The effect of honey on blood sugar levels is the same no matter what its source, a new study shows. Tupelo, clover, buckwheat and cotton honeys had virtually identical glycemic indexes, Dr. Mark Kern and Jennifer Ilana Ischayek report.

The glycemic index of a food is a measure of how quickly it causes blood sugar to rise. High carbohydrate, low fiber foods such as white bread or bananas have a high glycemic index, while high fiber foods containing complex carbs, including most vegetables, have a low glycemic index.

There is some evidence that the fructose-to-glucose ratio contained in honey may affect its glycemic index, as can its floral source, Kern and Ischayek write in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

To investigate, the researchers from the San Diego State University, California, tested the blood sugar levels of 12 healthy adults before and after they ate one of four different varieties of honey produced in the United States. The National Honey Board helped fund the study.

There was no statistically significant difference between the glycemic indexes of the four varieties of honey, the researchers found, and the fructose-to-glucose ratio of a honey variety had no relationship to its glycemic index.

Nevertheless, the researchers note, honey may offer advantages over other sweeteners such as refined sugars. Dark honey can be rich in antioxidants, while some honey varieties contain beneficial bacteria. “Because honey has potential health benefits and induces a similar glycemic response, substituting honey in place of sugar may be warranted,” the researchers conclude.

SOURCE: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, August 2006.