This study was a case control cross sectional study that was conducted on 50 patients with type 1
diabetes mellitus and 30 controls without diabetes. The mean age of patients was 10.02 years. Oral sugar
tolerance tests using glucose, sucrose and honey and measurement of fasting and postprandial serum Cpeptide
levels were done for all subjects in three separate sittings. The glycemic index (GI) and the peak
incremental index (PII) were then calculated for each subject. Honey, compared to sucrose, had lower GI
and PII in both patients and controls (P < 0.01). In both patients and controls, the increase in the level of
C-peptide after honey was significant when compared with either glucose or sucrose (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Because of its possible stimulatory effect on diseased beta cells, honey might be considered
in future therapeutic trials targeting beta cells of pancreas.