“Honey seems to be nutritious, so I eat it every day.”
Honey has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. I think there are many people who like the natural and mild sweetness and spread it on bread or put it in tea.
However, honey is also a kind of sweetener. Is it good for diabetes?
The answer is, in fact, it is an ingredient that cannot be said to be good.
Therefore, this time, we decided to focus on the relationship between honey and blood sugar levels.
We will introduce you to the comparison with sugar and the appropriate amount, so please stay with us until the end. Let's get started.
Honey is a natural sweetener that bees collect nectar from flowers and store it in their hives.
Rich in nutrients, it is said to be effective in relieving fatigue and stomatitis. In Chinese medicine, the efficacy of honey is emphasized, and it is sometimes used as a therapeutic agent.
There are many types of honey, including pure honey.
There are many types of honey, but the three most common ones are sweetened honey, refined honey, and pure honey.
Sweetened honey is made by adding starch syrup or glucose. Refined honey is made by heating honey to decolorize and deodorize it, removing the nutrients.
The third type of pure honey is natural honey that has not been processed. In other words, it can be said that pure honey has high quality and nutritional value as honey.
The queen of honey is acacia honey
Acacia honey is honey extracted from the flowers of the pseudoacacia tree.
It is a honey that you can enjoy a refreshing sweetness without a habit of flavor, and it is easy to use for cooking and sweets.
Let's see how much sugar is in honey and sugar.
Sugar content of honey and sugar
As you can see above, honey has less sugar than sugar. However, compared to common foods, honey has a high sugar content.
For reference, 1 tablespoon of honey (about 21g) contains about 16g of sugar, which is about the same amount as 1/2 convenience store rice ball.
Effects of honey on blood sugar levels
Honey has less sugar than sugar, but it's not safe. This is because honey contains mainly fructose, a sugar that easily raises blood sugar levels.
sugar type
As shown above, there are monosaccharides (fructose in honey), disaccharides (sucrose, the main component of sugar), and polysaccharides. Monosaccharides, which have a simple structure, are the most easily absorbed by the body.
In other words, fructose in honey is absorbed faster by the body than sucrose in sugar. And as soon as fructose is absorbed into the body, 10-20% is converted into glucose and triglycerides in the liver.
Therefore, if the amount of fructose is large (the amount of honey is large), the amount of glucose will increase and the blood sugar level will rise.
Blood sugar spikes? Beware of popular smoothies in the morning
Foods combined with honey can cause blood sugar levels to spike. One example is fruit smoothies.
In fact, fruits also contain large amounts of monosaccharides such as fructose and glucose.
Fruit is naturally a food that absorbs easily, but when smoothies are blended, the dietary fiber is crushed and absorbed even better. Add honey to it, and your blood sugar spikes even more. You are more likely to jump up.
Should I avoid it if I have diabetes?
In conclusion, it is better to refrain from basically.
This is because diabetics need to control their sugar intake. Sugary honey is not recommended.
However, for those who really want to eat honey, I will tell you the points below.
How to eat honey for diabetes
Limit the amount of honey to about 1 teaspoon per day. Then the sugar will be about 4g, and there will be little risk of having a big impact on blood sugar levels.
It is safe to use it in cooking as a substitute for sugar.
Homemade honey lemon
Lemons are said to have anti-glycation properties.
By the way, anti-glycation means “to prevent glycation”. Specifically, it reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis and cataracts caused by glycation, and also prevents diabetes caused by progression of glycation.
I added a small amount of honey to the lemon that has such an effect, and made a honey lemon.
Homemade honey lemon
【material】
・2 lemons
・Honey 2 tablespoons
[How to make]
①Wash the lemon well, cut off the stem, and slice thinly.
② Put the sliced lemon in a jar with a lid and add honey.
③ Put it in the refrigerator for about 2 days and it's done.
*Limit one honey lemon per day. It's delicious when you add it to sautéed thigh meat or mix it with olive oil and use it as a dressing for a salad.
Use Manuka Honey
Manuka honey is a natural honey produced in New Zealand and is a special ingredient controlled by the New Zealand government. It has a strong bactericidal effect and is used as a medicine.
People with diabetes are said to be more susceptible to infections such as pneumonia and periodontal disease. This is because viruses and bacteria feed on sugar.
We can't say for certain that manuka honey will prevent infections, but it may help prevent complications if used wisely. However, there is no change in honey, so you need to be careful with the amount.
summary
As mentioned above, honey is a food with a lot of sugar, so you can see that it is basically not recommended for diabetes.
In addition, fructose contained in honey is a sugar that easily raises blood sugar levels. Therefore, if the amount of fructose is large (the amount of honey is large), the amount of glucose will increase and the blood sugar level will rise.
Therefore, if you really want to incorporate honey, it is recommended that you use about 1 teaspoon and use it in cooking as much as possible.
Comments
Post a Comment