Australian Eucalyptus Honey is a Low GI food. Knowing the GI rating of the food you eat is important not only to diabetics but also to people wanting to improve their energy and concentration levels. Australia's iconic Yellow Box Honey (available in the Gustare Honey range) has been proven to have the lowest GI rating of 35. Not only this, but Yellow Box Honey is also one of the slowest honeys to crystallise, so if you like your honey runny and you prefer low GI foods, then our Gustare Yellow Box Honey is the one for you!
Foods with a GI value of 55 or less are considered to be low GI foods. Low GI foods are broken down more slowly so cause only a gradual rise in blood sugar levels over time. The gradual rise means you feel fuller and more energised for longer.
Foods with a GI of between 56 and 69 have an intermediate or moderate rating and foods with a value of 70 or more are considered high GI foods, triggering a rapid rise in blood sugar.
If you do watch the levels of GI in your diet, we have good news for you. Australian mono-floral Eucalyptus honey has been scientifically proven to have a low GI.
This may seem odd. Brands of commercial honey, for example, have a high GI and should be avoided by consumers who need to control their blood sugar. But according to a landmark study on Australian honey, the composition of sugars in honey varies depending on the floral source so it can be assumed that the GI of honey will vary depending on the floral source of the honey. A 2005 report for the Rural Industries Research Development Corporation, A Preliminary Assessment of the Glycemic Index of Honey, investigated the glycemic index (GI) for six types of mono-floral Australian honey (including five varieties of Eucalyptus honey) and two varieties of commercial blended honey available in the Australian market. The varieties of mono-floral honey tested were: Red Gum, Iron Bark, Yellow Box, Stringybark, Yapunyah, and the non-Eucalypt, Salvation Jane (Patterson's Curse). Yellow Box, Stringybark, Red Gum, Iron Bark and Yapunyah honey were all found to have a low GI. According to the report, they're, therefore "more suitable for consumption in controlled amounts by people with diabetes and other health problems associated with poor blood glucose control."
Table: Mean ± SEM (Standard error of mean) GI values for Australian honey varieties, using glucose sugar as the reference food*
*Extract from: Dr Jayashee Arcot and Professor Jennie Brand Miller, A Preliminary Assessment of the Glycemic Index of Honey, A report for the Rural Industries Research Development Corporation, March 2005, RIRDC Publication #05/027.