For those navigating the world of low-carb and ketogenic diets, the question of whether honey, particularly Manuka honey, can be included often arises. While honey is admired for its natural origin and potential health benefits, its sugar content makes it a complex consideration for those seeking to maintain ketosis or manage blood sugar levels. This article explores the role of Manuka honey in low-carb diets, providing insights into its glycemic index, potential health benefits, and strategies for incorporating it without disrupting your dietary goals.
Understanding the Glycemic Index and Honey
The glycemic index (GI) measures how a food is expected to impact the body's blood sugar levels. Foods with a high GI are digested quickly, leading to rapid spikes in blood sugar and energy levels, often followed by a subsequent slump. Conversely, low GI foods, typically higher in protein, fat, and fiber, are digested more slowly, resulting in a more sustained release of energy.
Honey generally has a glycemic index of around 55, while sugar is around 68. Manuka honey has a medium glycemic index value of between 54-59. This is fairly average among honey types, and much lower than sugar and refined sweeteners. However, it's important to note that individual responses can vary, influenced by factors such as age, diet, lifestyle, and medical conditions.
Honey vs. Sugar: A Nutritional Comparison
Both honey and sugar offer sweetness, but their nutritional profiles are far from identical. Sugar, especially refined sugar, is often considered an empty calorie source, providing energy without significant nutritional value. Honey, on the other hand, contains trace vitamins, minerals, and unique compounds like MGO (methylglyoxal) found in Manuka honey.
From a keto standpoint, both honey and sugar can raise blood glucose levels and impact ketosis. That’s because honey, while natural, still contains sugars in the form of glucose and fructose. Sucrose, more commonly known as table sugar, is a compound made of both glucose and fructose. For those following a ketogenic lifestyle, maintaining the state of ketosis where the body shifts from using carbohydrates to burning fat for energy is a central goal. However, sugar regardless of form can disrupt this process. Even small amounts of sugar can shift the body out of ketosis by reintroducing glucose as its primary energy source.
Read also: Can You Eat Honey on a Ketogenic Diet?
Manuka Honey's Unique Properties and Potential Benefits
Manuka honey, originating from New Zealand, is produced by bees that gather pollen from the blooms of the manuka bush, creating honey with impressive health benefits. What made manuka honey a household name is its antibacterial properties and its effectiveness against germs. It’s so powerful that it can treat STAPH infections and certain infections that are immune to antibiotics! Manuka honey has been found to offer a plethora of other health benefits, too: Besides other health benefits, honey possesses a strong ability to stimulate and enhance the regeneration process in many vital organs. It has been reported to exhibit a potential role in skin regeneration, liver regeneration, bone marrow regeneration, neural regeneration, epithelial regeneration, testicular regeneration, ovarian regeneration, and other tissues regeneration.
Manuka honey’s health-promoting properties are attributed to methylglyoxal, a sugar compound that can disrupt microbial membranes and proteins and help destroy bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. While regular honey contains small amounts of methylglyoxal, manuka honey boasts the highest concentration of this natural compound.
A study published in AIMS Microbiology concluded, “Manuka honey’s antibacterial activity is due to a higher phenolic and methylglyoxal content. Manuka honey can be safely used as an alternative natural antibiotic, which exerts a stimulating effect on macrophages to release mediators needed for tissue healing and reducing microbial infections.”
Methylglyoxal and other compounds found in manuka honey, such as hydrogen peroxide, have also been shown to promote wound healing, ease digestive disorders, fight skin infections, and soothe throat irritation. Manuka honey has been found to modulate the immune system, potentially triggering or suppressing responses. These effects are thought to be attributed to Manuka honey’s uniquely high content of methylglyoxal (MGO), as well as dihydroxyacetone (its precursor), and leptosperin (unique to the mānuka nectar).
Manuka Honey and Blood Sugar: A Closer Look
The actual impact of Manuka honey on blood sugar and the body is more complicated, however. Studies have found that it may exert antidiabetic effects, help manage hyperglycemia, and may even protect the body against the oxidative stress that comes with high blood sugar (among many other health benefits). Polyphenols present in manuka have been known to play a role in controlling hyperglycemia via inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase which are involved in carbohydrate breakdown. Various flavonoids and phenolic acids present in honey are regarded as rich sources of antioxidants, which can efficiently mitigate oxidative damage [caused by hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar].
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Manuka honey has not specifically been evaluated in people with diabetes, but limited evidence suggests that honey, in general, may be better than glucose or sucrose for these individuals. There are some possible explanations why honey, although having a high carbohydrate content, has a low or moderate-low glycaemic index: (1) the glucose component of honey might be poorly absorbed from the gut; (2) Palatinose or isomaltulose, a sugar present in honey, exhibits characteristics of delayed digestion and absorption, and (3) small amounts of fructose have been shown to increase hepatic glucose uptake and glycogen storage, as well as reducing peripheral glycaemia.
Evidently, Manuka honey isn’t simply just a better carbohydrate than refined sugar according to the glycemic index. Offering potent antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, this wondrous bee food is bursting with good stuff. It’s 1 ingredient, with 2000 natural compounds.
Integrating Manuka Honey into a Low-Carb Diet: Strategies and Considerations
For those on a strict keto diet, honey is not keto-approved due to its high concentrations of natural sugars that raise blood glucose and insulin levels and can quickly kick you out of ketosis. A single serving, or one tablespoon, of honey contains around 20 grams of carbohydrates. Considering that most individuals following a Healthy Keto® diet limit carb intake to no more than 20 to 50 grams of net carbs daily, honey can quickly use up or exceed this limit, making it unsuitable for a low-carb diet.
However, for those following targeted or cyclical keto diets, which allow for more flexibility in carbohydrate intake, or those simply managing a low-carb lifestyle, small amounts of Manuka honey may be incorporated strategically.
Here are some tips to manage your Manuka honey blood sugar levels:
Read also: Keto Honey Substitute Options
- Eat your Manuka honey with other foods: By eating your Manuka honey after a meal with healthy levels of protein, fat, and fibre, or by incorporating honey into that meal, you can reduce its impact on your blood sugar level. Remember, the carbohydrates in honey can be digested quickly by the body when taken on an empty stomach, triggering a blood sugar spike. By introducing these other nutrients, you can slow the process and sustain your energy for longer.
- Don’t overheat the honey: Keep your Manuka honey in its purest state by avoiding overheating. Manuka honey is packed full of beneficial enzymes and nutrients, offering potent antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. But if the honey gets too hot (over 37℃/98.6℉), these enzymes begin to break down. You’ll be left with a sugary syrup with little extra nutritional value.
- Restrict the intake of Manuka honey: Restrict the intake of Manuka honey to only a couple of tablespoons per day, depending on your specific carbohydrate limit. Instead of drizzling it all over the food, be sure to measure the amount.
- Time your consumption: Many keto followers find that consuming Manuka honey before or after physical activity works best, as the body can utilize the carbohydrates more efficiently during these times.
Keto-Friendly Alternatives to Honey
For those aiming to strictly limit carbs, several keto-friendly alternatives offer sweetness without significantly affecting blood sugar levels.
Popular low-carb sweeteners include:
- Stevia: A natural sweetener derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant. Stevia has an incredibly sweet taste, between 200-350 times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way.
- Erythritol: A natural sugar alcohol found in fruits and fungi like grapes, melons, and mushrooms. Erythritol has a similar taste to sugar but is only 70% as sweet.
- Monk fruit extract: Monk fruit sweetener is derived from a fruit native to Southeast Asia and is up to 250 times sweeter than cane sugar. It’s available in liquid or powdered form, including as a zero-sugar honey substitute with a similar thickness and texture to maple syrup.
- Allulose: Allulose is a natural sweetener with zero calories and carbs. Allulose has a similar taste and texture to regular sugar, but it still makes a great honey substitute for sweetening desserts, baked goods, coffee, and tea.