We have long been warned that eating too much sugar is bad for our health and our teeth.
But diet guru Professor Tim Spector has warned that so-called “healthier” alternatives such as honey and brown sugar are just a “gimmick”.
In a video on social media, he said the only difference between a drizzle of honey and a pinch of white sugar is the “high price.”
Both products will cause your blood sugar to spike, your teeth to rot and you to gain weight, he adds.
Instead, leading nutrition expert and founder of diet app ZOE suggests opting for traditional white sugar, which won’t break the bank.
Diet guru Professor Tim Spector warns that so-called “healthier” alternatives such as honey and brown sugar are just a “gimmick”
In the TikTok video, which has nearly 6,000 views, Professor Spector claims that many sugar alternatives are no better.
He said: ‘Manufacturers are always trying to disguise the fact that they have added sugar to our products with over 200 different names for sugar that we don’t recognise.
“In stores we are offered alternatives to sugar that, we are told, are healthier.”
But there is a difference and that is the price.
She added: ‘But I can tell you there are real differences between sugar and these other modern alternatives – they are easy on your wallet.
“Some of them are six or seven times more expensive.”
For example, a 340g bottle of honey costs around £3 in Tesco, but white sugar costs £2.15 for 2kg.
Speaking in a video on social media, he says the only difference between a drizzle of honey and a pinch of white sugar is the huge difference in price.
‘Take any of these, whether it’s coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup or these brown-looking types of sugar, in all their different forms, molasses, etc., they have no benefits in terms of sugar spikes,’ she said.
This is because although in some products the sugar is less processed, the chemical structure of the sugar is identical.
This means it still counts towards your daily intake of free sugars and can cause extreme spikes and drops in your blood sugar level.
The NHS recommends that adults should consume no more than 30g of free sugars a day – that’s about seven teaspoons a day.
This includes white sugar and honey, but sugars found naturally in milk, fruit and vegetables do not count as free sugars, the NHS explains.
Eating any sugary food or carbohydrate can cause your blood sugar level to rise.
After eating, the body breaks down carbohydrates into sugar molecules called glucose.
This is then absorbed into the blood and transported to the muscles and cells of the body and used as energy; the excess is stored in the liver, muscles or fat cells.
However, blood sugar spikes occur when blood sugar levels rise and then drop sharply.
While it’s normal for your blood sugar to spike after eating, if you regularly have large spikes in blood sugar, you increase your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
High blood sugar levels can also damage blood vessels and lead to serious heart complications, according to Diabetes UK.
But Professor Spector admits there may be a good reason to buy more expensive honey.
He said: ‘There are some benefits of honey, for example, but it’s not like that, it’s just when you take it to try to reduce coughing and all those other tricks are just that.
“If you want to save money and make things sweeter, stick with sugar.”
