When used in moderation,honeyis generally safe for people withdiabeteswho have well-controlled blood sugar (glucose) levels.
Not to mention, some honeys on the market contain added sugars and should be avoided.
This article covers whether honey is bad for people with diabetes as well as how honey affects blood sugar.
How Does Honey Affect Blood Sugar?
Being acarbohydrate, it is expected that honey is going to impact blood sugar levels when consumed.
However, when compared to other sugars, it may have less of an impact.
Researchers found that with honey, blood sugar levels peaked at one hour, followed by a decline.
Two hours after ingestion of honey, blood sugar levels were lower than at the first hour.
However, more research is needed to verify this claim.
How Much Sugar Should People With Diabetes Have Per Day?
What About Sugar-Free Honey?
There is no such thing as sugar-free honey.
There are honeys that contain added sugars, and honeys that are pure, raw, and unfiltered.
However, even pure honey contains natural sugars.
If you have diabetes, choosingraw honeythat does not contain added sugars is the way to go.
Is Imitation Honey Safe for People With Diabetes?
Are There Benefits to Eating Honey If You Have Diabetes?
A few small studies show that eating honey in moderation may actually have some benefits for people with diabetes.
What Is Insulin?
Insulinis a hormone made in the pancreas that helps regulate blood sugar levels.
When blood sugar levels start to rise, a signal is sent to the pancreas to release insulin.
In the process, blood sugar levels are lowered.
Honey also raised participants levels of C-peptide.
C-peptide is a substance made in and released by the pancreas, along with insulin.
Keep in mind that consuming any kind of sugarincluding honeycan raise your glucose levels.
Oxidative stress has been identified as a key player in their development.
Antioxidants are compounds found in food that protect the body against oxidative stress.
Honey happens to be a rich source of antioxidants.
Larger human studies are needed before any official recommendations can be made.
What Are the Healthiest Forms of Honey?
Over 300 varieties of honey collected from honeybees have been identified.
Some varieties have received more praise from the medical community than others.
One such variety isManuka honey, derived from the Manuka trees of New Zealand.
Manuka honey is known for its impressive antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.
Truly raw honey is a single-ingredient product, and therefore it is not required to have an ingredients list.
Raw honey may contain tiny amounts of pollen, while pollen and other solids are removed from filtered honey.
Is Honey a Good Substitute for Sugar?
In terms of nutritional value, honey beats table sugar by a landslide.
Keep this in mind when substituting it for sugar.
How Does Honey Compare to Other Sweeteners?
And, since it cannot be absorbed by the intestines, it is calorie-free as well.
Stevia is often recommended for the management of diabetes, as it does not cause glucose levels to rise.
Although the stevia plant naturally contains vitamins and minerals, most of them are lost during processing.
Are There Risks to Eating Honey If You Have Diabetes?
If your diabetes is not well managed, it might be best to limit your consumption of honey.
Adult intestinal toxemia botulism is extremely rare.
Raw honey is typically unprocessed, while most honey found in the grocery store has been filtered and/or pasteurized.
If you are concerned about foodborne illnesses, purchase pasteurized honey certified by a food inspector.
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Harris RA, Anniballi F, Austin JW.Adult intestinal toxemia botulism.Toxins (Basel).
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