We recently received a question from a reader which we wanted to address here on the blog – as it’s a good one!

The question was whether honey is elemental (monosaccharide only), and if it can be used when on a fully elemental diet. Well, the answer is actually…NO!

When taking a look at a comprehensive list of honey’s chemical composition (an excerpt from honeypedia.info):

Honey ingredients:

Dіѕассhаrіdеѕ in honey:

– mаltоѕе, turаnоѕе, іѕоmаltоѕе, ѕuсrоѕе, mаltulоѕе, іѕоmаltulоѕе, nіgеrоѕе, trіgаlоѕе, gеntаbіоѕе, lаmіnаrіbіоѕе.

Ѕuсrоѕе іn nесtаr hоnеу rеасhеѕ uр tо 1%-6%, аnd іn hоnеуdеw hоnеу – uр tо 10%.

Uроn аbundаnt fоrаgе, thе реrсеntаgе оf ѕuсrоѕе mіght іnсrеаѕе аѕ а rеѕult оf dіѕturbеd еnzуmе рrосеѕѕіng оf nесtаr, оr whеn fоrаgе іѕ tоо сlоѕе. Тhеn nесtаr іѕ rеtаіnеd іn bееѕ´ hоnеу ѕасѕ fоr а ѕhоrtеr реrіоd оf tіmе.

Іn hоnеу ѕtоrеd іn nоrmаl соndіtіоnѕ, thе аmоunt оf ѕuсrоѕе grаduаllу dесrеаѕеѕ duе tо іtѕ lоng еnzуmаtіс dесоmроѕіtіоn. Тhе іnvеrtаѕе еnzуmе rеmаіnѕ асtіvе еvеn аftеr hоnеу hаѕ bееn ехtrасtеd frоm thе соmbѕ аnd ѕtоrеd.

Rеgаrdlеѕѕ оf thе соnѕtаnt еffесt оf іnvеrtаѕе, thе lеvеl оf ѕuсrоѕе іn hоnеу саn nеvеr rеасh 0.

Тhе іnсrеаѕеd реrсеntаgе оf ѕuсrоѕе іѕ а ѕіgn оf рооr quаlіtу аnd аdultеrаtіоn.

So likely VERY low, but not totally zero!

So what sweeteners (carbohydrates) can you use while on an elemental diet?

The sweeteners Jini recommends (which you can find in the IBD Remission Diet) are:

• Fructose
• Glucose
• Dextrose
• White stevia extract powder (not the whole green leaf)
• Luo han extract (the best-tasting natural sweetener Jini has found is Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener – if you can tolerate erythritol)

If you can’t tolerate any of the sugar alcohols (erythritol, xylitol, maltitol etc.) and they cause gas/bloating or loose stools, Jini recommends sticking to stevia and/or monkfruit (luo han guo).

Maltodextrin is a glucose polymer. Fructose, glucose and dextrose are all monosaccharide sugars. Again, all your carbohydrates must be predigested – so even regular sugar, maple syrup, or honey are not allowed. Also, keep in mind that natural fructose is not the same thing as high-fructose corn syrup and does not have the same deleterious effects on the body!

Per Jini, the reason elemental diets require a carbohydrate component is to provide balanced nutrition for people who are often malnourished and underweight. You need the carbohydrate component to be able to regain your normal weight – this is very difficult to do with whey protein alone.

Other Semi-sweet Allowables:
• Clear fruit juices
• Popsicles made from clear fruit juices
• Jello made from clear fruit juice and gelatin
• Clear, organic herbal teas (caffeine-free only, can be sweetened with Stevia, luo han, or fructose)
• Certain brands of gummy bears (no more than 10 per day) –> Look for gummy bears made primarily from fruit juice, with no artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors or preservatives and using only allowable sugars and gelatin – again, don’t consume more than ten per day.
• Certain brands of natural chewing gum (check ingredient list for allowable sugars, maximum 5 sticks per day)

All fruit juices need to be fresh (not from concentrate) with no additives like sugar, color, or preservatives. Certified organic fruit juice is preferable – so per Jini, make sure it’s see-through clear with no clouding.

If you do purchase juice that’s a bit cloudy, Jini recommends straining through a cheesecloth or tea towel to filter out the remaining pulp. Juice from a home or commercial juicer is difficult to use as there’s a lot of pulp residue in the juice – so strain it well (maybe several times) to remove the pulp. Please note that tese strained juices will never look as crystal-clear as juice from concentrate, but they will be healthier! Jini’s hack is leaving fresh pressed juice to hang in a very fine weave tea towel (don’t press on the juice) – it will then filter out just fine. It still won’t be crystal clear, but the pulp will have been removed.

To make fruit juice popsicles, you can buy a popsicle mold from a housewares store or online, pour in the clear juice of your choice (dilute juice with 1/3 water to lower the sugar content) add the popsicle sticks/tops and then freeze. Remember though, that all fruit juices are primarily sugar, so consume in moderation!

Jini does not provide any brand recommendations for juice, broth, or gum since companies change their formulations/ingredients all the time – you’ll just have to check each label individually. However, we do carry chewing gum in the LTYG shoppe which is compatible with an elemental diet.

I know an elemental diet can feel extremely restrictive, so I hope these suggestions help! LOTS more details on this in Jini’s IBD Remission Diet book and eBook.