Manuka Honey and Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism where the body is unable to maintain proper levels of blood glucose. This may be due to an inability of the body to produce insulin (Type I) or respond to insulin (Type II). While this is the primary cause of diabetes mellitus, there are secondary consequences of diabetes that result in poor quality of life, cardiovascular complications, neuropathy and increased mortality.
The main goal of diabetes management is optimal glycaemic control, and recommendations include increased physical activity, healthy eating and anti-diabetic drugs or insulin. Optimal glycaemic control is however difficult to achieve as blood glucose levels fluctuate, and glycaemic control deteriorates over time.
Honey has been examined as a natural substance with potential therapeutic effects on diabetes. The literature though is reasonably limited (given the prevalence of diabetes globally), and studies have failed to compare honey varieties and typically use rats. What we can determine from the literature are potential mechanisms and effects from honey on aspects of diabetes.
There is some evidence that honey reduces hyperglycaemia. This seems counterintuitive as honey is sweet and rich in glucose and fructose. The fructose and oligosaccharides are thought to contribute to the glucose lowering effect due to their digestion and absorption rates in the digestive system. Most studies have used acute interventions, i.e. changes to blood glucose, insulin and lipids are measured after a single dose of honey. Chronic studies (over 12 weeks) are limited, and the results regarding honey’s effects on HbA1c and glycaemic control are mixed.
Honey has been shown to affect other ailments that are associated with diabetes. Reductions in triglycerides, and increases in HDL cholesterol (the good type) have been observed with honey use in diabetics. These positive effects and benefits are attributed to honey’s antioxidative properties. Honey contains carbohydrate but also water, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Mānuka honey has particularly high levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals in the human body and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Oxidative stress has been implicated in pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, which effects insulin secretion. Antioxidants, such as those found in honey, scavenge free radicals in the human body and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
While we can not say with absolute certainty at this stage what dose of honey may positively impact hyperglycaemia, we have seen benefits in the co-morbidities of honey, notably reduced triglycerides and improved HDL cholesterol. In addition to this, there have been some novel and promising findings where honey has been combined with anti-diabetic drugs, which resulted in increased levels of insulin and decreased serum levels of glucose. It also reduced oxidative damage in the kidney and pancreas, and enhanced antioxidant defences. Further research into this will no doubt be done to further inform us of the potential therapeutic effects of honey on diabetes mellitus.
Honey, like any form of carbohydrate for the diabetic patient, needs to be used appropriately but it confers benefits to the human body and inflammation associated with the disease via its antioxidant properties.
Mānuka Performance is leading the research conversation around unlocking the polyphenols in Mānuka honey that attribute toward insulin regulation and positive outcomes for other chronic diseases.
References
Erejuwa, O. O. (2014). Effect of honey in diabetes mellitus: matters arising. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders, 13, 1-4.
Sharma, R., Martins, N., Chaudhary, A., Garg, N., Sharma, V., Kuca, K., ... & Prajapati, P. K. (2020). Adjunct use of honey in diabetes mellitus: A consensus or conundrum?. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 106, 254-274.