The Best Healthy Natural Sweeteners

The safest way to consume sugar is in wholefoods that contain the nutrients to slow sugar absorption and sustain an energy boost for longer.

When we isolate sugar or sweeteners and eat them without these nutrients, they can cause serious health problems. A healthy natural sweetener retains some of these beneficial nutrients to help our bodies regulate the sugar, and is part of a balanced diet.

The healthiest natural sweetener is raw manuka honey. It tastes delicious and there is plenty of scientific evidence to support its versatile use in food, drink, beauty, and medicine. It may even be good for managing diabetes.

Why Natural Sugar Alternatives are Better than Artificial Sweeteners

When we eat natural foods that contain sugar like fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy, the other nutrients we are consuming have a stabilising effect on blood sugar levels².

As our bodies digest these foods, the sugar supplies a steady amount of energy to our cells.

Sugar becomes a problem when we isolate it from these other nutrients, mass-process and refine it, and add it back into foods in high quantities.

Sugar is added to foods to improve flavour and shelf-life. But this has become so rife that many of us consume too much without realising and it’s making us ill³.

“Consuming too much added sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease.

Excess consumption of sugar, especially in sugary beverages, also contributes to weight gain by tricking your body into turning off its appetite-control system because liquid calories are not as satisfying as calories from solid foods.

This is why it is easier for people to add more calories to their regular diet when consuming sugary beverages.”

• The sweet danger of sugar, Harvard Health.

Some so-called “natural” sugar alternatives are often highly processed and physiologically, not much better than refined sugar.

Agave syrup is one example of this.

Other natural sources of sugar are less processed, and retain a lot of their beneficial nutrients. This reduces their negative impacts on the body.

Manuka honey and maple syrup are examples of this.  

Therefore it’s important to understand what’s in these various sugar substitutes before you buy because unfortunately, you can’t always trust what’s on the packaging.

Using natural sweeteners for diabetes

Managing healthy blood sugar levels is critical for people with diabetes.

Genuinely healthy natural sweeteners should raise blood sugar levels more slowly and over a more sustained period, which makes them much better in managing this condition.

This is due to the other nutrients in the sweetener, if there are any left after processing.

Raw (unprocessed) manuka honey has been linked to diabetes management and to healing the wounds that can result from severe diabetic complications.

By reducing your sugar intake and opting for certified pure, raw natural sweeteners like manuka honey, you can be sure that you’re getting a genuinely natural product and not a dangerous blend of added sugars.

NB: Always consult a doctor before adding carbohydrates or sugars to your diet, particularly if you are diabetic.

Battle of the Best Natural Sweeteners: Honey vs Agave vs Stevia vs Sugar vs Maple Syrup

Let’s dig a little deeper into some of the most popular sugar alternatives that often claim to be healthy natural sweeteners.

Is there any proof in the pudding?

Honey: the best natural sweetener of all

Honey is our favourite natural sweetener and for good reason.

It’s been used for millennia for everything from sweetening foods and drinks to skincare, beauty, and healing.

Long before we had any scientific evidence for the natural powers of honey, people were using it across cultures and throughout the world.

Now, we have the facts to back up the legend.

Honey has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and humectant properties⁴. This means it can fight off infection, keep skin clean and clear, and lock in moisture.

These traits make it a versatile natural product. So versatile in fact, that we’ve listed over 170 ways you can use it.

Although many raw, pure, regular honeys contain some of these beneficial compounds, monofloral manuka honey contains the most.

That’s why it’s our favourite healthy natural sweetener.

And why we’ll be using it as a comparison for the other sweeteners next.

Honey vs agave

Agave syrup or agave nectar is a popular alternative to sugar that is touted as a more natural option.

Made famous as an ingredient in tequila, harvesting agave nectar is now a major source of revenue for Mexico.

It’s used for many different alcoholic beverages as well as a sweetener in food.

Unfortunately, most agave nectar is highly processed and heated. This means that any potentially beneficial compounds are lost⁵, and what’s left is pure liquid sugar⁶.

According to some, it’s the least healthy sweetener in the world - even worse than sugar⁷.

Manuka honey offers the sweetness but with a whole host of other health benefits, making it an easy winner over agave.

Honey vs sugar

We know that sugar isn’t the problem, it’s how much refined sugar we consume that’s dangerous.

So, if you eat a moderate amount of raw, pure sugar, is it a good natural sweetener?

In a way, perhaps. As long as your diet doesn’t contain lots of hidden sugars elsewhere.

The best way to safely enjoy sugar is in unprocessed foods. If you want to add a sweetener to your diet, manuka honey offers restorative powers as well as sweetness.

You’re not risking adding more sugar without the nutrients required to regulate it.

So in the battle between manuka honey vs sugar, we think there’s still a clear winner.

Honey vs maple syrup

From bees to trees, what’s the story with honey vs maple syrup?

Maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees, and is a staple export product from Canada.

Containing beneficial compounds like manganese and zinc, maple syrup is said to be good for our brain¹² and digestive health¹³.

With its signature maple flavour, this syrup is typically graded based on its colour and can be a delicious addition to foods and drinks.

So while pure maple syrup offers some health benefits as a food, that’s really where it ends.

Manuka honey is a versatile natural ingredient for other uses too, that packs a whole lot of wellness punch with the evidence to prove it.

Suggested further reading:

• Manuka Honey Ratings Explained: What You Need to Know

• Honey with UMF™: Clearing up the Confusion 

• Why is Manuka Honey Expensive? 

• Thinking of Buying Medical Grade Honey? Read This First…