How Honey Can Affect Diabetes, Blood Sugar and Insulin
A small study that was conducted in the United Arab Emirates, have shown that eating honey could increase insulin level and decrease blood sugar level. In the study both people with diabetes and people without diabetes experience initial blood sugar rise within half and hour after consuming 75 grams of honey. Despite the initial increase, blood sugar level dropped within 2 hours. Another group of participants who were given 75 grams of white sugar had relatively higher blood sugar levels in general after 2 hours. The study concluded that the group who took honey had lower blood sugar levels because honey help increase insulin levels which in turn help to release sugar from the bloodstream.
Another study conducted in Saudi Arabia, also investigated the link between honey and blood sugar levels. The study suggest that honey can:
- reduce fasting serum glucose (glucose after fasting for 8 hours minimum)
- raise fasting C-peptide (peptide helps regulate insulin)
- increase 2-hour postprandial C-peptide (amount of peptide after meals)
Further studies are being conducted on the consumption of honey for those with Type 2 Diabetes. More studies are looking at the effects of adding honey to the diet plan of diabetic patients.
