Diabetes And Honey – Are Diabetes And Honey Meant To Be Together?

Balancing diabetes and honey presents an interesting challenge for those with diabetes and honey cravings. Diabetes is a tough disease to live with, and you must constantly find ways to cope while staying healthy. Nobody wants to totally give up their favorite foods or completely abandon desserts, so it becomes necessary to find alternatives to sweeteners which cause adverse health effects in diabetics.

What about something sweet in your morning coffee? What will replace sugar in home made baked goods? Honey can be a perfect substitute for these things. Human beings have been eating honey for hundreds of thousands of years, and we probably aren’t about to stop. But perhaps there are some questions you’re asking about diabetes and honey.

Diabetes and honey verses diabetes and sugar is a sweet combination…

Honey actually contains more calories per serving than sugar. Per tablespoon, honey has 60 calories, whereas sugar has 15. However, since honey is sweeter than sugar, you don’t have to use as much to obtain the same level of sweetness. This may mean fewer calories, especially if you’re able to compromise on a little less sweetness. Besides calories, honey still has an impact on blood sugar levels, so you should be careful with diabetes and honey.

Most of the time, when you ask your doctor this question, he or she will tell you a strict “no”. However, most doctors remain undecided about diabetes and honey. Honey actually has a significantly lower glycemic index and a far less dramatic effect on blood sugar levels than white sugar. Raw, unpasteurized, unfiltered honey with all of its enzymes and nutrients intact, produces the best results, and actually raises insulin sensitivity and has been shown to lower blood sugar levels as well as triglycerides and cholesterol.

What studies show concerning blood sugar levels with diabetes and honey…

Despite the caloric content of honey, it is superior in every other regard. When white sugar undergoes its manufacturing process, all of the goodness is stripped out. The enzymes, minerals, vitamins, amino acids (proteins) and fats are all stripped out and replaced with industrial chemicals like lime, sulfuric acid and phosphorus. This is done to turn table sugar into its crystalline form, and causes numerous adverse health effects. This is not a concern with diabetes and honey. It is an entirely natural product. It contains minerals, vitamins, amino acids and in the case of raw honey, valuable enzymes important to many metabolic functions.

White sugar also irritates the digestive tract, leading to such things as acid reflux, bloating, suppression of appetite, and reduced ability to digest food. Hypoglycemia is also a rampant concern caused by white sugar, as it may lead to depression, violent behavior and overindulgence of calorie and sugar dense foods. Diabetes and honey are a superior combination, because this does not happen. Also, honey possesses certain nutrients that sugar no longer does such as calcium, zinc, iron, copper, magnesium and potassium.

Numerous studies have shown that honey does indeed reduce blood sugar levels when consumed regularly over a period of weeks or months, sometimes by as much as 60 to 100 mg/dl. The blood sugar impact is considerably lower with honey than with an equivalent amount of sugar or other glucose-rich foods. Honey is good for those with diabetes, and should be their first choice when looking for a sweetener. Diabetes and honey do not need to be mutually exclusive.

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