Honey

High quality honey — which is minimally processed, unheated, and fresh — contains many important bioactive plant compounds and antioxidants, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids. Darker varieties tend to offer more antioxidants than lighter varieties (2Trusted Source).

Antioxidants help neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) in your body, which can build up in cells and cause damage. This damage can contribute to conditions like premature aging, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (2Trusted Source).

When it comes to blood sugar management, honey may offer some slight benefits over regular sugar.

Although honey raises your blood sugar level just like other types of sugar do, the antioxidants it contains may help protect against metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers have found that honey may increase levels of adiponectin, a hormone that reduces inflammation and improves blood sugar regulation (3Trusted Source).

There’s also some evidence that daily honey intake may improve fasting blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes (3Trusted Source)

However, while honey may be slightly better than refined sugar for people with diabetes, it should still be consumed in moderation (4Trusted Source).

It’s also important to know that certain types of honey could be diluted with plain syrup. Although honey adulteration is illegal in most countries, it remains a widespread problem (5Trusted Source