According to a recent study published in Nutrition Reviews, consuming raw honey from a single flower source may improve blood sugar control and lower cholesterol levels when taken within a healthy diet. .
“These results are surprising because about 80% of honey is sugar,” said Tausef Khan, a senior researcher on the study and a nutritional science researcher at the University of Toronto’s Temati School of Medicine, in a press release. .
“If you’re currently avoiding sugar, I’m not saying you should start eating honey,” Khan added.
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“The point is about exchanges,” he said.
“If you’re using table sugar, syrup, or another sweetener, switching those sugars to honey may reduce cardiometabolic risk,” he said in the same release.
What exactly is honey?
“Honey is a complex composition of sugars (common and rare), organic acids, enzymes, proteins, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive substances that bees make from the nectar of flowers,” said the study authors. increase.
Both honey and sugar are carbohydrates. They’re made of glucose and fructose, but each has different nutritional, texture, and flavor profiles.
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Both honey and sugar are carbohydrates. This means they are made of glucose and fructose, but each has a different nutrient, texture and flavor profile.
She is the Director of Nutrition at the University of Georgia and the National Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Some people can have allergic reactions to certain ingredients in honey, and honey is not safe for babies under 12 months of age.
“Honey is touted as ‘healthier’ on several nutritional fronts,” she said. .
“In general, sweeteners are often thought of as unhealthy, but even a small amount should not adversely affect most people, so you shouldn’t be afraid.
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However, if you consume too much of these ingredients, you may experience drastic changes in blood sugar levels, gastrointestinal discomfort, or an increased risk of tooth decay.
Laing also says some people may have allergic reactions to certain components of honey, and honey is not safe for babies under 12 months of age.
A new study found that honey consumption was associated with lower fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
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Previous studies have found that high free sugar intake increases obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
“Dietary guidelines for Americans recommend getting no more than 10% of your total daily calories from sugar, which includes honey,” Laing told Fox News Digital. .
Honey may lower blood sugar, cholesterol
According to the study’s press release, Toronto researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 clinical trials involving more than 1,100 participants to determine the effects of honey on cardiac and metabolic risk factors. .
“In our study, we combined the results of all human trials done on honey that looked at metabolic disorders,” Khan told Fox News Digital.
“No harm [in taking honey] And even small reductions can be beneficial in the long run,” said one of the senior researchers.
“We were able to evaluate the studies reported [on] Clover, robinia flower honeys, and processed varieties showed benefits on some metabolic outcomes of these flower varieties and raw honey,” Khan added.
Honey consumption was associated with lower fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
Khan, senior researcher, said there are differences between processed and raw honey when it comes to health benefits.
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Khan told Fox News Digital that the magnitude of the reduction in glucose and cholesterol was “clinically very small.”
“The glucose reduction was 0.2 mmol/L, which is fairly small, but not trivial,” he added.
“It’s the same with cholesterol, down 0.18 mmol/L,” he said.
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“But it shows no harm [in taking honey] Even a small reduction is beneficial in the long run. “
raw and processed honey
Kahn pointed out that there are differences between processed and raw honey in terms of health benefits.
“Traditional honey processing involves straining, filtering, and heating briefly to reduce moisture and yeast,” Khan told Fox News Digital.
“More research from unique single-flower sources is needed.”
While this allows the honey to be manipulated more easily, it actually damages the honey and causes many of its bioactive compounds to lose their effectiveness.
“We strain and filter raw honey, but don’t heat it,” he said.
Limitations of research
Khan pointed out that one of the main limitations of this study is that the availability of data limits the results.
“There are many honey varieties that have not been studied in humans, so we were unable to evaluate them,” he added.
According to one registered dietitian, if you’re “enjoying the flavor and looking to add variety to your overall nutritious eating pattern,” you might consider adding honey to your diet.
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“Another limitation is that many studies used polyfloral honey, which is a mixed honey, and we cannot tell from which floral source it came.”
“More research from unique single-flower sources is needed,” he said.
“Overall Nutritious Eating Patterns”
Laing recommends considering adding honey to your diet if you’re “enjoying the flavor and looking to add variety to your overall nutritious eating pattern.”
She also said that people “might replace and experiment” [a] It’s a sugar sweetener with honey added, but since honey has a sweet taste, less is needed. ”
“More studies are needed to more broadly prove that honey consumption affects glycemic control and lipid levels.”
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Khan suggested getting raw honey from local beekeepers and apiaries.
You can buy honey from any flower, not just Robinia, but from the clover plant, he added. rice field.
Meaning of research
“The data from this study alone do not warrant any change in current recommendations for honey consumption,” Laing said.
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She said the study was “robust from a scientific standpoint, but more research is needed to more broadly prove that honey consumption affects blood sugar control and lipid levels.”
“The data from this study alone do not warrant changing current recommendations for honey consumption.”
She also added, “Favorable health outcomes don’t center around eating a single food like honey.
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“They are associated with dietary patterns such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, lean meats and poultry, seafood, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils.”
Anyone considering changing their diet should consult a healthcare professional first.
