Eating raw honey from a single flower source can improve blood sugar control and lower cholesterol levels when taken as part of a healthy diet, according to a recent study published in Nutrition Reviews.
“These results are surprising because honey is 80% sugar,” said Tauseef Khan, the study’s lead researcher and a research associate in nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto’s Temerty School of Medicine.
“We’re not saying you should start eating honey if you’re avoiding sugar today. The bottom line is more about replacement. “If you use table sugar, syrup or other sweetener, replacing these sugars with honey may reduce cardiometabolic risks,” Khan said in the same study.
What is honey?
“Honey is a rich composition of sugars (common and rare), organic acids, enzymes, proteins, amino acids, minerals, vitamins and bioactive substances prepared by bees from flower nectar,” the study authors note.
Honey and sugar are both carbohydrates. That means they’re composed of glucose and fructose, but each has a different nutrient, texture and flavor profile, Emma Laing, PhD, RDN, director of dietetics at the University of Georgia and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Fox News Digital.
“Honey is advertised as healthier in some nutritional respects. However, sugar is preferred due to taste and affordability. “Sweeteners are generally considered unhealthy, but consuming small amounts does not cause adverse effects in most people, so we should not fear them,” he said.
However, when people consume too much of these ingredients, they may experience significant changes in blood sugar, gastrointestinal discomfort, or an increased risk of tooth decay.
Laing also said that some people may have an allergic reaction to certain ingredients in honey and that honey is not safe for children under 12 months of age.
A high intake of free sugars has contributed to an increase in obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease, according to previous research.
Researchers from Toronto conducted tests, with over 1,100 participants, to determine whether honey consumption threatens the heart and metabolism.
“In our study, we combined the results of all the tests done on people consuming honey that looked at metabolic diseases,” Khan told Fox News Digital.
“We reviewed the studies reported on clover, robinia and various types of processed honeys, which were shown to have a metabolic benefit, just like raw honey. “Honey consumption was associated with lower levels of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides,” Khan pointed out.
“The reduction in glucose was 0.2 mmol/L, which is quite small – although not insignificant,” he added. “The same with cholesterol, which was reduced by 0.18 mmol/L. This reduction is also insignificant compared to drugs. However, it shows that consuming honey does not cause harm and that a small reduction in glucose may be beneficial in the long term.”
Raw honey instead of processed
Khan noted that there is a difference between processed and raw honey in terms of health benefits.
“Conventional honey processing involves straining and filtering and then heating for a short time to reduce moisture and yeast,” Khan told Fox News Digital.
This allows for easier handling of the honey, but actually damages the honey and many of its bioactive compounds lose their effect, he said. “Raw honey is drained and filtered but not heated,” he noted.
Disadvantages of the study
Khan emphasized that a major drawback of this particular study is that the results from the availability of the data are poor.
“There are many varieties of honey whose consumption has not been studied, so we could not evaluate them. “Another drawback was that several studies used multileaf honey, which is a mixed honey and one cannot know which flower source it comes from,” he added.
He also noted that “more studies are needed from unique sources of individual flowers.”
“Total Nutrient Dietary Pattern”
Laing recommended that people consider adding honey to their diet if they enjoy its taste and are looking to add variety to an overall nutritious eating pattern.
He also said that people could experiment with replacing a sugar sweetener with honey, keeping in mind that honey tastes sweeter, so smaller amounts would be needed.
For his part, Khan suggests getting raw honey from local beekeepers or bee farms.
How does the study work?
“The data from this study do not by themselves justify changing the current recommendations for honey consumption,” Laing noted.
He added that the study “is scientifically strong, but we need more studies until we can more broadly demonstrate that there is an impact of honey consumption on glycemic control and lipid levels.”
He also pointed out: “The positive effects on health do not have to do with the intake of a single food such as honey. They are associated with dietary patterns that include vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meat, poultry, seafood, nuts and unsaturated vegetable oils.” In any case, those thinking of changing their diet should first consult a health professional.