulate me.
As long as I exercise and eat right, it won’t get me out of ketosis!
So you decide. Honey on a ketogenic diet or not?
So which honey should I choose on Keto?
If you are going to use honey (in moderation) on the ketogenic diet, make sure it is raw. Otherwise, you will miss out on the important health benefits of natural honey.
So it would be like eating liquid sugar. Processed honey is definitely a different product from raw honey.
If you’re still unsure about using honey on the ketogenic diet, try imitation honey or honey substitute for a sugar-free or low-carb option. Exist!
I will give you a couple of options below.
Sugar-free imitation honey from the honey tree
Honey Tree is sugar-free imitation honey sweetened with maltitol, sugar alcohol. Many people do not count sugar alcohols in their carbohydrate allowance because it does not affect your ability to stay in ketosis.
Pyure Sugar-Free Honey Alternative
I love Pyure’s other keto sweetener products so I’m excited to try this one. The main ingredient is organic stevia, which is one of the cleanest ketogenic sweetener options.
If you try any of these, let me know in the comments. And I would also LOVE to know if you eat keto honey and why or why not.
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