Spearman r = +0.70 across 16 varieties — high-antioxidant honeys tend to also be high-GI. The "ideal" low-GI + high-antioxidant zone is empty. Tap any dot to explore.
The Empty Ideal Quadrant — No honey variety sits in the low-GI + high-antioxidant zone (bottom-left, above ORAC 200). This isn't a gap in the data — it reflects the underlying chemistry. High-antioxidant honeys get their phenolics from dark-coloured, glucose-dominant nectars; high-fructose nectars that lower GI also produce pale, phenolic-sparse honey. The two traits are driven by opposite botanical signals.
Clover's Double Penalty — GI 69 and ORAC 80 μmol TE/100g place it below-average on both axes simultaneously. It occupies the "double-penalty" quadrant alongside Lavender, Linden, Orange Blossom, and Eucalyptus. Despite being the most commercially dominant honey in the US, it offers neither the glycemic advantage of Acacia nor the antioxidant density of Buckwheat or Heather.
Blueberry as Best Compromise — GI 59 and ORAC 315 μmol TE/100g place it noticeably above the correlation trendline: more antioxidants than the model predicts for its GI position. It is the highest antioxidant-density option at GI below 65, making it the rational pick for consumers who want to manage both dimensions simultaneously. The trade-off is availability — authentic monofloral blueberry honey is a short-window Eastern seaboard specialty.
Sources: Gheldof & Engeseth (2002) J. Agric. Food Chem. 50:5870–5877; Bertoncelj et al. (2007) Food Chemistry 105:822–828; Arcot & Brand-Miller (2005) RIRDC Pub. 05/027; Ischayek & Kern (2006) J Am Diet Assoc 106:1260–1262. Spearman rs ≈ +0.70 across 16 varieties.