Is Honey Good for Diabetics? Dr Chan Answers

Is honey good for diabetics?

Honey is not a better choice for people with diabetes.It raises blood sugar in a similar way to table sugar.

"Doctor, is honey good for people with diabetes?" is one of the most common questions I get from my patients with diabetes. Honey has a natural, wholesome image that makes it seem like a smarter choice than table sugar. But the answer may surprise you. Watch my short video explanation below, or read on for the full breakdown.

A Quick Quiz Before We Dive In

Which of these statements would you agree with?

A: Honey is a natural sweetener, therefore it is a healthier choice for people with diabetes.

B: Honey has more vitamins and minerals than table sugar, therefore it is a healthier sweetener for people with diabetes.

C: Honey has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, so it is good for people with diabetes.

Is it A, B, C, all of the above, or none of the above? Write your answer down before reading on.

What Is Honey Actually Made Of?

The first thing to understand is that honey is primarily sugar. Its composition is approximately 50% fructose, 40% glucose, and 10% other sugars. This is very similar to table sugar, which is roughly 50% fructose and 50% glucose.

So yes, honey is natural. But natural does not mean low in sugar. Honey is still mainly sugar, and for people with diabetes, that is the most important fact to start with.

Does Honey Have a Lower Glycemic Index Than Sugar?

Honey does have a glycemic index that is slightly lower than that of table sugar. This is true. However, the key word here is slightly. The difference is not large enough to make honey a significantly safer choice for blood sugar control in people with diabetes.

Because the glycemic index of honey is very similar to that of table sugar, the impact of honey on blood glucose levels in the first two hours after eating is also similar to that of table sugar. In practical terms, eating honey raises your blood sugar in much the same way as eating regular sugar does.

What About Honey's Nutrients and Antioxidants?

Honey does have more vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients than table sugar. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and may have some other health-promoting properties.

These are real benefits. I am not dismissing them. But here is the important clinical reality: those nutritional benefits do not cancel out or meaningfully reduce the impact that honey has on blood sugar levels. The glycemic effect of honey remains very similar to that of sugar, regardless of its additional nutritional properties. The additional nutrients do not change the fundamental blood sugar impact.

So Is Honey Good for People with Diabetes?

The honest answer is: it depends on who you are and how well your diabetes is controlled.

For people with well-controlled diabetes who have good insulin response, good insulin sensitivity, and good glucose tolerance, and who are already eating a diet appropriate for their glucose tolerance, a small amount of honey is unlikely to cause significant problems. But even then, it should be treated as sugar, not as a free pass.

For people with more serious concerns, honey is much more problematic. Specifically, people with severe or poorly controlled diabetes, those with poor insulin response, poor insulin sensitivity, or poor glucose tolerance, and people with diabetes who are already consuming excessive amounts of sugar and carbohydrates in their diet, may still get unhealthy levels of blood sugar spikes from taking honey. The fact that it is natural does not protect them.

The bottom line: honey is still mainly sugar. Its glycemic index is similar to that of table sugar. It may still cause unhealthy blood sugar spikes, especially when taken in larger amounts, and especially for people whose diabetes is poorly controlled or whose overall sugar and carbohydrate intake is already excessive.

The Practical Takeaway for People With Diabetes

If you have diabetes and you are asking whether you can substitute honey for sugar, the answer is that it is not the upgrade you might hope it is. You are not meaningfully reducing your blood sugar risk by switching from sugar to honey.

The more important question is not honey versus sugar. The more important question is your total sugar and carbohydrate intake across your whole diet, your level of blood sugar control, and the full range of lifestyle habits that determine how well you are managing your diabetes.

Diet is one pillar of diabetes management. But it works best when it is part of a comprehensive, holistic approach that also addresses exercise, sleep, stress management, and other lifestyle factors simultaneously.

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You may also want to read: Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed? Dr Chan answers.

You might also be interested in this: Reversing Type 2 Diabetes - Essential Basics: A Structured Online Learning Programme

Video Synopsis

In the short video above, I address one of the most common questions I receive from patients with diabetes: is honey a healthier or better sweetener than table sugar for people with diabetes? I present a mini quiz testing common assumptions about honey, then explain the sugar composition of honey, its glycemic index relative to table sugar, and its antioxidant and nutritional properties. I conclude that while honey has some additional nutrients compared to sugar, its glycemic index is only slightly lower than sugar and its impact on blood glucose after eating is similar. People with poorly controlled diabetes or excessive sugar and carbohydrate intake may still experience unhealthy blood sugar spikes from honey and should treat it as they would regular sugar.

Full Video Transcript

The following is the full transcript of the video above.

"Doctor, can I take honey if I have diabetes?" or variations of this question such as "Doctor, is honey good for people with diabetes?" or "Doctor is honey a better or healthier sweetener than table sugar for people with diabetes?" Welcome to The Habits Pharmacy where Habits becomes Medicine. I'm Dr Chan your host. Let's start with a mini quiz on what you think about honey and diabetes.

Which of these statements would you agree with? A: Honey is a natural sweetener therefore it is a healthier choice for people with diabetes. B: Honey has more vitamins and minerals than table sugar, therefore it is a healthier sweetener for people with diabetes. C: Honey has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, so it is good for people with diabetes. Which of these statements would you agree with? A, B or C? Or is it all the above? Or none of the above? Why don't you write down your answer in the comment section below, it'll be good to know what everybody thinks.

Let me answer these questions this way. Honey may be a natural sweetener, but it is still sugar. Its sugar content is about 50% Fructose and 40% Glucose and 10% other sugars, very similar to table sugar. Honey may have more vitamins, minerals and other nutrients than table sugar, but its glycemic index is only slightly lower than that of table sugar.

Honey may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties or other health promoting properties, but still honey with its glycemic index being very similar to table sugar means that its impact on blood glucose in the first two hours after ingestion is also similar to that of table sugar.

So people with diabetes, especially those with severe diabetes or poorly controlled diabetes, that is people with poor insulin response, poor insulin sensitivity, poor glucose tolerance, or overall suboptimal or poor blood sugar control, and people with diabetes with poor diets who are already taking excessive amounts of sugar or carbohydrates, may still get unhealthy levels of blood sugar spikes from taking honey.

So honey may be a natural sweetener, has more nutrients than sugar, and may have some antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and possibly some other health benefits, honey is still mainly sugar, with a glycemic index similar to that of table sugar, honey may still cause unhealthy levels of blood sugar spikes, especially when taken in large amounts, and for people with severe or poorly controlled diabetes, and people whose levels of intake of sugar and carbohydrates are already excessive and unhealthy.

I hope you have found this video useful. If you are interested to watch my other videos related to this topic, you can click the links here or in the notes below. Let Habits be Thy medicine. I'm Dr Chan, Eat Well and Be Well.

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