Honey is a sweet and viscous product created by honeybees through a process called honey production or honeybee metabolism. It is largely composed of fructose, glucose and sucrose with smaller amounts of other sugars such as maltose and lactose present in addition to small quantities of vitamins and minerals.
Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body has problems regulating blood sugar levels. Diabetics are constantly looking for ways to regulate their blood sugar levels. One of the most popular ways to monitor and regulate blood sugar levels is by regulating what they consume, especially in relation to carbohydrates. The glycemic index measures how quickly a food can raise a person's blood sugar levels. It rates foods on how they affect blood glucose levels after they've been eaten and gives them a score on a scale from 0 to 100.
Foods that rank low on the glycemic index are considered to have a GI of less than 55 and release glucose slowly and steadily. Honey has an average GI of 61 and therefore tends to release glucose relatively quickly into the bloodstream.
Honey has a similar average glycemic index to table sugar and can be enjoyed by diabetics as an alternative sweetener or cooking ingredient. However, caution should be exercised as blood sugar levels will rise relatively quickly after eating honey and could result in a 'sugar spike'. Should blood sugar levels become too low then honey could be used to raise levels again. Diabetics should always seek advice from a medical practitioner when seeking to regulate blood sugar by day to day carbohydrate intake.
