Is Honey Good For Diabetics?
Is Honey Good For Diabetics? When you think of something great for your health, you probably don’t think about honey. Honey is often overlooked and undervalued. However, it has some surprising benefits that are worth exploring more. If you have diabetes or if you care about your blood sugar levels, you may have asked yourself this question: is honey good for someone with diabetes?
Honey and Diabetes
In general, switching honey for sugar in a diabetes diet plan has no significant difference. Either way, sugar and honey both have an impact on your blood sugar levels.
Because honey has a sweeter flavor than granulated sugar, you might substitute less honey for sugar in some foods you would prepare. However, a teaspoon of honey contains slightly more calories and carbs than a teaspoon of granulated sugar. Therefore, any caloric and carbohydrate reduction would be minimal.
Health Benefits of Honey
If you’re looking to improve your health and immune system, honey might be a great way to achieve this.
It has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-cancer properties. Additionally, the antioxidants in honey are fantastic for your immune system, which means you’ll be less likely to get sick and can fight off infections more efficiently with regular use of honey.
Honey is also great for reducing inflammation in your body, so it’s beneficial for conditions like arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Weight Loss Benefits
Many studies have looked at the effects of honey on weight loss. The bottom line is that honey can help you lose weight, but you need to ensure that you’re eating it as part of a healthy diet. It’s also shown honey has a lower glycemic index than sugar: honey has a GI score of 58, while sugar is 60. This means honey raises blood sugar quickly, but not quite as fast as sugar. With that, it is essential to remind you that any food with a GI score above 55 is unsafe for diabetes.
Summary
Honey is a great sweetener with many benefits for your health. It can fight inflammation, has antioxidants, has weight loss benefits, and is a healthy sweetener. It is definitely healthier than sugar and can be enjoyed raw or even used in some of your favorite recipes. However, it is a big NO for diabetics.