Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the consumption of sweets is prohibited. But when it comes to honey, the opinions of patients, and the doctors themselves, are divided. Some people believe that the treat can raise blood sugar. After all, the product contains a large amount of fructose and glucose. Others point to trace elements and vitamins, which are abundant in the beekeeping product. How to be? Can I use honey for diabetes? Will the delicacy be harmful?
Can I eat honey for diabetes?
Honey is a high-calorie and sweet product. It contains on average 45% glucose and 55% fructose. The amount of substances may vary depending on the type of product. Foods with a high concentration of sugar are taboo. This means that honey is prohibited in diabetes mellitus. But endocrinologists are sure that the disease and the amber delicacy are compatible. Their arguments:
- During the study, it was found that pure fructose (non-industrial) is easily absorbed by the body and does not require insulin.
- Due to the equal content of fructose and glucose, the latter component slowly enters the bloodstream. Therefore, there are no sharp surges in sugar.
- The use of honey in diabetes mellitus leads to a decrease in blood glucose. This has been established empirically. This effect is explained by the content of a special substance in the beekeeping product – glycutil . The component is a natural insulin capable of breaking down glucose.
You should not rush to introduce honey into your diet if diabetes is diagnosed. The product may be beneficial or cause serious harm to the body. Therefore, before putting a spoonful of amber delicacy in your mouth, be sure to consult with your doctor.
What kind of honey can be used for diabetes?
Not all types of treats are suitable for diabetics. Doctors recommend preference for species in which the fructose content exceeds glucose. You can visually determine the ratio of sweet components. A product containing more fructose tastes sweeter and crystallizes very slowly. The table will help to determine what kind of honey can diabetics.
Features of the use of honey by diabetics
Doctors advise adhering to the following recommendations:
- Dosages. The daily norm of a delicacy is 1 tsp. Sometimes an endocrinologist may allow up to 2 tsp. in a day.
- Time of receipt. It is advisable to eat a treat in the morning. This will ensure the timely saturation of the body with energy.
- Recommended compatibility. It is good to combine the bee product with a fiber-rich plant food. Experts advise to combine the delicacy with fermented milk products. This will enhance the healing effect of honey.
- A kind of sweetness. Endocrinologists recommend combing honey. So the absorption of fructose and glucose is blocked by the components of the wax.
- Reducing sweets. If a diabetic has decided to consume honey, then he needs to review the entire diet. It is necessary to reduce the use of other sweet foods. This applies to fruits, sugar substitutes.
- Natural product. With diabetes mellitus, you need to carefully approach the choice of honey. Unscrupulous sellers sometimes add sugar to the treat. This sweetness is very harmful.
- Honey with bee bread. The healing combination helps to normalize metabolic processes in the body and helps restore the pancreas.
Experienced beekeepers do not recommend heating honey above +40 ° C. At this temperature, the beneficial substances of the sweet product begin to break down.
Why is honey dangerous for diabetes?
Initially, you should determine whether the product is harmful in a particular case. It is forbidden to use honey for the following pathologies:
- tendency to allergies;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, regularly recurring (ulcer, gastritis);
- dyspeptic disorders (flatulence, colic, bloating, diarrhea or constipation);
- severe forms of diabetes, accompanied by the presence of complications.
Particular emphasis must be placed on adherence to dosages. Sick people should not eat large quantities of the treat. Abuse of beekeeping products leads to:
- sharp jumps in sugar (against the background of such events, a coma may occur);
- weight gain and development of obesity;
- stress on the liver, heart and pancreas (any of the organs can fail).
How is honey useful for diabetes?
Needless to say, how useful the product is with proper use! It has a beneficial effect on the body:
- saturates with vitamins, minerals;
- resists the penetration of infectious agents;
- stops the reproduction of viruses, bacteria, fungi, thereby suppressing the spread of infection;
- strengthens and tones the nervous system;
- removes “bad” cholesterol;
- reduces the risk of complications after taking medication;
- activates blood circulation and improves the condition of blood vessels;
- coordinates metabolic processes;
- normalizes the functioning of internal organs (liver, kidneys, heart);
- strengthens the immune system;
- enhances tissue regeneration (healing).
The external use of the treat is also useful. Thanks to its antibacterial properties, honey compresses help to cleanse abscesses and abscesses.
Honey for type 1 diabetes
In type 1 diabetes, endocrinologists recommend taking honey very carefully. And sometimes it is advised to completely abandon the delicacy. If the intake rate is observed, an increase in blood glucose is not recorded. For some patients, doctors recommend replacing various industrial sweeteners with natural honey.
Honey for type 2 diabetes
For people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, the bee product is recommended. It can be used every day, but it is absolutely contraindicated to exceed the dose (1-2 tsp). Doctors explain why patients can take the treat:
- subject to dosages, the product does not cause an increase in glucose;
- the benefits of taking it far outweigh the potential harm.
Honey Doesn’t Cure Diabetes! A sweet product is not able to heal either the first or the second type of ailment. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to refuse the treatment prescribed by the doctor.
Observing all the recommendations of an endocrinologist, even with such a complex disease as diabetes, you can enjoy the joys of life. And pamper yourself with fragrant honey.