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Glycaemic and insulinaemic properties of some German honey varieties

September 2009
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 64(7):762-4

DOI:10.1038/ejcn.2009.103

Source
PubMed

Authors:

Peter Deibert

University Medical Center Freiburg

Daniel König

University Medical Center Freiburg

Show all 5 authorsHide

The glycaemic and insulinaemic response to different German honey varieties have not been studied so far. Eight German honey grades differing in their floral source and carbohydrate composition were tested. Isoglucidic test meals (25 g carbohydrate) and a 25 g glucose reference were given to 10 clinically and metabolically healthy, fasting individuals (31.5+/-8.1 years of age (mean+/-s.d.), two women). Glycaemic and insulinaemic index were calculated by the recommended FAO/WHO measure. Five of the eight tested honey varieties show a low glycaemic index below 55; for six of the eight tested varieties, the glycaemic load was lower than 10 (portion size of 20 g honey). Glycaemic index and insulinaemic index correlated significantly with the fructose content of honey varieties. The results show that glycaemic index and insulinaemic response depend on the fructose content of honey. Therefore, specific honey varieties may be recommended for subjects with impaired glucose tolerance instead of saccharose in food preparations.

Change in glucose (a) and insulin (b) levels of two honey species (linden flower honey, heated; lowest GI value of the samples tested; forest honey; highest GI value of the samples tested) compared with glucose control. Glucose (mg/100 ml) and insulin (pmol/l) values are given as differences vs 0-min values.

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Composition and properties of the honey varieties examined a

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Correlation between fructose content and GI in the eight honey varieties tested.

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SHORT COMMUNICATION

Glycaemic and insulinaemic properties of some

German honey varieties

P Deibert, D Ko

¨nig, B Kloock, M Groenefeld and A Berg

Department of Rehabilitation, Prevention and Sports Medicine, University Hospital, Centre for Internal Medicine, Freiburg, Germany

The glycaemic and insulinaemic response to different German honey varieties have not been studied so far. Eight German honey

grades differing in their floral source and carbohydrate composition were tested. Isoglucidic test meals (25 g carbohydrate) and

a 25 g glucose reference were given to 10 clinically and metabolically healthy, fasting individuals (31.5±8.1 years of age

(mean±s.d.), two women). Glycaemic and insulinaemic index were calculated by the recommended FAO/WHO measure.

Five of the eight tested honey varieties show a low glycaemic index below 55; for six of the eight tested varieties, the glycaemic

load was lower than 10 (portion size of 20 g honey). Glycaemic index and insulinaemic index correlated significantly with the

fructose content of honey varieties. The results show that glycaemic index and insulinaemic response depend on the fructose

content of honey. Therefore, specific honey varieties may be recommended for subjects with impaired glucose tolerance instead

of saccharose in food preparations.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2010) 64, 762–764; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.103; published online 16 September 2009

Keywords: honey; glycaemic index; homa index; insulin response

Postprandial glycaemic response has basic relevance to

chronic diseases that are associated with hyperinsulinaemia

and central obesity (1998). Glycaemic index (GI) is a stan-

dardized measure recommended by FAO/WHO to classify

the blood glucose response after intake of carbohydrates.

As a composite biological carbohydrate, honey is regularly

used as a natural sweetener and as a traditional medicinal

agent. Honey grades vary in their glycaemic response and

some honey varieties have a low GI (Bogdanov et al., 2008).

It has been suggested that floral sources of honey and the

fructose-to-glucose ratio are responsible for the difference

in glycaemic response. However, insufficient data are avail-

able for honey varieties, particularly for German products.

In addition, the mechanism explaining the low GI response

to some honey species is still unknown (Ischayek and Kern,

2006). The aim of this study was to determine whether

the GI and insulinaemic responses of eight varieties of

German honey differ in their floral source and carbohydrate

composition.

Ten clinically and metabolically healthy, fasting indivi-

duals (two women, eight men; age 31.5±8.1 years) were

each given isoglucidic (25 g carbohydrate) single servings of

eight German honey varieties and a 25 g glucose reference

within a 2-week period. Each test was performed at OGTT

conditions (8.00–10.00 a.m.) in identical subjects. Capillary

blood glucose and plasma insulin were measured through

finger-prick samples before (0 min) and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90

and 120 min after the consumption of each test honey by

clinically routine micromethods. Glucose was determined by

an enzymatic (Glucoseoxidase) amperometric method (EBIO

plus, Eppendorf/EKF, D-39179 Magedburg) immediately after

sampling. The GI and insulinaemic index (II) of each test

food were calculated geometrically by expressing the incre-

mental area under the blood glucose and plasma insulin

response curve (IAUC), respectively, of each test food as a

percentage of each individual’s IAUC for the 25 g glucose

reference. In addition, glucose load was calculated as the

product of the test food’s GI and the amount of available

carbohydrate in a reference serving size of a 20 g honey

portion.

The honey samples tested were provided by the

‘German beekeeper association’ (Deutscher Imkerbund e.V.),

Wachtberg, Germany. Food chemistry analyses were performed

by the ‘LAVES-Institut fu

¨r Bienenkunde’, Celle, Germany.

Written informed consent was obtained from all individuals

Received 13 January 2009; revised 16 June 2009; accepted 7 July 2009;

published online 16 September 2009

Correspondence: Dr P Deibert, Department of Rehabilitation, Prevention and

Sports Medicine, University Hospital, Centre for Internal Medicine, Hugstetter

Str. 55, 79106 Freiburg, Germany.

E-mail: peter.deibert@uniklinik-freiburg.de

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2010) 64, 762 –764

www.nature.com/ejcn

participating in the study. The study protocol was approved

by the local ethical committee. For statistical analyses, SPSS

software (version 14.0) was used.

The composition of the honey varieties tested is given in

Table 1. Owing to a variation in the fructose and glucose

content, there is a broadly divergent fructose–glucose ratio as

well. The greatest variation in the carbohydrates analysed

can be declared in the melezitose content; in contrast to all

other varieties, forest honey shows a significantly higher

melezitose content (10 g/100 g honey). Five of the eight

tested honey varieties show a low GI below 55. Only for

forest honey is a high GI above 70 determined. For six of the

eight tested varieties, the glycaemic load is lower than 10

(portion size of 20 g honey).

The changes in glucose and insulin levels in response to

glucose control, as well as the response to the two honey

species with the lowest (linden flower honey, heated) and

highest (forest honey) GI and II values, are shown in

Figure 1a and b. GI values differ at a range of 80%

and II values differ at a range of 29% in the honey

varieties examined. There is no statistically significant

correlation between GI and II values. In addition, the

insulin–glucose ratios do not show a fixed value, but vary

at a range of 73%.

When the carbohydrate contents of the different honey

varieties are correlated with glycaemic and insulinaemic

properties, significant correlations can be established

between GI and II and the fructose content of the honey

varieties: r(GI/fructose) 0.851, P¼0.007; r(II/fructose)

0.810, P¼0.015 (Figure 2). The melezitose content in

Table 1 Composition and properties of the honey varieties examined

Variety CH CH Fru FGR GI GL II

Floral sources g/100 g g/20 g

25 g glucose control 100 20 0 0 100 20 100

Linden (heated) 80.7 16.1 38.5 1.11 49.2 7.9 60.4

Multifloral honey 82.9 16.6 39.6 1.04 51.3 8.5 52.4

Acacia 80.4 16.1 43.5 1.49 53.0 8.5 48.9

Heather 76.0 15.2 40.2 1.30 53.3 8.1 49.1

Sweet chestnut 75.6 15.1 39.6 1.62 53.4 8.1 49.0

Linden (not heated) 76.6 15.3 37.0 1.11 55.9 8.6 61.0

Oilseed-rape 79.0 15.8 37.9 0.97 64.0 10.1 57.0

Forest honey 75.8 15.2 31.1 1.17 88.6 13.5 63.0

Abbreviations: CH, carbohydrate content (%); FGR, fructose-glucose-ratio;

Fru, fructose content (g/100 g honey); GI, glycaemic index; GL, glycaemic

load; II, insulinaemic index.

Data given by LAVES—Institut fu

¨r Bienenkunde, D-29221 Celle, Germany,

extracted from HPLC-analyses.

Data are given as individual value for each variety examined.

200

-50

150

100

-20

δ-glucose (mg/100ml)

δ-insulin (pmol/l)

Glucose control

Forest honey

Linden flower honey, heated

Minutes after oral ingestion

Linden flower honey, heated

Glucose control

Forest honey

Minutes after oral ingestion

0 min 15 min 30 min 45 min 60 min 90 min 120 min 15 min0 min 30 min 45 min 60 min 90 min 120 min

Figure 1 Change in glucose (a) and insulin (b) levels of two honey species (linden flower honey, heated; lowest GI value of the samples tested;

forest honey; highest GI value of the samples tested) compared with glucose control. Glucose (mg/100 ml) and insulin (pmol/l) values are given

as differences vs 0-min values.

Glycaemic index

Fructose content of honey (%)

R-Quadrat linear = 0.724

30 32 35 38 4240

Figure 2 Correlation between fructose content and GI in the eight

honey varieties tested.

Glycaemic index of German honey varieties

P Deibert et al

763

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

forest honey is responsible for the high GI value in this

honey species (P¼0.001). The fructose–glucose ratio, as well

as all the carbohydrates listed and the sum of carbohydrates,

does not significantly influence the GI and II characteristics

of the honey varieties.

Honey can be defined as a carbohydrate-rich food, and the

main content of honey, approximately 80% of its mass,

consists of carbohydrates, particularly fructose and glucose.

However, recently published research has suggested that

floral sources of the honey species may influence GI and that

some honey varieties show a lower GI than do others

(Samanta et al., 1985; Foster-Powell et al., 2002; Henry et al.,

2005; Ischayek and Kern, 2006).

When the sugar profile and the fructose–glucose ratio of

the honey species tested in this study were compared,

variable fructose content and a broadly divergent fructose–

glucose ratio were found. Fructose content varies within a

range of 43.5%, leading to a fructose–glucose ratio from 0.97

to 1.62. In comparison with data regarding US honey

varieties showing fructose contents within a range between

34.8 and 39.8% and fructose–glucose ratios within a range

between 1.03 and 1.12, our results show that sugar profile in

the tested German honey species clearly differ from US data

(Ischayek and Kern, 2006). This may be the reason for the

finding that, in contrast to other published data with regard

to glycaemic indexes in honey species, most of the honey

varieties tested in this study—except for forest honey with a

high GI of 88.6—showed a favourable GI lower than 55.

It has been suggested that the respective GI and the

corresponding fructose–glucose ratio are negatively corre-

lated and that the GI of honey varieties is decreased with an

increased fructose–glucose ratio. In our study, the fructose

content rather than the fructose–glucose ratio was signifi-

cantly correlated to the GI response. In addition, the high

melezitose content in the forest honey tested was signifi-

cantly responsible for its high GI value as well. However,

neither the relative carbohydrate content nor any carbohy-

drate species other than fructose and melezitose showed a

relevant influence on the glycaemic and insulinaemic

response in the honeys investigated. Comparable with

observations in other carbohydrate-rich foods, the corre-

sponding glucose and insulin response did not show a

significant intercorrelation. In the honeys tested, the

insulinaemic response calculated as II could not be predicted

by glycaemic response. Nevertheless, the insulin

increase after honey intake generally did not reach the

amount of the control curve after glucose ingestion, but

varied at a clearly smaller range, approximately 55% of the

control response.

The results impressively document favourable glycaemic as

well as insulinaemic characteristics after consumption of the

honey varieties tested. With regard to the low GI values in

most of the honey species, these honey varieties may be

recommended for individuals with impaired glucose toler-

ance or insulin resistance instead of saccharose in meals,

particularly breakfast preparations (Wolever and Mehling,

2003; Galgani et al., 2006; Wolever et al., 2006). This

information may be useful for predicting the glycaemic

effects of composite breakfast meals and for improving the

postprandial metabolic response as well as appetite regula-

tion (Flint et al., 2006).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements

The honey samples tested were provided by the ‘German

beekeeper association’ (Deutscher Imkerbund e.V.), Wachtberg,

Germany. Food chemistry analyses of the honey varieties

tested were performed by the ‘LAVES-Institut fu

¨r Bienenkunde’,

Celle, Germany.

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European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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Full-text available

Dec 2006

The importance of the postprandial glycemic and insulinemic responses for appetite and energy intake (EI) is controversial. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that postprandial appetite sensations and subsequent EI are determined by postprandial glycemic and insulinemic responses after the intake of a range of breakfast meals. The study was a randomized, crossover meal test including 28 healthy young men, each of whom tested 10 of 14 breakfast meals. Each meal contained 50 g carbohydrate with various glycemic index and energy and macronutrient contents. Blood samples were taken, and appetite sensations were measured 3 h after the meals. Subsequently, EI at lunch (EI(lunch)) was recorded. The glycemic response was unrelated to appetite sensations, whereas the insulinemic response was positively associated with postprandial fullness (R2 = 0.33, P < 0.05). In contrast, the insulinemic response was unrelated to the subsequent EI(lunch), whereas the glycemic response was positively associated with EI(lunch) (R2 = 0.33, P < 0.05). Although no significant difference in EI(lunch) was observed between different breakfast conditions, a low breakfast EI was associated with a high EI(lunch) (R2 = 0.60, P < 0.001). The current study does not support the contention that the postprandial glycemic response has an important effect on short-term appetite sensations, but a low-glycemic index meal may reduce subsequent EI. In contrast, postprandial insulin seems to affect short-term appetite sensations.

Plasma Glucose Responses to Glucose, Sucrose, and Honey in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus: An Analysis of Glycaemic and Peak Incremental Indices

Article

Oct 1985

We have studied the hyperglycaemic effect of the carbohydrate of glucose, sucrose, and honey equivalent to 20 g in twelve normal volunteers, eight patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), and six patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Honey produced an attenuated postprandial glycaemic response in normal volunteers (vs glucose p less than 0.005; vs sucrose p less than 0.05) and IDDMs (vs glucose p less than 0.005; vs sucrose p less than 0.05). The glycaemic index (GI) showed considerable variability within each subject group. Combined with a peak incremental index (PI), the two indices appear to be more valuable in predicting the glycaemic effects of carbohydrates rather than either one alone. We suggest that honey may prove to be a valuable sugar substitute in diabetics, and that both the GI and PI should be used in the analysis of food.

Long-term effect of varying the source or amount of dietary carbohydrate on postprandial plasma glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol, and free fatty acid concentrations in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance

Article

Mar 2003

Reducing the glycemic load (GL) is considered beneficial for managing insulin resistance. The GL can be reduced either by reducing carbohydrate intake or by reducing the glycemic index (GI). We studied whether these 2 dietary maneuvers have the same long-term effects on postprandial plasma glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol, and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Thirty-four subjects with IGT were randomly assigned to high-carbohydrate, high-GI (high-GI); high-carbohydrate, low-GI (low-GI); and low-carbohydrate, high-monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) diets for 4 mo. Plasma glucose, insulin, and FFAs were measured from 0800 to 1600 at baseline in response to high-GI meals (60% carbohydrate, GI = 61, GL = 63) and after 4 mo in response to meals representative of the study diet. Carbohydrate intake (% of energy), GI, and GL in the high-GI, low-GI, and MUFA groups (breakfast and lunch meals combined), respectively, were 60%, 61, and 63; 60%, 53, and 55; and 49%, 61, and 52. Compared with the change after 4 mo of the high-GI diet, both the low-GI and MUFA diets reduced 0-8-h mean plasma glucose concentrations by 0.35 mmol/L (P < 0.05). Mean plasma insulin was approximately 20% higher (P < 0.05) and FFAs approximately 12% lower (P < 0.05) after the low-GI diet than after the high-GI diet, with no significant effect of MUFA. Changes in 0-8-h mean plasma triacylglycerols in the 3 treatment groups differed significantly: -0.14, 0.04, and 0.18 mmol/L, respectively, with the high-GI, MUFA, and low-GI diets. In subjects with IGT, reducing the GI of the diet for 4 mo reduced postprandial plasma glucose by the same amount as did reducing carbohydrate intake. The 2 dietary maneuvers had different effects on postprandial plasma insulin, triacylglycerols, and FFAs.

US Honeys Varying in Glucose and Fructose Content Elicit Similar Glycemic Indexes

Article

Sep 2006
J AM DIET ASSOC

The glycemic index of honey may vary, depending upon its floral variety and fructose-to-glucose ratio. We determined the glycemic index of four US honey varieties in 12 healthy adult men and women with a mean (+/-standard error) age of 24.5+/-1.5 years. The glycemic index of 250-mL solution servings of clover, buckwheat, cotton, and tupelo honeys providing 50 g carbohydrate were assessed relative to triplicate feedings of 50 g carbohydrate as a glucose solution. Fructose-to-glucose ratios were 1.09, 1.12, 1.03, 1.54, for clover, buckwheat, cotton, and tupelo, respectively. Blood was collected after an overnight fast and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after intake. Ten minutes were allowed for food consumption. Areas under the glycemic response curves for each honey were expressed as percent means of each participant's average response to glucose feedings. The means (+/-standard error) of the glycemic index were 69.2+/-8.1, 73.4+/-6.4, 73.6+/-6.6, 74.1+/-8.2 for clover, buckwheat, cotton, and tupelo honeys, respectively. No statistically significant differences between the honeys were apparent, nor was a relationship between glycemic index and the fructose-to-glucose ratio detected, indicating that small differences in fructose-to-glucose ratios do not substantially impact honey glycemic index.