Glycemic Index of Honey & Studies Associated With It!
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder with multifactorial and heterogeneous etiologies. There are two types of common diabetes among humans.
- Type 1 Diabetes - Occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys insulin
- Type 2 Diabetes - Caused by several factors, the most important being your lifestyle, but it also may be determined by different genes.
Honey was used in folk medicine for a long time, but the health benefits were explained in the last decades. Different studies demonstrate the hypoglycemic effect of honey and it is considered to be a novel antidiabetic agent that might be of potential significance for the management of diabetes and its complications.
In the UK,7% of the population is now living with diabetes, approximately 1 million people have undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes, 40,000 children have diabetes and more than 3,000 children are diagnosed every year. The count is high and natural precautions must be put into order.
Diabetes prevalence may be genetically determined or can be developed during a lifetime at any age. The high blood sugar level is the “symptom” known for diabetes, but other symptoms like increased thirst and hunger, unexplained fatigue, increased urination, blurred vision and unexpected weight loss should not be ignored either.
The medical world is turning more and more to the health benefits of natural products, medicinal herbs, and most importantly HONEY, in the management of this illness. Together with classic medical treatment, using recipes of traditional medicine, including the use of apicultural products (honey), diabetic patients can maintain the normal level of insulin in the blood and also their overall health condition.
The honey composition comprises more than 200 components with fructose, glucose, and water as the main substances. As mentioned earlier, in the last few decades, research studies explain to a large extent many medicinal effects of honey such as antioxidant, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, antibacterial or anti-inflammatory.
Let us understand the average chemical composition of honey as compared to sugar. This read may sound scientifically technical but we assure you, we have tried to make this as easy to understand as adding honey supplements to your diet.
Component/ 100 g | Honey | Sugar |
Glycemic Index | 58 | 60 |
Honey is different from white or “table” sugar. Sugar does not have any vitamins or minerals. Honey has a lower glycemic index (GI) than sugar, as we see in the table above. The glycemic index measures how quickly a carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels. Honey, as compared to sugar has a lesser score, which means if compared to sugar, honey and honey supplements are definitely a winner.
Is Honey Good for Diabetes?
Research shows that honey has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities, which may be important for people with diabetes, who often have higher levels of inflammation in their bodies.
One study from Turkish researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who ate 5-25 grams of honey daily for 4 months reduced their haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), which is a measure of blood sugar control over recent months.
If you think that honey supplements would do you good, Regina Healthcare has a wide range of naturally crafted honey-based health products that will help your immunity and overall well-being.