Yes, you heard it wrong. Honey, despite being about 80% sugar, can lower blood sugar levels. Recently, researchers have shown that honey has a wide range of unexpected benefits. Eating honey can also help prevent diabetes by reducing obesity and blood pressure. Honey has long been used in traditional medicine, but only recently has it caught the attention of scientists who have begun to describe its benefits. I’m explaining.
Can diabetics eat honey?
There is a long-standing misconception that diabetics cannot use honey in their diet because honey’s chemical structure is high in carbohydrates. Can diabetics eat honey?
researcher Researchers at the Romanian University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine found that honey reduced blood sugar spikes and caused insulin levels to rise in diabetics compared to glucose and sucrose consumption. , honey benefits diabetics. Additionally, honey’s antioxidant properties are essential in the management of diabetes.
According to a study published in 2008, Scientific World Journal, these beneficial effects may be related to the high fructose content in honey. plays an important role in facilitating glucose uptake and storage in the The fructose in honey is therefore very important in lowering blood sugar levels.
Mamudou Abdulman, a professor of pediatrics at Ain Shams University in Egypt, has long studied the health effects of honey.pdf) reported that diabetics consuming honey may experience elevated blood sugar levels in the first few weeks, but that consuming small amounts of honey over an extended period of time may have health benefits. The study also showed that when diabetics consume honey over a long period of time, it not only lowers blood pressure but also improves cardiovascular function.
Honey can prevent heart disease complications in diabetics
diabetic It is known to cause heart disease. In general, diabetic patients have complications such as hypertension and lipid metabolism in addition to hyperglycemia, which easily leads to arteriosclerotic heart disease. In November 2022, researchers at his Temerty School of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada, found that moderate consumption of honey can effectively reduce the risk of heart disease. The study found that honey It was able to lower important indicators of the development of heart disease, such as total cholesterol and triglycerides. described as a complex composition of other biologically active compounds.
Honey can improve obesity and prevent diabetes
obese patient more susceptible to diabetes than healthy people. Obesity is the most important risk factor for diabetes. This is because obese patients often have overt insulin resistance, and studies have shown a clear link between obesity and insulin resistance.
Studies such as those published in the Scientific World Journal have reported that honey not only does not cause obesity, but it also helps reduce obesity. The study included his 55 overweight and obese participants in a 30-day trial. Participants were divided into two groups, one group receiving 70 grams of sucrose daily and the other group receiving 70 grams of raw honey. Scientists found that eating honey resulted in a slight decrease in body weight (1.3%) and body fat (1.1%). Honey reduced total cholesterol (3%), LDL cholesterol (5.8%, “bad” cholesterol), triacylglycerols (11%), fasting blood sugar (4.2%), and HDL cholesterol (3.3%, “bad” cholesterol). It has also been found to increase cholesterol. ” Cholesterol) of subjects. The researchers concluded that consumption of natural honey did not increase body weight in these subjects.
The study concluded that the suppression of obesity could be attributed to fructose, a major component of honey, and the many other proteins, organic acids, vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds found in honey. These substances found in honey reduce lipogenic activity and decrease lipid accumulation in adipocytes.In addition Phenylalanine in honey Increases levels of peptide YY, a substance that reduces appetite. Therefore, honey is ideal for obese and overweight individuals to help control their weight and calorie intake. It contains several bioactive compounds such as
Honey should be eaten in moderation
Companies often advertise their products in ways that increase their profits.Therefore, people should not consume excessive amounts of honey. 3-4 tablespoons One day is enough. According to the World Health Organization, the calories provided by simple sugars should not exceed 10% of the total body requirement. Honey contains about 60 calories per tablespoon. Therefore, 180-300 calories a day is enough for him in honey. For maximum honey benefits, take it one hour before lunch. Drinking it 30 minutes before bed can help relax your nerves and help you fall asleep. . Allergic people should be tested for sensitivity by ingesting small amounts of honey.
Diabetes is a chronic disease, and according to the researchers in the Romanian study, it is important to determine the optimal honey dose for human consumption. Before consuming honey regularly, blood sugar levels should be tested to ensure they are normal. Over 80% of honey is made up of sugar. Honey is rich in monosaccharides and fructose, so it is a food that spikes blood sugar levels. Eating honey does not raise blood sugar levels in the average person. However, drinking a lot of honey water or eating a lot of honey causes blood sugar levels to spike in diabetics, just like drinking sugar water. In this population, it may be difficult to control rapid rises in blood sugar levels, and acute complications of hyperglycemia may occur. I have.
Honey can be used as a hypoglycemic agent that may reduce complications of diabetes, but long-term studies in people with diabetes are needed. It can be an excellent substitute for sugar.
How to take honey
Honey is a completely natural, ready-to-eat food. A common way to consume honey is to combine a moderate amount of honey with warm boiling water to make honey water. Honey should not be brewed in water hotter than 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). . This is the temperature at which you can dip your finger into the steam, but not foam, and not burn yourself. When honey is heated above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, many of its active health-promoting ingredients lose potency and the honey’s nutritional content is reduced.
Honey can also be consumed in addition to other foods. You can use honey instead of syrup for pancakes and waffles. Honey can also be spread on toast and bread, or added to coffee or tea to enhance the taste. Adding honey to hot milk before bed can also improve sleep.
How to make sure honey is real
In the face of a booming honey market, some questionable vendors have started producing “fake honey” and there are many ways to counterfeit it. distinguishing real honey?
- Heating method: real pure honey does not produce foam It will turn caramel color as soon as it is heated. On the other hand, less pure or fake honey will not caramelize when heated and will instead foam.
- Ignition method: Dip a cotton ball in a little honey and light it with a lighter. If the honey is flammable, it means it has not been mixed with water and is very pure. If there is a crackling sound when the light is on, there is a possibility that water is mixed in the honey.
