Manuka Honey And Diabetes: What You Need To Know

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In the last 30-40 years, the number of people with diabetes has more than quadrupled worldwide.

Diabetes is caused either by a lack of insulin produced by the pancreas (type 1), or by its inability to process insulin correctly (type 2). As insulin is a hormone which regulates our blood sugar, these conditions can lead to hyperglycemia (raised blood sugar), and can cause serious damage.

A chronic disease, diabetes requires ongoing medical attention and can limit someone's ability to live a normal, active lifestyle.

It has been suggested that some cases of diabetes can be partly managed by consuming foods that generate a low blood sugar response - potentially like honey. At the same time, researchers have also raised more cautious, open questions about honey's compounds and how they might interact with a condition like diabetes - and we think it's just as important to explore those questions honestly as it is to explore the potential benefits.

In this article, we will explore the studies that have been conducted on it thus far, and shed some light on why a diabetic person might or might not include Manuka Honey in their diet. We'll cover:

• Treating diabetes with sugar and where honey fits in.
• Manuka Honey and diabetes: the scientific story.
• Open questions and safety considerations worth discussing with your doctor.
• Manuka Honey options for diabetic people.

Diabetes and Sugar

Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent, and for some people, it can be managed through diet and exercise. For others or those with type 1 diabetes, lifestyle habits are just the first step - but a crucial one.

Diet is a key factor in the management of diabetes:

"A healthy balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in your diet will help keep your blood glucose on target. How much of each will depend on many factors, including your weight and your personal preferences. Watching your carbohydrates -- knowing how much you need and how many you are eating -- is key to blood sugar control." - Web MD.

Sugar is an energy source for our bodies, so it plays an important role in our health. As a result, alternatives for those who cannot process it properly have been explored:

"Honey may be a healthful substitute for refined sugars, such as white sugar, turbinado, cane sugar, and powdered sugar… Unlike refined white sugar, honey also contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants." - Medical News Today.

With the potential for honey to replace sugar as a safer alternative for diabetics, scientists have put it to the test:

"Considerable evidence from experimental studies shows that the honey may provide benefits in the management of diabetes mellitus. The benefits could be a better control of the hyperglycemic state, limiting other metabolic disorders and diminishing the deleterious effects on different organs that may produce diabetic complications… 

It is true that honey may be used as a potential antidiabetic agent that has the potential to reduce the complications of diabetes..." - Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity study, 2018.

It is noted in these studies that honey is still a sugar, which should be carefully monitored by anyone with diabetes (and their doctor.) Where honey differs is that it offers more than just a sweetening effect:

"A tablespoon of honey, weighing about 21 g, has about 64 calories, while 21 g of granulated white sugar contains 80 calories. This amount of honey also contains:

- 3.59 g of water*- 17.25 g of sugar**- 11 milligram (mg) of potassium- 1 mg of calcium- 1 mg of phosphorus**- 1 mg of sodium**- 0.05 mg of zinc**- 0.1 mg of vitamin C*

It also contains some B vitamins. Sugar contains almost no other nutrients." - Medical News Today.

Honey may even play a role in future treatment of the pancreas directly:

"Because of its possible stimulatory effect on diseased beta cells [those responsible for producing insulin], honey might be considered in future therapeutic trials targeting beta cells of pancreas." - 2012 study of participants with type 1 diabetes.

This same study found that the honey not only had a lower glycemic effect on all participants, but it also helped to raise their C-peptide levels which indicates insulin production.

On the question of general consumption safety, it's worth noting what small human trials have found so far - even outside of a diabetic population specifically. A randomized crossover trial of 20 healthy adults aged 42–64 looked at whether daily manuka honey consumption (UMF 20+) over four weeks affected markers linked to sugar-protein reactions in the body. The trial found that it did not increase blood levels of the advanced glycation end-product CML compared with a multiflora honey, and it did not trigger allergic (IgE) responses or disrupt gut bacteria. This is a reassuring signal for short-term consumption in healthy people, but it's important to be clear about its limits: the study did not include participants with diabetes, so it cannot be used to make claims about glycation risk or blood sugar effects specifically in a diabetic population. As always, anyone managing diabetes should speak with their healthcare provider before adding honey - manuka or otherwise - to their diet, since honey is still a sugar that affects blood glucose.

Manuka Honey and Diabetes-related uses

What about any benefits of Manuka Honey for diabetes, specifically?

One of the ways that Manuka Honey stands out from regular honey is its superior antibacterial properties. Is there any evidence to suggest that this can be helpful to diabetic people as well?

"Studies revealed that the medicinal effect of honey may be due to its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, apoptotic, and antioxidant properties... Sufficient evidence exists recommending the use of honey in the management of disease conditions." - 2017 review of clinical research.

Greek researchers noted similar findings in their 2014 study, saying that due to its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, more potent honeys may help reduce the severity of inflammation that occurs as a result of various illnesses, including diabetes.

One common complication that diabetic patients experience is the development of foot ulcers. Whilst studies are still ongoing, and each case needs to be treated individually, there is evidence that Manuka Honey may aid in healing some types of foot ulcers topically:

"MHID [manuka honey-impregnated dressings] represent an effective treatment for NDFU [neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers] leading to a significant reduction in the time of healing and rapid disinfection of ulcers." - 2014 study.

Animal research offers a similar, though preliminary, picture. In a study using streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, topically applied manuka honey achieved wound contraction and epithelialization that was comparable to, or even slightly faster than, in non-diabetic rats, and it outperformed acacia honey and standard treatment on several wound-healing measures. This is a useful data point, but it comes with real caveats: it's preclinical rodent data on topical wound application, not oral consumption for blood sugar management, and it has not yet been confirmed in diabetic human patients. It's also worth noting that this study used food-grade manuka honey applied topically, which is different from the sterilized, medical-grade manuka honey wound dressings used in clinical settings. Diabetic wounds can be slow-healing or become seriously infected, so any wound that is worsening, persistent, or accompanied by fever should be assessed by a clinician rather than self-treated with honey or any home remedy alone.

A Closer Look: The MGO Question and Other Open Debates

It's worth pausing here to look at a more nuanced, and less commonly discussed, part of the research. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is the compound largely responsible for Manuka Honey's distinctive antibacterial strength, and laboratory analysis has confirmed it is present in New Zealand manuka honey at levels up to 100 times higher than in conventional honeys - which helps explain why manuka honey has such a strong reputation for antibacterial activity in vitro. This is a chemical/analytical finding, not a clinical outcome, and on its own it doesn't tell us anything about effects on blood glucose or diabetic wound healing in people.

However, MGO is also known more broadly as a protein-glycating agent - meaning it's associated in the wider scientific literature with the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), compounds that have been implicated in impaired diabetic wound healing. A 2011 commentary raised this as a theoretical concern worth investigating: could the same compound that gives manuka honey its antibacterial punch also contribute to AGE formation in a way that's unhelpful for diabetic wounds specifically? It's important to stress that the author explicitly frames this as a hypothesis requiring randomized controlled trials, not an established risk, and no clinical harm has actually been demonstrated. But it's a fair example of why the picture isn't entirely one-sided, and why the small human trial discussed above (which found no rise in the AGE marker CML after four weeks of consumption in healthy adults) is a useful, if preliminary, counterpoint.

More broadly, a 2024 literature review of the manuka honey research base observed that despite extensive study into its bioactive compounds, topics like grading systems, and the safety and efficacy of specific implied health claims, remain actively debated among scientists. This is a helpful reminder to treat any condition-specific claim - including anything related to diabetes - with appropriate caution until more definitive clinical evidence accumulates. None of this means Manuka Honey is unsafe; it means the science, particularly as it relates to diabetes specifically, is still developing, and decisions should be made in conversation with a healthcare provider rather than based on marketing claims alone.

Manuka Honey Options for Diabetes

For those with diabetes seeking Manuka Honey options it may be an option to explore mid-range grades. These would offer good levels of antibacterial activity with moderate MG content.

It's worth knowing, though, that a higher UMF grade number doesn't automatically guarantee stronger real-world antibacterial performance. An in-vitro study testing manuka honeys of different UMF grades against 128 clinical bacterial isolates found that antibacterial potency, measured by minimum inhibitory concentration, did not consistently rise with UMF grade - in this limited sample, a lower-UMF honey was sometimes more effective, which the researchers suggested may reflect batch-to-batch changes in methylglyoxal content over time. This is laboratory dish testing, not treatment of infected wounds in diabetic patients, so it shouldn't be taken as a reason to disregard grading altogether - but it is a useful reminder that UMF grade is one useful indicator among several, not an absolute guarantee, and that food-grade honey (whatever its grade) is a different product from regulated medical-grade manuka honey wound dressings.

All New Zealand Honey Co. honeys are independently tested. Check out the full range here.

Manuka Honey UMF™ 10+ | MGO 263+

Manuka Honey UMF™ 15+ | MGO 514+

From sweet treats to healthy snacks and breakfast foods, check out below for Manuka Honey recipe ideas.

• Manuka Honey Brulee
• Eat the Rainbow for Natural Wellness
• Top 4 Superfoods and a decadent healthy dessert
• Salted Caramel Bliss Balls Manuka Honey