Honey contains a few percent of "misformed" — not joined by the usual 1,4-saccharide linkage — disaccharides and oligosaccharides such as nigerose, kojibiose, e

Honey contains a few percent of "misformed" — not joined by the usual 1,4-saccharide linkage — disaccharides and oligosaccharides such as nigerose, kojibiose, etc. These likely persist into the large intestine and affect the balance of intestinal flora. Another significant (0.5-1%) component is gluconic acid, which supports mineral absorption. But translating these into anti-diabetic activities still requires some, er, creative thinking. There are also very small amounts of polyphenols — "antioxidants" — which are believed to affect insulin signaling, but these are present in other foods as well and no particularly strong candidate has been found to show an effect. More obviously, honey is buffered at pH 4 (maybe due to 0.05% potassium content), which is roughly optimal for human tastes, and sweeter than sugar on a dry-weight basis (due to fructose). So, use less, etc.