Consumption of rapeseed honey leads to higher serum fructose levels compared with analogue glucose/fructose solutions

Background: Studies suggest that honey has less influence on serum glucose concentrations than monosaccharides and disaccharides. Previous studies, however, have only analysed glucose metabolism. Methods: This study investigated the influence of two types of honey (rapeseed and acacia) on the serum levels of glucose, fructose, insulin and C-peptide values in healthy subjects. The results were compared with honey-comparable glucose-fructose solutions. All solutions contained 75 g of glucose and/or fructose. Results: We found significantly higher fructose serum levels with rapeseed honey after 2 h but no such differences for acacia honey. C-peptide levels were significantly higher after administration of both honeys after 1 and 2 h. Conclusions: For the first time it has been found out that honey ingestion leads to a rise of blood fructose concentration: in one case, this rise was lower than that achieved after fructose/glucose controls, in the other cases it was same as after the controls. Fructose metabolism may be inhibited by unidentified substances present in the rapeseed honey. Further study to elucidate underlying mechanisms may be worthwhile, as usually there is no differentiation between the different types of honey. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2011) 65, 77-80; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2010.186; published online 8 September 2010