Scope of Honey in Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders

Metabolic disorders occur when unusual chemical reactions take place in the body amend usual metabolic pathways. Diabetes mellitus a metabolic disorder is generally characterized by high glucose level in blood over longer period of time. In type 1 diabetes, pancreas fails to produce adequate insulin and the same effect is due to the loss of beta cells of pancreas. Type 2 diabetes begins with resistance to insulin and accordingly gives no response to insulin. Gestational diabetes mellitus is similar to type 2 diabetes in various aspects and is having combination of inadequate insulin and sensitivity to it. For many years, honey is being used as a substitute for sugar and for providing medicinal benefits. In animal as well as human studies, convincing evidence specifies that honey displays antidiabetic as well as hypoglycemic effects. Additionally, honey consumption improved other disorders related to metabolism and to diabetes such as reduced levels of HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) and hepatic transaminases and increased HDL cholesterol. The same was in addition to lowering hyperglycemia and oxidative stress. Besides depicting hypoglycemic effect, research has indicated that honey improves lipid anomalies in rats and humans suffering from diabetes. The beneficial effects of honey could also be limiting other disorders of metabolism and lessening damaging effects on various organs of the body that ultimately result in diabetic complications. Although there are few studies in the literature which are contrary to the above-depicted discussions regarding the beneficial effects of honey and its use in diabetic disorder. Also the clinical trials or studies on humans (both diabetic and healthy) are rather very sparse. It is anticipated that this book chapter will encourage fundamental investigation intended at explicating the mode of actions by which oligosaccharides present in honey improves antidiabetic/hypoglycemic effects.