DietFood and FruitHealth and Fitness

Can diabetics eat honey?

We all know that diabetics cannot metabolize sugars well, so they accumulate in the blood and, therefore, they have to leave out simple sugars in their diet because they are the ones that increase the amount of glucose in the blood the most. Quick. One of the sweetest and most natural foods that those with diabetes are forced to give up is honey because due to its sugar content they really shouldn’t eat it.

However, there are situations in which it can be taken even if you suffer from this disease and, in addition, there are different types of this food with different sugar content. We give the answer to a common question: can diabetics eat honey? Although we anticipate that the answer is that they should NOT eat it, we explain the necessary details to know when they can “make the exception” and other aspects.

Does honey raise sugar?

This is the first question asked by many people who are beginning to suffer from diabetes, or who know someone with this health problem, and the answer is simple: honey DOES raise blood sugar, or properly said glucose levels in the blood. The reason is that a good part of the composition of this food is sugars of different types, so when ingesting them the body ends up accumulating them in the blood if they cannot be metabolized well, as is the case of diabetics, due to problems with insulin cannot use sugars for the benefit of the body and suffer from hyperglycemia or high glucose levels.

Nutritional composition of honey

As we have mentioned, honey has many different types of sugars, but it also contains other nutrients, divided into the following ranges:

  • Water: between 14% and 22%.
  • Sugars: fructose (28% – 44%), glucose (22% – 40%), sucrose (0.2% – 7%), maltose (2% – 16%), and other sugars (0.1% – 8% ).
  • Proteins and amino acids: between 0.2% and 2%.
  • Minerals: between 0.5% and 1.5%.
  • Vitamins and other nutrients: between 0.5% and 1%.

Does honey cause diabetes?

No, honey does not cause diabetes. This disease is caused by factors related to genetics, which make someone more prone to this problem, due to a very inadequate diet, with few quality nutrients and high in sugars and fats of the less healthy types, and due to uncontrolled obesity. , that is to say without treating adequately. Therefore, apart from genetic reasons, junk or junk foods, alcohol, sugary drinks, and industrial pastries are some examples of this unhealthy diet that can cause diabetes. But, the act of eating honey, even if it is done often, does not cause this disease, although it can trigger it if there are genetic factors that predispose it.

So can diabetics take honey?

If you ask yourself “can I eat honey if I have diabetes?”, the clearest answer is that if you have diabetes you should NOT eat honey from bees. However, people with diabetes also have times when their blood glucose levels drop, that is, they are times when they have acute hypoglycemia. For this reason, it is at this time that they should eat food with sugar, and even if it is serious, they should be taken on direct glucose, and honey is a good option, although it should be a small amount of honey from bees.

Normally, an effective remedy to raise glucose when someone has hypoglycemia or a diabetic has a drop in glucose is to take a little honey and cinnamon. Therefore, for diabetes, honey and cinnamon are an option to regulate glucose levels when they are low.

Likewise, if there is a time when a diabetic decides to eat a little honey without being in a moment of low sugar, it is necessary that the appropriate amount of insulin be applied beforehand, the one that corresponds to him according to the levels that he marks. the device to measure blood glucose after being pricked and introducing the drop of blood into it.

Is agave syrup good for diabetics?

Many people wonder: can diabetics take agave or maguey honey? , and they even believe that the answer is affirmative, but the truth is that this is a wrong idea. Agave or maguey honey, syrup, or syrup is not really recommended either, as it happens with honey from bees that contains a high level of sugar.

The belief was spread that agave syrup or honey had a low glycemic index, that is, it provided a small amount of sugar, but this is not true. Actually, it has sugars like natural honey from bees, although depending on the composition of each product, depending on the brand of this food, we can find a more or less glycemic index, due to the amount and concentration of sugars. For this reason, it is convenient to read the labeling of the product, in addition to taking into account that it is best to speak directly with the doctor.

So, diabetics can only take agave syrup when blood glucose drops, and a very small amount, to rebalance their levels. It is very important that when doing so they do not exceed it, since then in a short time they can go from having low levels to having hyperglycemia. For this reason, it is vital to always first measure blood glucose levels to properly calculate the amounts of agave syrup that can be taken and insulin that must be injected before taking this sweet treat.

Natural remedies to lower blood sugar

Although honey, whatever its type, is not a suitable food for diabetics, or at least not for regular consumption, there are foods that can help regulate glucose levels. This is the case with natural hypoglycemic agents, such as the following infusions:

  • Stevia infusion
  • Cinnamon infusion
  • Rooibos infusion
  • Nettle root infusion
  • Sage infusion

However, it is not convenient to take them very often either and above all you have to watch your consumption if you are a diabetic person who follows constant treatment with insulin. And, of course, you cannot add any sugar or sweetener to these infusions, only a little stevia is recommended, or, even better, take them unsweetened.

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