Can a Diabetic patient take Honey?

A reported by Ibrahim Al - Iraifi

ARRiyadh newspaper: at 8/10/1422 H.

First all I would like to cast a light on diabetes by giving a brief definition that can be regarded as an introduction to our topic, can a diabetic patient take honey? There has been a big controversy over thus subject. We will survey some of the international opinions pertinent to this subject.

Diabetes is a term that was first used by a Greek physician in the second century A.D. It is derived from a Greek word. This disease is and ancient one and has been known to man for thousands of years. It may have other terms. As a definition, it is the condition in which sugar is found in the urine and in which a high rate of glucose exists in the blood. It may also be defined as a chronic increase of sugar in the blood, resulting from the deficient secretion of insulin from the pancreas gland. Its causes, symptoms and treatment have been known.

The essential topic that I am about to tackle and focus on is the relationship between the diabetic patient and bee honey: is it permissible for him to take honey or not ? or in limited quantities.? If we consider the chemical structure of honey, we will find that 75%-80% of it is sugar of which glucose amounted the 35% ; 40% -45% of it is fructose ( fruit sugar) and 13% of it is saccharose in addition to many other sugar elements such as maltose. These percentages are not always fixed in all types of honey since every type has its special structure which depends on the kind of nectar, the flower sours, methods of breeding bees and the artificial nutrition given to t he bees - in addition to other fact ors. Therefore, you can get honey with high levels of glucose. This is definitely an enemy to the diabetic patient. You can also get high levels of fructose if the bees feed on flower nectar. This may be suitable for some diabetic patient has the first type of diabetes , the treatment of which depends on insulin, I strongly which him not to take honey. If he a desire to do so, then it should be within the permissible limits and under the supervision of physician who best knows the state of his patient. On the other hand, if a patient suffers from the second type of diabetes, which does not depend on insulin for treatment, but depends on diet and exercise, he can take honey at the rate of one spoon ( 21 grams) in the morning. This will activate the pancreas. Some physicians approves of taking honey under certain condition. Some researches recommend that it may be taken as a preventive measure, as an insulin stimulater and as compensation for nutritional components such as minerals, vitamins, and amino and therapeutical acids for which honey is considered distinctive. This theory needs no proof, Allah, the Exalted, mentions this in verse 69 of the bee chapter of the Holy Qur'an.(there comes out of their stomachs a kind of nectar with various colors in which man can find cures for disease).

The diabetic patient who does not depend on insulin can not be deprived of this nutritional, therapeutical substance. However, this should be done under strict regulations and medical supervision. At this point it is worth surveying some scientific researches that have proved that a diabetic patient ( who does not depend on insulin) can take one spoonful of honey in the morning without risking and increase in the level of sugar. On the contrary, it activates the secretion of insulin, which leads to the lowering of the sugar level in the body.

I would like to mention some of the scientific researches and the reasons to which the lowering of the rate of sugar in the body is attributed. A spoonful of honey (21 grams) gives 68 c lories ; in other words, it gives less than what an apple gives and less than what three dates can give. Therefore, the number of calovies is not a fearful subject.

In a lecture given on 1/3/1415, Dr. Mahmoud Al Saeedi, from the nutrition department of the ministry of health, mentioned that some German laboratories produce honey solutions after extracting alkali from it. These solutions become ready for injection in the body. It is well known that these components can reduce blood sugar. Those patients who do not depend on taking insulin are ones who benefit from honey. It is worth mentioning that the use of honey in lowering the level of blood sugar should be within reasonable limits, taking into account the number of calories in honey as part of the patient's needs. It is often that the patient is obese and the amount of insulin initially seems normal. Then lingerhans gland in the pancreasweakens and becomes deficient at secreting insulin. Hence, the gland a stimulator. In this case honey would be the most convenient substance. However, it should be used discreetly since overdoses can lead to affluent secretion of insulin which, results in the consumption of sugar.

Dr. Al Russi Urish states that one of the natural honey components is a kind of hormone that resembels insulin. A study was conducted on diabetic patients who do not depend on taking insulin to determine the effects of bee honey on the level of glucose in the blood. The patients were given varied doese of honey at the same rates of glucose fractose and saccharose found in honey. They where also given doses of sugar glucose in order to compare its effect with that of honey. It was found that small doses of honey (25g) did not cause a serious increase in the level of glucose in the blood after one hour of the treatment . Moreover, the level of blood sugar obviously receded after three hours. It was observed that the combination of sugar and sugar glucose causes a dramatic increase in blood sugar after the elapse of one hour, where as honey dis not have a remarkable effect. The study showed that diabetic patients can take natural bee honey according to restrictions and within the nutritional limits I n order to get benefits from its components.

In 1953 a study on the effects of honey on diabetic patients proved that nine people out of 17 had their blood sugar return to less than the provides level. He recommended the use of honey as part of a patient's calculated diet. It can be administered twice a day : in the morning and in the afternoon at the rate of 20 g at each administration. This does not affect the sugar level if the number of calories in the honey is between 60 -120 calovies per day. It was also found that summer honey is more effective than winter honey. This is due to the fact that summer honey was extracted from flower nectar. It was also found that its chemical structure suits the diabetic patient more because of the high amount of fructors.

Studies in this field are not numerous. The reader's attention should be drawn to the fact that there is a available a kind of honey called " Sidr Al Innab", which is suitable for the diabetic, and it activates the pancreas of those who use it. It led to decrease the in many cases This is due to the following reasons: -

1 Natural honey contain an insulin - like hormone.

2 Honey causes a kind of shock to the beta cells. This causes the pancreas to act due to the high amounts of sugar that the honey contains. This causes an affluent secretion of insulin.

3 There may exist other reasons which god only knows.?

Some honey products have positive effects on the diabetic. In the right time these are being studied for my P h.D. Dissertation which is entitled "The chemphysiologicla characteristics of bee honey products and their effects on the diabetics". This study is aimed at identifying the effect of each of the honey products on diabetics of both types. We will let the readers known about the results of the research as soon as they become available.

In conclusion, I supplicate to Allah, the Exalted, to grant us all cures for diseases.

References:
- Ibrahim Abdullah Al Iraifi, M.Sc. Foods and nutrition/ the characteristics of bee honey. Ph.D. student, the chemical and therapeutial characteristics of bee products and their effects on the diabetic.