Honey is a natural food that cannot be processed to remove the sugars. Sugar-free honey is a man-made substitute for those who like the taste of honey but not the calories and carbohydrates it contains. This sweetener has the appearance and flavor of honey, but it gets its sweetness from sources other than sugars. Dieters, diabetics, and others who enjoy the taste of honey but are unable to consume it for a variety of reasons frequently use it.
Sugar-free honey has the appearance and taste of honey for many people. These individuals believe that this manufactured product is nearly as good as the real thing, and that it is an excellent substitute for natural honey. Sugar-free honey is frequently recommended for use in drinks, recipes, and on foods such as hot cereal and toast by those who enjoy it.
Others, on the other hand, are less enthusiastic about sugar-free honey. One common complaint is that the flavor isn’t quite as good as the original. They point to not only flavor differences, but also significant viscosity differences, with real honey typically being much thicker.
Overall, it appears that many people believe sugar-free honey is a good substitute for natural honey. It’s especially important for diabetics, who are often restricted to low-carbohydrate foods. Because it is sugar-free, it allows people who are allergic to honey to reintroduce it into their diets, albeit in a modified form.
Depending on the manufacturer, sugar-free honey is made with a variety of ingredients. Maltitol is a commonly used sweetener. Sugar alcohols are the source of carbohydrates in this product. They are not counted as carbohydrates because they are metabolized differently than other sugars and have no effect on blood sugar. In most cases, the number of calories per serving is also reduced. x000D_
For diabetics, this means that a sugar-free honey made with maltitol may have 17 carbs per serving on the label, but all of those carbs come from sugar alcohols, which can be ignored. This often means that the net number of carbohydrates per serving, or those that are counted, is only 4 or 5, rather than 17. Sugar substitutes like xylitol, which are used to make sugar-free honey, work in a similar way.