As a diabetic, you may be looking for ways to avoid sugar in what you eat. You would be eager to substitute sugar with anything more healthier. Honey is a popular substitute for sugar in many recipes. But the question is can a diabetic eat honey without adversely impacting blood sugar levels? Let’s see how honey compares with sugar as a substitute.
Can a diabetic eat honey?
If you ask ‘Can a diabetic eat honey?’, the straight answer is yes, a diabetic can eat honey. But as with any other sweet food, a diabetic needs to wary of the amount of honey to eat. In summary, experts say people with diabetes may eat honey but in small quantities only. You can expect to see blood sugar levels rise when you eat honey but eating just a small quantity of honey may not be so dangerous. To understand how honey affects your blood sugar level, you need to check your blood sugar levels before and after eating honey. You will need a blood glucose monitor like this one to check blood sugar levels.
Is honey a healthier substitute for sugar in diabetic diet?
Diabetic diet recipes generally avoid sugar altogether. Even if there is sugar in some diabetic recipes, its very small quantity. But what if you want to use honey instead of sugar in your diet? Is honey a good substitute for sugar? Some say yes honey is always better than sugar. The reason is honey works as a home remedy for few conditions like sore throat etc. Honey and lemon with warm water boosts immunity if you drink it first thing in the morning.
Some people would love to eat toast with honey. To some extent honey can be more healthful than jam or marmalade on a toast. Honey has no added sugar and it also helps boost your immunity. Hence, some people believe honey is more healthful than jam or marmalade.
Does honey raise blood sugar levels?
You may be generally wary about your blood sugar levels. This blood glucose meter comes in very handy to check your blood sugar levels.
Most diabetics try to avoid sugar as they do not want higher blood sugar levels. Honey also leads to higher blood sugar levels as honey is rich in sugars and carbs. One advantage with honey is that honey tastes sweeter than sugar. So you may need smaller quantity of honey than sugar in your recipe. But honey has more carbs and calories than sugar which you need to watch for. A spoonful of honey gives you more glucose than a spoonful of sugar. Hence, you will need smaller amount of honey than sugar for the same level of sweetness.
