Are there risks to eating honey if you have diabetes?

Honey is a natural sweetener and one of the safest replacements for sugar in the world. Honey is extracted from the beehives and is filtered to get pure, raw, and natural honey. Most companies use the raw honey and refilter it by adding color, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners to make it look more appealing to consume.

There is a striking difference between raw, pure, and natural honey from that which is manufactured. One can buy honey online of both kinds, be it raw, natural honey, or manufactured and packaged honey.

Scientists and food experts claim that while raw, unfiltered, natural honey is safe for diabetic patients when consumed in moderation, artificial honey which is glazed with sugars, preservatives, and color should be strictly avoided.

Benefits of Honey for Diabetics

Honey has been studied by many scientists for many years and it has been revealed that honey has so many health benefits, unlike other sweeteners that we come across. Honey is very beneficial for health in general for all kinds of people, but of course, there are a few important areas where they shine a positive light for diabetic patients. Some of those points are mentioned below:

1. Natural Anti-inflammatory

Honey is a natural anti-inflammatory agent and therefore helps in controlling many natural infections. Diabetic people are very prone to infections especially from the external such as wounds, cuts, and bruises. Honey being an anti-inflammatory agent helps in controlling such infections and helps in keeping the internal organs safe from bacterial attacks.

       2. Natural Source of Antioxidants

Honey is also a source of antioxidants which makes the consumption and manifestation of oxygen possible in the body. This is also quite useful for those who have diabetes as they tend to have a low oxygen consumption ratio which affects their overall metabolism.

       3. Major Source of Micronutrients

Honey also is a major source to replenish micronutrients that otherwise many of us miss out on such as Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, and Vitamin C. As a diabetic patient, these micronutrients can be quite helpful for the overall body metabolism especially if they watch their diet.

Honey and Sugar – A Comparison

When it comes to comparing honey and sugar, there is a lot of difference as white sugar or table sugar is full of carbohydrates and aids no benefit for the body. Although honey is also made from carbohydrates and has somewhat the same glycemic index as that of sugar, it has many other benefits for the body such as the points listed above.

For this reason, many scientists and doctors recommend replacing sugar with honey. As a diabetic, cutting down on sugar is highly requested and therefore, honey may not be an excellent option to completely rely on either since it has the same profile as that of sugar. But in some ways, wherever possible, if one is considering consuming sugar, it can be easily replaced with honey instead.

Raw Honey

Raw honey is different from regular bottled honey. Both these kinds of honey one can buy honey online, but raw honey is sold by very few trusted sellers with natural purity intact. Raw honey has a slightly less glycemic index than table sugar and is loaded with antioxidants and other such natural benefits. It is also not completely filtered and contains bee pollen and bee propolis left behind, which is considered to be very good for health.