Healthier Alternative Sugars: What the Science Actually Says
Healthier Alternative Sugars: What the Science Actually Says
When people talk about sugar, they usually mean or visualize white granulated table sugar. It tends to be the default example when sugar comes up in conversations about health, food labels, or cutting back on sweets.
At the same time, many people assume that using a sugar alternative like honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar automatically makes a choice healthier or more "natural.” These sweeteners are often framed as better options simply because they are seen as less processed (some are, but many aren’t), come from plants, or have a more wholesome reputation.
But are they actually healthier alternatives to white sugar?
First, a Reality Check About Sugar
White granulated sugar is natural. It comes from sugar cane or sugar beets, which are plant foods. Sugar beets are not the same as the red or golden beets found in the produce section, but they are still plants. Sugar from both sources is white once processed.
All the sugars discussed here are plant-based and vegan. Sugar is a carbohydrate, and carbohydrates come from plants and from milk in the form of lactose. Despite how they are marketed, there is no animal-based table sugar. However, some sugar cane refiners use bone char in processing; beet sugar does not and never has. If this is important to you and you want an accurate answer, contact the manufacturer or distributor of your sugar directly.
It is also important to understand that nearly all sugars are processed in some way. Processing simply means the food has been changed from its original form. Honey is often described as unprocessed, but most honey sold in stores is filtered, strained, and packaged. Even honey that includes part of the honeycomb has still been removed from the hive.
Processing alone does not determine whether a food is nutritious or harmful. What matters more is how much is consumed, how often, and in what overall dietary context.
Are Some Sugars Healthier Than Others?
From a nutritional standpoint, the answer is mostly no.
All of these sugars are nearly 100 percent carbohydrate. Some contain trace amounts of minerals like calcium or potassium, but the amounts are so small that they are not nutritionally meaningful in the portions people realistically consume. You would need to eat far more sugar than recommended to get a meaningful amount of nutrients from it, which defeats the purpose.
Let’s look at the most common sugars and sugar alternatives and how they compare.
White Granulated Table Sugar
White sugar is produced from sugar cane or sugar beets. You usually will not know which source it comes from unless you contact the manufacturer directly.
Nutrition facts for 1 tablespoon:
46 calories
12 grams of carbohydrate
No fat, protein, or fiber
Vitamins and minerals are negligible
White sugar is often treated as the baseline for comparison, even though nutritionally it is very similar to most other sweeteners.
Honey
Honey is made by bees from the nectar of flowering plants. Of all sweeteners, it is closest to its original form, but that does not make it nutritionally superior.
Honey contains slightly more calories than white sugar. It does have small amounts of calcium and potassium, but not enough to make a meaningful difference in health outcomes.
There is also a persistent myth that local honey helps with seasonal allergies. Research does not support this claim, though honey is generally safe for adults and older children.
Nutrition facts for 1 tablespoon:
64 calories
17 grams of carbohydrate
No fat, protein, or fiber
1 mg calcium
11 mg potassium
Agave Nectar
Agave nectar comes from the agave plant, which is also used to make tequila. It is often marketed as a healthier alternative because it has a lower glycemic index than table sugar.
What is often left out of the marketing is that agave nectar is very high in fructose. This does not make it healthier. Fructose is still sugar, and excess intake can contribute to metabolic issues just as other added sugars do.
Nutrition facts for 1 tablespoon:
60 calories
16 grams of carbohydrate
No fat, protein, or fiber
Vitamins and minerals are negligible
Pure or Real Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees. The sap goes through boiling and processing before becoming the syrup found in bottles.
Pure maple syrup is different from maple-flavored syrups, which often contain corn syrup and added flavors. Reading labels matters here.
Nutrition facts for 1 tablespoon:
52 calories
13 grams of carbohydrate
No fat, protein, or fiber
13 mg calcium
41 mg potassium
Turbinado Sugar
Turbinado sugar is often described as raw sugar, but it is not truly raw. It is partially refined and retains some molasses.
It behaves like sugar in cooking and baking and is not nutritionally superior to white sugar.
Nutrition facts for 1 tablespoon:
52 calories
14 grams of carbohydrate
No fat, protein, or fiber
Vitamins and minerals are negligible
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is white granulated sugar with molasses added back in. The difference between light and dark brown sugar is the amount of molasses.
The added molasses gives brown sugar a slightly different flavor and moisture content, which is useful in baking.
Nutrition facts for 1 tablespoon unpacked:
34 calories
9 grams of carbohydrate
No fat, protein, or fiber
8 mg calcium
31 mg potassium
Molasses (Not Blackstrap)
Molasses is a byproduct of sugar processing. Of the sweeteners listed, it contains the most minerals, particularly calcium and potassium. Even so, it is still a concentrated source of sugar.
Blackstrap molasses has a different nutrient profile but also has a strong flavor, limiting how much people use it.
Nutrition facts for 1 tablespoon:
58 calories
15 grams of carbohydrate
No fat, protein, or fiber
41 mg calcium
293 mg potassium
Powdered or Confectioners’ Sugar
Powdered sugar is finely ground white sugar with a small amount of cornstarch or potato starch added to prevent clumping. Caster sugar is similar but does not include starch.
Nutrition facts for 1 tablespoon unsifted:
31 calories
8 grams of carbohydrate
No fat, protein, or fiber
Vitamins and minerals are negligible
Bottom Line
There is no meaningful nutritional advantage to swapping white sugar for honey, maple syrup, agave, or other alternative sugars. They are all sources of added sugar, and all contribute carbohydrates and calories with minimal additional nutrients.
The real issue is not which sugar is used, but how much and how often. Current dietary guidance recommends keeping added sugars to less than 10 percent of total daily calories. For most people, that means focusing less on finding a healthier sugar and more on reducing overall reliance on sweeteners.
Sugar does not need to be eliminated to eat well. Understanding what sugar is, where it comes from, and how it fits into an overall pattern of eating is far more useful than chasing alternatives that sound better but function the same way in the body.
Note: In baking, generally, you do not want to swap one type of sugar for another without experimenting. Sugar plays a role in baking that goes way beyond taste and flavor, and a baked good may not turn out as intended if the type of sugar called for in the recipe is changed.
Related blogs in this series:
Carbohydrates vs Sugar: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters
The Six Essential Nutrients Explained: A Foundational Guide to Nutrition
What Are Carbohydrates? Fiber, Starch, and Sugar Explained
Fiber 101: Soluble, Insoluble, Functional Fiber, and Resistant Starch
What Are Net Carbs and Do They Actually Matter?
What Are the Names of Added Sugars?
“Detoxing” From Sugar and the Idea of Sugar Addiction
Low-Carb and No-Carb Diets: What They Get Right and What They Miss
Real World Nutrition Refreshed: I am revitalizing and updating my blog archive and re-publishing it. Stay tuned as I review, update, refresh, and re-share these posts to provide you with even more valuable information on nutrition, health, and overall wellness—and keep things timely. A portion of this blog was initially posted on October 11, 2022, and has been updated here.
