Honey, maple syrup and agave: which are low FODMAP?

Honey and agave are high FODMAP; pure maple syrup is low FODMAP. Monash University lists honey among high-FODMAP sugars and maple syrup among its low-FODMAP options, alongside table sugar and rice malt syrup. Agave syrup appears on Monash’s list of high-FODMAP ingredients to look for on labels.

The difference comes down to one thing: how much fructose each syrup carries compared with glucose. This guide explains that, shows how each sweetener lines up across conditions, and covers labels, portions and swaps.

Here is how these sweeteners usually come out for the conditions where they matter. "Typical answer" is what SafeBelly usually shows for a pure product at a typical portion; your answer depends on the conditions you pick and the amount.

Mayo Clinic explains that fructose is found naturally in fruits, fruit juices, some vegetables and honey, that table sugar (sucrose) also contains fructose, and that high fructose corn syrup is in many processed foods and drinks. When the gut doesn’t absorb fructose well, it can cause stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea and gas.

Fructose is absorbed best when glucose is present in a similar amount. When a food carries more fructose than glucose, the extra is what matters for people sensitive to it. Monash explains that when fructose exceeds glucose, as in some high fructose corn syrups, the fructose is absorbed slowly and becomes problematic for people with IBS.

A review by Latulippe and Skoog calls this extra "net fructose", the amount of fructose in excess of glucose. Its table of common foods shows how differently the three syrups compare, per teaspoon:

Agave stands out: almost all of its sugar is fructose. Honey has only slightly more fructose than glucose per teaspoon, but it is still rated high FODMAP by Monash, and real-world servings are rarely a single teaspoon. Maple syrup’s fructose and glucose are roughly balanced. The review also notes that eating sugars as part of a mixed meal may lower the chance of malabsorption.

Monash uses honey as an example fructose food for the challenge phase, and suggests testing one fructose food at a time because honey and mango carry very different amounts. See low-FODMAP phases explained for how reintroduction works.

Agave is often sold as a "natural" or gentler alternative to honey or sugar, but for fructose it is the opposite. In the Latulippe and Skoog table, a teaspoon of agave nectar has more than ten times as much net fructose as a teaspoon of honey. The review suggests people who may be fructose intolerant cut back on agave nectar and on crystalline fructose, along with large quantities of apples and pears.

If fructose is one of your triggers, pure maple syrup or table sugar is usually the closer match to what you were hoping agave would be. That is about fructose only: all three are added sugars, so the other conditions you manage still apply.

• Pure honey, raw honey and flavored honey blends. All are honey, so the fructose question is the same.
• Pure maple syrup. One ingredient: maple syrup. This is the version Monash lists as low FODMAP.
• Pancake and maple-flavored syrups. Often a different recipe. Check for high fructose corn syrup, which Monash advises people sensitive to excess fructose to avoid in its higher-fructose forms.
• Agave nectar or agave syrup. Common in drinks, bars and "naturally sweetened" foods.
• Honey as an ingredient. Granola, cereal bars, salad dressings, marinades, yogurts and sauces.

Monash’s label guidance groups honey, high fructose corn syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, apple and pear juice and fruit juice concentrates together as excess-fructose ingredients. Because ingredients are listed in weight order, one near the top of the list is more likely to matter than one near the end.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) often stands in for honey or maple in packaged foods. Monash explains that HFCS is made by processing corn syrup, which is all glucose, to raise its fructose content for extra sweetness. It advises people sensitive to excess fructose to avoid the HFCS-55, HFCS-80 and HFCS-90 types, where fructose exceeds glucose.

US labels usually just say "high fructose corn syrup" without the type, so if excess fructose is one of your triggers, it is simplest to treat it like honey: check how high it sits in the ingredient list and test it with your dietitian’s guidance. Pancake and maple-flavored syrups, sweetened drinks, sauces and condiments are common places to find it.

On the Nutrition Facts label, the FDA counts sugars from syrups and honey as added sugars. Single-ingredient honey and maple syrup show the percent Daily Value for added sugars in a different way, so that it doesn’t look as if sugar was added to the jar. Ingredients change, so read the label every time you buy.

Monash’s list of low-FODMAP options includes table sugar, maple syrup and rice malt syrup. In practice:

• Drizzling on oats, yogurt or pancakes: pure maple syrup.
• Baking: table sugar or pure maple syrup, depending on the recipe.
• Dressings and marinades: a little maple syrup in place of honey.
• Drinks: table sugar or maple syrup in place of agave.

These are still sugars, and serving size still matters on a low-FODMAP plan; the Monash app has current tested amounts. If you are thinking about sugar-free sweeteners instead, many contain polyols, which Monash describes as the best-documented sweetener issue for IBS. It cites research where a 10 g dose of sorbitol or mannitol significantly increased gut symptoms in people with IBS compared with people without it. Our guide to sweeteners and sugar alcohols covers them, and high-FODMAP foods and swaps has more ideas.

When to talk to a clinician. If sweet foods seem to bring on bloating, pain or diarrhea, a doctor can check for other causes, and a registered dietitian can help you test fructose in a structured way rather than cutting out whole food groups. Mayo Clinic recommends a dietitian for a complete list of foods to eat or limit with fructose intolerance; our fructose malabsorption guide and apples, pears and fructose go further.

If you have prediabetes or diabetes, ask your clinician how added sugars fit into your plan. Get prompt advice for new or worsening symptoms, or for bleeding, fever or unexplained weight change.