One of our primary senses is taste. And when it comes to taste, there’s no denying that sweetness is one of the strongest flavors. Today, everyone is trying to find some means of getting their sweet-fix on. Unfortunately though, this has taken a turn for the worst as we’ve become bombarded with sugars, artificial sweeteners, and highly processed versions of the former.

There are multiple reasons why sugar, in excess,is not good for anyone’s health. This includes:

• Weight Gain
• Increased Belly Fat
• Hormone Imbalances
• Interfering With Natural Hunger and Promoting Overeating or Binging
• Contributing to Fatty Liver, Acne, and Depression
• Dysregulated Energy Levels
• Increasing the Risk for Heart Disease, Dementia, Gout (due to raised levels of uric acid in the blood), and Diabetes
• Cavities
• Possible Infections Caused by Yeasts (like Candida Albicans) and Opportunistic Bacteria, which feed off of sugar
• Accelerating the Aging Process in Cells and Skin (encouraging wrinkle formation and shortened telomeres, which are protective structures that can be found at the end of chromosomes- they naturally shorten with age, but this process can be hastened with high amounts of sugar) [1]

For many of us, the solution is just to avoid sugar. Simple, right? Well, not exactly.
Even though breaking up with sugar from things like desserts, snacks, and packaged foods is definitely an important step, it still ignores the elephant in the room: sugar from nature. What does this include?
Certain fruits and vegetables, and natural sweeteners. Here’s the problem. At the end of the day, no matter what, it’s still sugar.

Let me be clear: an apple is, and always will be, superior to a cookie as far as nutrient density is concerned. But imagine eating more than a sensible amount of them- up to dozens of them, all in a single day. Not only are you preventing yourself from taking in nutrients from other foods, you’re also getting a massive amount of sugar, which can definitely lead you in sugar’s nasty downward spiral.

So what about natural sweeteners like agave, coconut sugar, honey, and maple syrup? Are those ok? Let’s look at the pros and cons.

Agave (Nectar)
Pros:It’s low in glucose and has a low score on the glycemic index (so it doesn’t spike blood sugar too high).
Cons:It’s high in fructose, which increases the risk of developing metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance) and type 2 diabetes, along with increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol and belly fat. Finally, the process of making agave nectar from the agave plant parallels that of corn syrup from corn. In other words, it stands toe-to-toe with other forms of heavily processed sugar! [2]

Coconut Sugar
Pros:Comes naturally from coconut palm sap. Contains small amounts of minerals (calcium, iron, potassium, zinc), antioxidants, short chain fatty acids, and inulin, a type of prebiotic fiber. It’s relatively lower on the glycemic index compared to normal sugar.
Cons:Like agave, it’s still high in fructose- well, technically, sucrose (another form of sugar, which is about half fructose). Despite having some nutrients, it’s really all for not due to the disastrous effects of its sugar content. (You’re much better off consuming the better parts of the coconut, like the meat, water, and oil.) [3]

Honey
Pros:In pure, raw form (like Manuka), can be antibacterial and antifungal. Medical grade honey is used in hospitals to increase healing times for wounds and to prevent them from becoming infected. Darker types contain a spectrum of antioxidants and phytonutrients. Good healing sore throats (acting as a natural cough suppressant). May also help to lower inflammation.
Cons: By weight, it’s 82% sugar (with 40% of it being fructose). Good quality, raw honey is expensive; many people opt for commercial grade honey that’s lower in nutrients. High in carbohydrates; contains zero fiber. (A single tablespoon is about 17g of carbs from pure sugar.) [4] [5]

Maple Syrup
Pros:Contains antioxidants (these include benzoic acid, gallic acid, cinnamic acid, and flavanols), as well as trace amounts of minerals like zinc, manganese, calcium, potassium, and iron. Darker varieties, such as Grade B, are higher in nutrients (according to the medical journal Pharmaceutical Biology, up to 24 antioxidants can be found in pure maple syrup). And it’s lower on the glycemic index compared to sugar.
Cons:Despite it’s nutritional content, the fact that maple syrup still contains sugar is enough to negate the benefits. It’s nearly 2/3 sucrose (half of fructose), supplying 60 grams of sugar in just a 1/3 cup. [6] [7]

Final Verdict
Don’t be tricked into thinking these natural sweeteners get a free pass. They’re still sugar at the end of the day. Over-eating them is going to lead many problems, from weight gain to blood sugar imbalances. However, I am not one to say you can’t ever eat anything sweet or use some of these occasionally. In fact, two of these do prop up on occasion in my diet, meal plans (like the Shred & Glow), and recipes: maple syrup and honey.

But here’s the takeaway: The dose makes the poison.Notice that I said excess sugar is what causes a cascade of negative effects.
If you enjoy a minuscule amount of something like raw honey or pure, grade b maple syrup once in a blue moon, you’re going to be just fine. Otherwise, I would not consume any of these on a regular basis. Especially if it’s agave or coconut sugar. Better yet, I much rather prefer another category of natural sugars that have zero impact on blood sugar, like stevia and erythritol (swerve). Those contain little to no calories, zero sugar, and are virtually free of carbs. But like honey and maple syrup, I do not go out of my way to overdo either of them, and try to focus on getting my nutrition from whole foods. My recommendation is to either consume these in very small amounts on occasion or make do with other substitutes like stevia and eyrhtritol, which don’t contribute to the deletrious problems that sugar causes.

Sources:
[1] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar#section12
[2] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/agave-nectar-is-even-worse-than-sugar#dangers
[3] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/coconut-sugar#section4
[4] https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/top-raw-honey-benefits#3
[5] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-honey
[6] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/maple-syrup#antioxidants
[7] https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/maple-syrup