honey and diabetes

[michel_mr]

i am oharmacist and i want to know if this is true or not. can a diabetic person type I or II eat honey since it doesnt contain glucose,but just fructose? thank you very much for you answers

[fredrik]

Fwiw, honey certainly contains both fructose and glucose.

 

A typical analysis of honey b/w could be

 

~ 38% fructose

~ 31% glucose

 

the rest is other water, more complex sugars, minerals, nitrogen sources etc.

 

/Fredrik

[iNow]

i am oharmacist and i want to know if this is true or not. can a diabetic person type I or II eat honey since it doesnt contain glucose,but just fructose? thank you very much for you answers

 

They can eat it, but their blood glucose levels will rise if they do... pretty significantly actually. Many foods don't have glucose itself, maybe just fructose or even sucrose (all those "ose's")... and they will all raise blood sugar levels when they break down.

 

I am a diabetic, and to put it into more clear terms... Honey is my first and favorite choice for something to use when I'm hypoglycemic (when I have low blood sugar or am having an insulin reaction).

 

Honey is wonderful for bringing up the blood sugar, as it's essentially "pre-digested" by the beas, and it gets into the system very very quickly, and it doesn't tend to "spike" then "drop" as quickly as something like a candy bar. The honey not only brings my blood sugar up quickly, it keeps it there longer.

 

 

I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any questions. I'm not formally trained, but having been diabetic for nearly 20 years I know quite a lot about it and have tons of personal experiences and knowledge to share.

[Revenged]

iNow, i assume you are type I diabetic then?...

 

hypoglycaemia is rarely a problem with type II diabetics - hyperglycaemia is the main problem and it would be crazy for type II diabetics to take it...

 

(incidentally i used to work in a pharmacy... we used to sell 'diabetic' chocolate... but i personally would not recommend 'diabetic chocolate' for type II diabetics... the name is very deceptive... quite a few people eat buckets full of the stuff because they interpret it as meaning sugar free or as it having a special type of sugar that diabetics can have... this is nonsense... it mainly uses 'sucrose', which is a dimer of glucose + fructose...)

[iNow]

iNow, i assume you are type I diabetic then?...

Indeed.

 

hypoglycaemia is rarely a problem with type II diabetics - hyperglycaemia is the main problem and it would be crazy for type II diabetics to take it...

It's sometimes a problem for me too. Since it's up to me to determine exactly how much insulin I need to take based on an extremely dynamic diet and exercise schedule, I sometimes make mistakes and do not take enough insulin to compensate for what I've eaten. It's truly a balancing act.

 

 

(incidentally i used to work in a pharmacy... we used to sell 'diabetic' chocolate... but i personally would not recommend 'diabetic chocolate' for type II diabetics...

I wouldn't recommend it for anyone. That stuff tastes like shit. My parents tried to feed it to me when I was a kid. Made me gag. I think the brand name was "Estee."

 

Now, I only eat high cocoa content dark chocolate, like 85%. I use an insulin pump, so I just bolus a bit when I do.

 

 

Everything in moderation.

[michel_mr]

thx u very much ,

[AliB]

Yes, honey and sugar may be similar in terms of carbohydrate content, but honey is virtually a complete food in itself (as long as it is a good quality one and not a cheap one packed out with syrup!). It contains almost all the amino acids, vitamins, minerals and trace elements required to sustain life, so although sweet, unlike sugar it is not full of empty calories.

 

It is so beneficial for so many things - helps to soothe and support the digestion, can ease digestive upsets, is a good support for the heart and the arteries, is a great healer and natural anti-septic that can help wound healing both internally and externally, helps to relieve a sore throat, counteract allergies, raises the anti-oxidant level in the body, is a great all-round beauty aid for nourishing the skin and the hair, can be used to fight fungal infections, reduce inflammation and scarring - the list is endless. Although it may raise blood sugar, it is far more beneficial for diabetics than sugar.

 

A few days ago I did an experiment. Last thing before bed I took my blood sugar which was 7.4 (133). I then drank a mug of drink consisting of approximately 1 tablespoon of honey and a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon. One hour later my blood sugar was 6.7 (120). Seven hours later on waking, my blood sugar was 5.2 (94). As my average waking level is usually around 6.8 I was pretty impressed. Cinnamon has been known to reduce blood sugar in type 2 diabetics. I have had a sore stomach and taking this combination has eased it and kept my blood sugar low.

 

If I were to choose between honey or sugar I have absolutely no doubt which one would be the better for me.