Key takeaways
- Honey is high FODMAP — it contains high levels of free fructose relative to glucose.
- Even 1 teaspoon (7 g) is rated amber/high by Monash — a real risk for fructose-sensitive patients.
- Maple syrup is the established low-FODMAP sweetener swap — safe at 2 tablespoons.
- Watch for honey in "healthy" products: granola, energy bars, flavoured nuts, and herbal teas often contain it.
Honey is widely perceived as a "natural" and therefore gut-friendly sweetener. For IBS patients managing fructose malabsorption, it is one of the more problematic foods — because it is largely fructose with a ratio that exceeds glucose at any meaningful quantity.
FODMAP status at a glance
- —Honey, any variety (1 tsp / 7 g): high FODMAP
- —Manuka honey: high FODMAP — no exception based on antibacterial properties
- —Raw honey: high FODMAP
- —Maple syrup (2 tbsp / 53 g): low FODMAP
- —White table sugar (sucrose): low FODMAP at 1 tbsp
- —Rice malt syrup: low FODMAP
Hidden honey in products
Low-FODMAP sweetener alternatives
- —Maple syrup — flavour-rich, widely available, low FODMAP at 2 tbsp
- —White or brown sugar (sucrose) — small amounts low FODMAP
- —Rice malt syrup — low FODMAP, mild flavour
- —Stevia (pure) — low FODMAP, no calories
- —Glucose syrup — low FODMAP, useful in baking
References
- 1.
- 2.Gibson PR, Shepherd SJ — Personal view: food for thought — western lifestyle and susceptibility to Crohn's disease — Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2005
