Is honey better for diabetes?

Photo by With Mahdy on Unsplash

Many people reach for honey instead of sugar, assuming it's the healthier option, especially when managing diabetes. But is this assumption backed by science? The evidence turns out to be more nuanced than a simple yes or no.

What the Research Shows

Honey is primarily composed of carbohydrates, mainly fructose and glucose, but it also contains antioxidants, compounds known to protect cells from oxidative stress and long-term damage. Its composition varies depending on the flowers bees feed on and how it's processed. Clover honey, for instance, has demonstrated notable therapeutic properties in some studies.

A 2017 meta-analysis found that honey may have a modest beneficial effect on blood glucose levels. Part of this comes down to its glycaemic index (GI), a measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar compared to pure glucose. Honey sits at roughly 50 to 58 on this scale, slightly below table sugar's 60 to 65.

A lower GI, however, doesn't automatically make honey a better choice. An eight-week study involving diabetic participants linked honey consumption to higher HbA1c levels, a marker of average blood sugar over two to three months, rather than a single moment in time. Other findings are similarly inconsistent: one clinical trial recorded reduced blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes after honey intake, while another tested a honey blend fortified with cinnamon, chromium, and magnesium, ingredients often promoted for blood sugar support, and found no meaningful improvement in glucose control.

Why Study Outcomes Differ

Diabetes presents differently from person to person, and honey itself is not a standardised product. Several factors influence outcomes, including the quantity and duration of honey consumption, the fructose-to-glucose ratio of the specific honey used, what the honey is replacing in the diet, and the medications and existing blood sugar control of the individual. Given this range of variables, contradictory findings across studies are expected rather than surprising.

What can be done?

For healthcare professionals or caregivers advising someone with diabetes, the most reliable approach is to treat honey as an added sugar rather than a therapeutic substitute. Replacing refined sugar with honey in equal amounts may produce a marginally gentler blood sugar response in some cases, but it still contributes carbohydrates and calories that must be factored into a person's overall dietary plan. It should never be layered onto an already sugar-heavy diet simply because it carries a "natural" label.

Patients on insulin or other glucose-lowering medications should consult their diabetes clinician or dietitian before adjusting carbohydrate intake. Honey should never substitute for prescribed medication, insulin therapy, blood glucose monitoring, or a structured eating plan.

Honey holds genuine biological interest, and certain studies suggest it produces a milder blood sugar response than table sugar. Still, the available human evidence remains limited, inconsistent, and largely short-term. Larger, well-designed clinical trials are needed before honey can be recommended as a sugar substitute, let alone a treatment, for diabetes.

Until that evidence emerges, the safest position remains straightforward: honey is still sugar. Diabetic patients who choose to include it should do so in measured, deliberate amounts, factored into their overall carbohydrate plan rather than treated as a diabetes-friendly alternative.