Is honey good for weight loss? Honey, dates, jaggery and sugar compared, spoon for spoon

Is honey good for weight loss? The short answer

Honey does not help you lose weight on its own, but a small, measured amount can fit into a weight-loss plan. It is a natural food that many people value, and that is fine. For your body, though, it is a sugar with calories, and the amount you use decides almost everything.

Honey is about 82 % sugar by weight, with some water and only traces of anything else. Health bodies such as the WHO count it as a free sugar, in the same group as the sugar you stir into tea and the syrup on pancakes.

A spoon of honey carries more energy than a spoon of white sugar. Per gram, honey is a little lower, but it is thick and heavy, so the same spoon holds more of it. A tablespoon of honey weighs about 21 g and gives roughly 64 kcal, against about 48 kcal for a level tablespoon of granulated sugar.

Swapping or adding: the part that matters

Studies on honey and body weight tell a quiet story. When people used honey instead of the same amount of sugar, their weight and blood sugar hardly changed. When honey was given on top of their usual food, the extra calories simply came along with it.

So the useful question is not “honey or sugar?” but “how much sweetener do I use in a day, and can I use less?”. That shift is where real weight loss starts, whichever sweetener you like best.

Talk to your doctor first if you have diabetes, prediabetes, high triglycerides or kidney disease, or if you take medicines that lower blood sugar. The advice on this page is general, and every calorie and sugar value is approximate.

Honey vs sugar: calories, sweetness and blood sugar

Per spoon, honey gives slightly more calories and sugar than white sugar, and the other syrups land in the same range. The table compares the amounts people really use at home, so you can see what one spoon in your tea or porridge adds.

We worked out every value from the USDA food tables (SR Legacy), using the weight of a level household spoon. Spoons, jars and brands differ, so read the numbers as a guide rather than an exact count.

Look at honey and agave side by side: per spoon they are almost twins. White sugar comes out lowest per spoon only because loose crystals weigh less than a thick syrup.

Per 100 g the order flips a little. Honey has about 304 kcal per 100 g and white sugar about 387, but nobody eats honey by the 100 g on a scale. At the table you measure with a spoon, so the spoon is the fair comparison.

Is honey sweeter than sugar?

Some people find honey a little sweeter, so they use slightly less of it. That can help if you really do pour less, but it is a personal habit, not a proven effect. Measure for a few days and you will see whether your spoon is truly smaller.

Honey, sugar and blood sugar

In a well-run crossover trial, 55 adults took 50 g of carbohydrate a day from honey, table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, each for two weeks. Twenty-eight had normal glucose tolerance and 27 had impaired glucose tolerance, a step before type 2 diabetes.

Glucose, insulin, insulin resistance scores and body weight did not differ between the three sweeteners. Blood fats called triglycerides went up with all three, and a marker of inflammation rose in the group with impaired glucose tolerance.

The honest message is simple: your body handles honey much like other sugars. Glycaemic index tables list honey and sugar too; we explain what that number can and cannot tell you on our page about carbs and weight loss.

What the trials on honey and weight really show

No trial shows that honey makes you lose weight by itself. Some small studies found modest changes in blood fats or blood sugar, but the effect on body weight is unclear, and most trials were short and small.

The largest review

The largest pooled analysis brought together 18 controlled trials with 1,105 participants. Honey was linked to slightly lower fasting glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and slightly higher HDL. The clearest results came from raw honey and from robinia and clover honey.

Body weight was measured in 14 of the comparisons, but it was not among the outcomes that improved, so there was no clear effect on weight. Most findings were rated low certainty. In about 70 % of the comparisons the control group simply kept its usual diet, so honey was mostly an extra on top of normal food, which is not how anyone loses weight.

Some of the review’s authors have received research support from the US National Honey Board, among many other funders. That does not make the results wrong, but it is fair for you to know.

A newer overview with a warning

A newer umbrella review pooled 69 randomised trials of honey and other bee products, with 3,544 people in all. For honey, about 10 g a day was linked to a small drop in HbA1c, the long-term blood sugar marker. At the same time, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides and fasting glucose went in the wrong direction.

The authors advise caution with large amounts of honey over a long time, especially for people with health problems. Put together, the two reviews point the same way: honey is not a medicine for weight or blood sugar.

The small trials

In one study, 55 adults with overweight or obesity ate 70 g of honey or 70 g of sugar a day for a month. That is more than three tablespoons. Weight in the honey group fell by about 1.3 %, but only 17 people were in the sugar group and the groups were not compared in a strong way.

A trial in 48 adults with type 2 diabetes gave honey for eight weeks. Weight and blood fats improved, but HbA1c, the main blood sugar measure in diabetes, went up. The authors themselves advised care with honey for people with diabetes.

If you also want to bring your blood fats down, food and movement do much more than any single sweetener. Our page on cholesterol and weight loss shows where to start.

Honey in warm water, honey and lemon, honey and cinnamon: a myth-check

No study shows that honey in warm water, with or without lemon or cinnamon, burns fat. A morning glass with one teaspoon adds about 21 kcal; with a tablespoon it adds about 64 kcal. The warm drink can still be a pleasant ritual, as long as you count the spoon.

• “Honey water on an empty stomach melts belly fat.” There is no trial behind this. Fat loss around the waist comes from an overall drop in energy over weeks, plus movement.
• “Honey and lemon detox the body.” Your liver and kidneys do that work every day. What lemon water can and cannot do is covered in our guide to weight loss drinks.
• “Honey and cinnamon speed up your metabolism.” Cinnamon gives flavour, which is useful, but spice mixes sold as fat burners have no sound evidence for weight loss.
• “Raw, wild or premium honey has no calories that count.” Raw, organic, Sidr, manuka and ordinary honey all carry about the same energy per spoon.
• “Natural sugar is not real sugar.” Your body does not check the label. Free sugar from a jar of honey adds up in the same way as sugar from a bag.

Honey also has a special place in many faiths and traditions, and some people take a spoon each morning for that reason. That is a personal choice and it deserves respect. For weight loss, the kind thing is to keep that spoon small and level, and to drop extra honey elsewhere in the day.

More popular food claims are checked on our page of weight loss myths.

Are dates good for weight loss?

Dates can be a good sweet choice for weight loss when you eat a few, because they are whole fruit with fibre. The catch is size: they are small, soft and very easy to keep eating, and a handful can carry as much energy as a meal.

One large Medjool date of about 24 g has roughly 66 kcal and 1.6 g of fibre. A small Deglet Noor date of about 7 g has roughly 20 kcal. Two or three small dates make a satisfying sweet after a meal.

Do dates raise blood sugar?

A small lab study measured the glycaemic index of five date varieties in 13 healthy adults and 10 adults with type 2 diabetes. The values were about 44 to 55 in both groups, which counts as low to medium.

That does not mean dates leave blood sugar alone. The test portion held 50 g of carbohydrate, which is a large serving, and the people with diabetes were well controlled. The fair reading is that a few dates fit into a balanced day; a big bowl is still a lot of sugar.

Dates at the evening meal in Ramadan are covered on our page about Ramadan weight loss. Dried fruit in general, and how it compares with fresh fruit, is part of our guide to fruits for weight loss.

Date syrup and date paste

Date syrup (dibs) is a thick syrup, not a whole fruit, so treat it like honey: measure it with a spoon. The USDA table has no entry for it, so we give no number. Date paste keeps more of the fruit but is still dense, so a teaspoon goes further than you think.

Jaggery (gur), panela, brown sugar and coconut sugar

Jaggery, panela, brown sugar and coconut sugar are all sugars, and none has a trial showing it helps weight loss. They taste different and some keep a trace of minerals, but those small amounts do not change your weight.

Jaggery (gur), panela and coconut sugar are not in the USDA SR Legacy table, so we do not give a calorie number for them. The unrefined cane sugars that are in the table sit close to white sugar: about 399 kcal per 100 g for turbinado and 380 for brown sugar, against 387 for white.

So expect jaggery to behave like the sugar it is. A small piece with your tea is fine; a large block with every cup is a real source of extra energy. The same goes for date-palm gur, which is loved in winter in parts of South Asia.

If gur in chai is your daily habit, our best tea for weight loss guide shows how to cut it back slowly, cup by cup, without giving up the tea itself.

Agave, maple and other syrups

Agave, maple syrup and molasses are not lighter than honey, and none of them helps weight loss. Agave has about 310 kcal per 100 g and maple syrup about 260, and per tablespoon they land between roughly 52 and 65 kcal.

Agave is often sold as “low GI”. A lower glycaemic index is not the same as fewer calories: per spoon, agave matches honey almost exactly, and your weight follows the energy you take in.

In the crossover trial described above, triglycerides rose with every sweetener tested, honey included. That is one more reason to focus on the total amount rather than hunting for the perfect syrup.

Zero-calorie sweeteners are a separate subject. You will find the evidence on them, together with the free-sugar limits, on our no sugar diet page.

Honey and dates with diabetes or prediabetes

If you have diabetes or prediabetes, count honey and dates as carbohydrate, never as a treatment. They raise blood glucose like other sugars, and the trial in type 2 diabetes saw HbA1c go up with daily honey.

The large umbrella review also found fasting glucose moving the wrong way with honey. Plainly put: honey is not a “diabetic-friendly” sugar, even though it is natural.

A few dates or a teaspoon of honey can still fit, as part of a meal and within the carbohydrate plan you agreed with your care team. Insulin resistance and prediabetes, and the steps that help most, are explained on our page about insulin resistance.

Some people with type 1 diabetes use a measured amount of honey or another fast sugar to treat a low. That is a different use with its own rules; see type 1 diabetes and weight loss.

If you have diabetes, talk to your diabetes team before you change how much honey, dates or other sugar you eat. Never give honey in any form to a baby under 1 year old, because of the rare risk of infant botulism.

How much honey or sweetener is OK while losing weight?

There is no fixed amount of honey that suits everyone, but less is better, and one or two level teaspoons a day fit easily into most weight-loss plans. What matters is the total across the day, because spoons hide in drinks, breakfast and snacks.

The WHO limits for free sugars apply to honey in full. We explain those limits on our no sugar diet page, so here we look at how fast the spoons add up.

Four cups of sweet tea look harmless, yet over a week they add up to about the energy of a full meal or two. The good news is that this is one of the easiest places to save calories without feeling hungry.

We do not turn these numbers into “kilos per year”, because the body does not work like a simple bank account. If you would like to see where sweet foods fit in your own day, our guide to calorie counting shows a gentle way to keep track for a short time.

Ten ways to sweeten less without missing it

The easiest way to use less honey is to cut it down step by step, so your taste has time to adjust. Most people find that after a few weeks, drinks and breakfasts they used to sweeten heavily taste too sweet with the old amount.

1. Use a measuring spoon for one week, so you know what “a bit of honey” really is.
2. Halve the spoon in each drink, then halve it again two weeks later.
3. Drizzle, do not stir. A thin line of honey on top is tasted first and needs less.
4. Sweeten porridge with fruit, such as grated apple, mashed ripe banana or berries.
5. Add flavour without sugar: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger or vanilla, purely for taste.
6. Buy plain yogurt and add your own fruit, rather than a sweetened pot.
7. Skip the syrup at breakfast and choose eggs, beans or cheese now and then.
8. Leave honey out of smoothies; ripe fruit already makes them sweet.
9. Chop dates into small pieces, so two dates spread over a whole bowl.
10. Keep the jar out of sight, in a cupboard instead of on the table.

For more ideas, see our pages on healthy snacks and breakfast for weight loss. Both show filling options that need little or no sweetener.

Sweet cravings: habits, not willpower

A strong wish for something sweet is common and normal, and it says nothing about your character. It is often tied to habit, time of day, tiredness or stress, so the fix is usually a change in routine rather than more willpower.

If you reach for honey or dates when you feel low, bored or stressed, our page on emotional eating explains what helps. A short walk after a meal is another simple tool: it takes you away from the kitchen and gives the craving time to pass. See our guide to walking for an easy way to start.

A 4-week plan to use less honey and sugar

Talk to your doctor first, especially if you have diabetes or take medicines that lower blood sugar. This plan changes one thing each week, so it is gentle and easy to keep.

Pair the plan with a little more movement, for example a 10-minute walk after your largest meal. The food change saves energy, and the walk helps you feel better and keeps the habit going.

If one week feels too hard, stay on it for another week before moving on. Small steps that last beat a big change that stops after a few days.

Free help to lose weight with good food and walking

At Obesity Foundation we help people lose weight and get healthier with good food, suitable exercise and walking. Using less honey and sugar is a small step with a real effect, and all our help is free.

• Your own eating plan, with sweet foods you enjoy in amounts that fit your day. Ask for your free eating plan.
• Exercise videos at the Start, Build and Strong levels, to move more at your own pace. Get the free workout videos.
• A free video meeting (in English) to talk about sweet cravings and your routine, without judgement. Book a free video meeting.
• A Club account to note your spoons, walks and progress at no cost. Join the Obesity Foundation Club.

Tomorrow morning, use a measuring spoon for your honey. Knowing your real amount is the first step to using less.