Drinking sweet tea, is it healthier to use sugar or use honey?

Sweet tea is the favorite drink of a million devotees. Whether it's cold or hot, everyone's taste is different. Including the sweetener used. There are people who drink sweet tea using plain white sugar, and some use honey because they are said to be healthier. So, which one is actually healthier to use as a tea sweetener?

Plus minus drinking sweet tea using ordinary sugar

Sugar made from sugar cane extract. As a sweetener, white sugar is a high-calorie carbohydrate source. High calorie intake can help the body produce energy for your activities.

However, the energy provided by sugar cannot last long. This is because sugar is the simple carbohydrate with the highest glycemic value of all carbohydrate foods. From a score range of 0-100, the GI value of granulated sugar is 100. The higher the glycemic value of a food, the faster the food raises blood sugar. This increase in blood sugar is the main source of energy for the body.

On the other hand, simple carbohydrates from sugar are very easy to break down so that blood sugar can also quickly drop dramatically after a meal. That's why it is so easy for you to feel weak and sleepy after eating too much sugar.

In the long run, an increase in blood sugar due to excess sugar consumption can be bad for health. Among them make hollow teeth to trigger diabetes and heart disease. Moreover, sugar does not contain any nutrients or nutrients.

Plus minus drinking sweet tea with honey

Honey is a sweet liquid produced by bees from flower nectar. The main content of honey is water and natural sugar which is also contained in regular sugar, namely fructose and glucose.

However, if you dig deeper, honey is enriched by a number of important nutrients needed by the body. Starting from B vitamins, vitamin C, amino acids, a series of enzymes, minerals such as magnesium and potassium, to antioxidant flavonoids.

These various nutrients then bring out the various benefits of honey for the health of the body. For example, fighting inflammation in the body, accelerating wound healing, relieving dry and itchy throat due to coughing, and minimizing the risk of food allergies.

If you want to sweeten the tea with honey, you should make sure to choose raw honey, which is a little dark in color and has a thicker texture. Raw honey generally contains more nutrients, enzymes, and antioxidants that can benefit the body.

Moreover, honey is a source of complex carbohydrates that are not easily broken down by the body so that it does not raise blood sugar as fast as regular sugar. This means that honey can provide energy for the body that lasts longer than sugar. Honey's glycemic value is generally between 45-64.

On the other hand, the calories contained in honey are indeed higher than sugar. In comparison, one teaspoon of sugar contains 49 calories while one teaspoon of honey is about 64 calories.

So, which one is healthier?

Before deciding which way to drink tea is healthier, first understand that both honey and sugar are still carbohydrates. Within normal limits, adequate carbohydrate intake is not dangerous. The problem is when it is consumed in excess.

Whether it's sugar or honey, both are high in calories. Eating too many carbohydrates and calories in the long term can increase the risk of health problems such as excess body weight, increased blood sugar levels, and the risk of developing various diseases.

Whatever type of tea sweetener you are, the Ministry of Health through its Nutritional Needs Figure guideline has set the maximum limit for sugar / sweetener intake for every Indonesian is 50 grams of sugar or the equivalent of 5-9 teaspoons per day.

Meanwhile, for total calories from food and drinks, the Ministry of Health's AKG limits adult women aged 16-30 years to get around 2,250 calories per day, while adult men of the same age range need around 2,625-2,725 calories per day.

Therefore, whether you drink sweet tea with honey or regular sugar, you still need to wisely adjust the portion sizes so they don't exceed the predetermined limit. That way, you can maintain your health better.