The glycemic and peak incremental indices of honey, sucrose and glucose in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: effects on C-peptide level—a pilot study

Abstract

Our study was a case-control cross-sectional study that was conducted on 20 children and adolescents suffering from type 1 diabetes mellitus and ten healthy non-diabetic children and adolescents serving as controls. The mean age of patients was 10.95 years. Oral sugar tolerance tests using glucose, sucrose and honey and measurement of fasting and postprandial serum C-peptide levels were done for all subjects in three separate sittings. The glycemic index (GI) and the peak incremental index (PII) were then calculated for each subject. Honey, compared to sucrose, had lower GI and PII in both patients (P < 0.001) and control (P < 0.05) groups. In the patients group, the increase in the level of C-peptide after using honey was not significant when compared with using either glucose or sucrose. However, in the control group, honey produced a significant higher C-peptide level, when compared with either glucose or sucrose. In conclusion, honey, because of its lower GI and PII when compared with sucrose, may be used as a sugar substitute in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Glycemic Index for Sucrose, Corn Syrup and Honey Entrained Highbush Cranberry Juice

“…[5]. It was also shown that honey has lower GIs in children (adolescence, mean age 10.95) [23,24]. In a study conducted by Atalay et al, the GI of citrus honey used in the study was found to be 44.9 and classified as low [8].…”

Honey, a Gift from Nature to Health and Beauty: A Review

“…Honey increases C-peptide levels in non-diabetic patients, yet it does not increase significantly in diabetic patients (Abdulrhman et al 2011). Honey may have a direct stimulatory effect on healthy β-cells, but its effect on defective β-cells is still unsure.…”

“…Both GI and PII are the measures on the effects of food on the blood glucose level. In comparison to sucrose and glucose, honey has a lower GI and PII in both healthy and diabetic subjects (Abdulrhman et al 2011). However, the GI and PII differ between different types of honey based on different floral sources.…”

“…A few studies have shown that honey has a low glycaemic index (GI) and peak incremental index (PII) (Deibert et al 2010;Abdulrhman et al 2011). Both GI and PII are the measures on the effects of food on the blood glucose level.…”

“…The higher the fructose-glucose ratio of a type of honey, the lower is its GI (Deibert et al 2010). Low GI diet can improve overall glycaemic control and also reduce postprandial hyperglycaemia (Abdulrhman et al 2011).…”