Honey shows to improve blood sugar, cholesterol: Study

Honey intake improves blood sugar and cholesterol levels, a study has found. Researchers have found that honey intake improves key measures of cardiometabolic health, including blood sugar and cholesterol levels especially if the honey is raw and from a single floral source. The researchers at the University of Toronto conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials on honey, and found that it lowered fasting blood glucose, total and LDL or 'bad' cholesterol, triglycerides, and a marker of fatty liver disease; it also increased HDL or 'good' cholesterol. "These results are surprising, because honey is about 80 per cent sugar," said Tauseef Khan, a senior researcher on the study. "But honey is also a complex composition of common and rare sugars, proteins, organic acids and other bioactive compounds that very likely have health benefits," Khan added. Previous research has shown that honey can improve cardiometabolic health, especially in in vitro and animal studies. The current study, published in the journal Nutritional Reviews, is the most comprehensive review to date of clinical trials, and it includes the most detailed data on processing and floral source, the study said.