Is there a downside to honey? The complete guide

December 5, 2025 •

4 min read

While often celebrated as a healthy sugar alternative, one tablespoon of honey contains more calories (approx. 64) than a tablespoon of granulated sugar (approx. 49). This prompts the question: is there a downside to honey, and what potential issues should consumers be aware of?

Quick Summary

Honey is a popular natural sweetener with several downsides often overlooked, including high sugar content, potential for weight gain, and significant risks for infants due to botulism. Excessive consumption can also affect diabetics and lead to dental issues. Additional concerns surround commercial production ethics and environmental impact.

Key Points

Infant Risk: Honey is unsafe for infants under 12 months due to the potential presence of Clostridium botulinum spores, which can cause severe illness.
High Sugar Content: Despite its natural origin, honey is still a high-sugar food that can contribute to weight gain and blood sugar spikes, especially when consumed excessively.
Diabetic Caution: Diabetics should treat honey with the same care as sugar, consuming it only in strict moderation, as it can still raise blood glucose levels.
Ethical Concerns: Commercial honey production often involves practices that can be harmful to bees, such as selective breeding, wing clipping, and feeding less-nutritious sugar syrup.
Environmental Impact: Large-scale beekeeping can harm wild bee populations by introducing diseases and increasing competition for limited nectar sources.
Not a Cure-All: Honey is not a magic health product; its high sugar content outweighs the minimal nutritional benefits derived from trace elements.
Moderation is Key: To mitigate the health downsides, honey should be consumed sparingly as part of a balanced diet, just like any other added sweetener.

The Hidden Sweetness: A Closer Look at Honey's Downsides

For centuries, honey has been lauded for its perceived health benefits, from soothing sore throats to its antioxidant and antibacterial properties. However, the golden liquid is not without its drawbacks. A deeper look reveals several health, ethical, and environmental issues that consumers should consider before treating it as an entirely benign sweetener.

Health-Related Downsides

High Sugar and Calorie Content

Despite its natural origin, honey is still a form of sugar and carbohydrate, containing approximately 82% sugar. Overconsumption can lead to the same health problems associated with refined sugar. As noted earlier, honey is even more calorie-dense per tablespoon than table sugar, which can contribute to weight gain if not managed. This rapid-acting sugar can also cause blood sugar levels to spike, a particular concern for individuals with diabetes or insulin resistance. The American Heart Association recommends limiting total added sugar intake, a category that includes honey, to manage overall health.

Infant Botulism Risk

This is one of the most critical and widely recognized downsides of honey. Infants under 12 months old should never be given honey, even in small amounts. Honey can contain spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which are harmless to adults but can be life-threatening for infants whose digestive systems are not yet mature enough to fight off the toxins produced by the spores. The resulting condition, infant botulism, can cause muscle weakness and paralysis. This risk applies to all types of honey, including raw and processed varieties.

Risks for Diabetics

Many people with diabetes are led to believe honey is a healthier or safer alternative to sugar. However, while some studies show honey may be slightly less impactful on blood sugar spikes than refined sugar, it is still a carbohydrate source that needs to be treated with caution. A review of clinical trials highlighted conflicting findings, with some indicating high honey intake could worsen metabolic parameters in people with type 2 diabetes. For this reason, individuals managing diabetes must consume honey in moderation and with a doctor's guidance.

Potential Digestive Issues

Honey is a high-FODMAP food due to its high fructose content, which can be problematic for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or fructose malabsorption. Excessive intake may cause bloating, gas, cramping, or diarrhea.

Allergies

For a small subset of the population, honey can trigger allergic reactions. This is typically due to residual bee pollen within the honey. Symptoms can range from wheezing and nausea to more severe, though rare, anaphylactic reactions. Individuals with known allergies to bee stings or bee products should be particularly cautious.

Dental Health

Like any sugary, sticky food, honey is a risk factor for tooth decay. The viscous nature of honey allows it to cling to teeth, providing bacteria with fuel to produce enamel-eroding acids. Proper dental hygiene is essential after consuming honey to minimize this risk.

Ethical and Environmental Concerns

Commercial Beekeeping Practices

In the large-scale commercial honey industry, practices can be ethically questionable. These include:

Selective Breeding: Bees are often bred to maximize honey production, which can reduce genetic diversity and increase susceptibility to disease.
Exploitation: Queens may have their wings clipped to prevent them from swarming and leaving the hive. They are also often culled and replaced to maintain high productivity levels.
Nutrient-Poor Feed: When honey is harvested, it is often replaced with a nutritionally inferior sugar syrup, weakening the bees and their immune systems.

Environmental Impact

The proliferation of commercial honeybees, often transported long distances for crop pollination, can have a negative impact on native bee species. Honeybees can outcompete native pollinators for limited resources and spread pathogens to wild bee populations, contributing to their decline and weakening local ecosystems. This practice, along with pesticide use and climate change, is a factor in declining bee biodiversity. For a more detailed look at the systemic issues, consult resources on beekeeping and biodiversity.

Honey vs. Sugar: A Comparison Table


Feature	Honey (Raw/Pure)	Honey (Processed/Blended)	Table Sugar (Sucrose)
Nutritional Value	Trace minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and antioxidants	Most nutrients and enzymes are destroyed during pasteurization and filtration	No nutritional value, just empty calories
Processing	Strained only, not pasteurized or filtered	Heated, pasteurized, and filtered; may be blended with other syrups	Refined from sugarcane or sugar beets
Glycemic Impact	Lower glycemic index than sugar, causing a slower rise in blood sugar	Impact varies, can be closer to table sugar's impact depending on processing	High glycemic index, causes sharp blood sugar spikes
Primary Sugar Source	Fructose and glucose	Fructose and glucose (often adulterated with high-fructose corn syrup)	Sucrose, which breaks down into equal parts fructose and glucose
Specific Risks	Infant botulism risk for babies under 12 months; potential allergies from pollen	Infant botulism risk; often contains fewer beneficial compounds	No specific risk of botulism; overconsumption risks apply

Conclusion

While honey has some antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, it is not a health food and carries significant drawbacks. The high sugar content poses risks for weight management and diabetics, while the danger of infant botulism is a non-negotiable warning. From an ethical standpoint, the practices of commercial beekeeping are exploitative, and the sheer scale of the industry poses a threat to native bee populations and broader ecosystem health. The key takeaway is to approach honey not as a superior health product but as a sugar with nuances. Informed consumption, prioritizing moderation, and being mindful of the source are the best strategies for mitigating the downsides associated with this popular sweetener. For those seeking alternatives, options like maple syrup or agave nectar should also be considered in moderation, or healthier natural sweeteners like those found in whole fruits.

Mayo Clinic's guide to honey offers additional information on its use and precautions.

Frequently Asked Questions

People with diabetes can consume honey, but only in strict moderation and under a doctor's guidance. While it has a slightly lower glycemic index than sugar, it still significantly impacts blood sugar levels and should be carefully monitored.

Raw honey is less processed and retains more of its natural antioxidants and enzymes. However, it still carries the risk of botulism spores for infants and potential allergens like pollen for sensitive adults. For anyone over one year old, the main difference lies in processing and minor nutrient content.

Honey can contain dormant spores of the Clostridium botulinum bacterium. An infant's underdeveloped gut flora cannot neutralize these spores, which can then germinate and produce a potent toxin leading to infant botulism, a rare but life-threatening illness.

Yes, like any high-calorie, high-sugar food, excessive honey consumption can lead to weight gain. Honey is more calorie-dense per tablespoon than refined sugar and provides excess calories without significant nutritional fiber to slow absorption.

Yes, commercial beekeeping practices raise several ethical concerns. These include the exploitation of bees, potentially stressful transport, feeding of less-nutritious sugar syrups to hives, and practices like queen wing clipping and culling.

Yes, large-scale commercial beekeeping can negatively impact the environment. The widespread use of commercial honeybees can outcompete and displace native pollinators, potentially spreading diseases and reducing biodiversity in local ecosystems.

Yes. Honey's high sugar content and sticky nature can promote tooth decay and cavities, especially with frequent consumption. The risks are similar to those of refined sugar if proper dental hygiene is not maintained.