Honey may not be the healthy option we were all hoping it was

Oh dear. This is not good news, and certainly making us all reconsider our snack options.

This month’s Journal of Nutrition includes a report that offers an interesting discovery about the affects different sweeteners can have on our health.

The study was done to see how much high-fructose corn syrup can negatively affect your health in terms of diabetes and obesity risks.

A common thought is that natural honey is a far wiser option for health conscious individuals than artificial corn syrup sweeteners.

As it turns out, the health benefits of both were, in this study, almost identical.

The study, which was actually funded by the honey industry, the research team gave subjects honey, cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. They measured their blood sugar levels, insulin levels, body weight, cholesterol and blood pressure.

The only significant changes was an increase in a specific type of blood fat that can be a marker for heart disease. This increased following subjects trying all three different types of sweeteners.

Lead researcher Susan Raatz and her team were surprised that corn syrup, given it’s terrible reputation, had at least in chemical terms an effect on the body that is “very, very similar” to natural honey.

"Honey is thought of as more natural whereas white sugar and high fructose corn syrup are processed from the cane or the beet or the corn,” Susan explained.

“We wanted to find out if they were different. But chemically, they are very, very similar, and that's what it seems to break down to."