Effect of Bee Honey on Blood Glucose Level of Sudanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

This study was held to determine the effect of bee honey on blood glucose level of newly discovered Sudanese type-2 diabetic patients (non-insulin dependent) and compared with healthy controls. Forty one diabetic patients and 10 healthy non diabetic volunteers agreed to take part in the study. Specific doses of honey or a mixture of sugars that represents the main sugars in honey (fructose, glucose, sucrose) in the same proportions as that found in the honey sample were used. Glucose doses were also given, and the effects on blood glucose levels were compared with honey and sugars mixtures. Blood glucose levels were measured at 0, 60, 120, and 180 min intervals. Honey and sugars mixtures at high doses (75 g) gave comparable or similar levels of glucose in the blood. After 2 and 3 hours, blood glucose dropped slightly but still higher than the fasting level. However, giving honey and sugars mixture at low doses (25 g) did not cause significant rise in blood glucose after 1 hour, and the blood glucose level dropped below the fasting level after 3 hours (p=0.051 and 0.019 for the honey and the sugars mixtures respectively). Glucose doses were given as 50 g or 25 g to diabetic patients and to the healthy controls and the blood glucose levels were determined as mentioned above. The comparison of the blood glucose levels, after giving honey (equivalent to 75 g sugars), sugars mixture (75 g), or glucose (50 g) showed that the glucose resulted in sharp peak after 1 hour which remained high 2 hours later as compared to honey and sugars mixtures. Comparing the effects of low doses of honey (equivalent to 25 g sugars), sugars mixture (25 g), and glucose (25 g); it was found that both honey and sugars mixtures did not raise the blood glucose level significantly, up to 3 hours; whereas the dose of glucose alone gave sharp rise after 1 hour and remained relatively higher than the levels obtained by honey and the sugars mixtures. As conclusion, low doses of pure honey, approximately 3 table spoons can be recommended as a sweetener for diabetic patients instead of using the so-called diabetic food which often have side effects and with no nutritional value.