According to the World Health Organisation, Saudi Arabia ranks 7th in the world overall in the rate of diabetes and it continues to affect nearly 10 million people in Saudi each year.

With diabetes continuously on the rise across the world, this World Diabetes Day is more critical than ever.

Those who currently suffer from diabetes know all too well the struggle of regulating the body’s sugar levels. Sugar is nearly in every food, from the bread you consume to the sweets we so enjoy.

Yet for regular or pre-diabetic consumers, regulating the body’s sugars is often not a consideration at all.

The combination of the prevalence of high levels of sugars in our foods combined with our unaware eating habits leaves us at greater risk.

Finding substitutes for sugars in our diet can pose a lot of difficulties. When we attempt to use artificial sweeteners, our body’s reject the taste and flavour. Without knowing how much sugar our bodies consume on a regular basis, we often expose ourselves to dangerous fluctuations in our body’s sugar levels too.

We don’t need to eliminate sugar – yet in many instances regulating the intake could lower the risk of diabetes.

One of the best sugar substitutes is honey. Honey is naturally rich in antioxidants and its chemical makeup offers an array of immunity boosting benefits. It is made up of sugar complexes that are much easier for your body to consume. Hundreds of studies around the world have demonstrated that honey is much easier for the body to digest and process without causing the same stress to the bodies sugar levels. This is increasingly promising for diabetics and sweet-lovers alike.

Of course, honey is certainly no cure but it is a strong substitute for unhealthy sugar sources, a natural energy booster and can increase metabolism levels due to its natural enzymes content.

As with all goods, it is crucial to source authentic, pure honey. In fact, the  adulterated honey or altered honey can cause even more health issues. 

As we reflect on our battle against “the silent killer” Undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes, and other systemic health issues, we must consider how we will protect our bodies and create healthier lifestyles.

Completely removing sweetness from our life is not an option for many consumers. But becoming more practical and careful in our consumption certainly is.