For thousands of years, medicinal uses of honey have been reported. Honey traditionally has been used to treat all sorts of ailments, but what does research and clinical trials actually say about the use of honey? The results may surprise you, what has been documented on the uses of honey.
Uses of Honey
Antibacterial
First off, the antibacterial activity of honey is fairly well documented with multiple studies looking at this aspect of honey. Honey has been shown to inhibit the growth of many types of bacteria including Salmonella, Shigella, and E.coli. The exact way that honey works as an antibacterial agent is not specifically known. Some contributing factors may include its acidic pH, low levels of hydrogen peroxide produced by honey, and a number of other antibacterial substances collectively called inhibine. Honey has also been found to have antifungal properties as well.
Gastroenteritis
One of the many uses of honey is to help with gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis is an infection of the stomach or intestines and often causes pain and diarrhea. E.coli and Salmonella are common culprits in causing gastroenteritis. In one clinical study a bland diet and 30 mL (approx. 2 Tbs.) of honey given three times a day was effective in resolving the problem in 66% of patients and gave relief to an additional 17%. A study of infantile gastroenteritis found that honey was beneficial in a group of patients 8 days to 11 years old. Honey was used to replace the glucose portion of the standard electrolyte-containing rehydration solution recommended by the World Health Organization and the average recovery time was significantly reduced. Now there is some concern over giving honey to infants less than 1 year old because of the possibility of the infant getting botulism from spores that could possibly be within the honey. While infant botulism is rare, to be on the safe side I recommend not giving honey to infants less than 1 year old.
Gastric Ulcers
Gastric ulcers happen when the mucus lining the stomach thins and the gastric acid begins to break down the sides of the stomach. It is now known that most ulcers are actually caused by an infection from bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Honey has been shown to not only reduce the secretion of gastric acid but also to inhibit the growth of H. pylori. In a study of 600 gastric ulcer patients treated with eating honey there was an 80% recovery rate.
Wound Healing
The most incredible uses of honey have to do with wound healing. Honey had been used for thousands of years in dressing wounds. For example, directions for using honey were found in a papyrus record dating between 2600 and 2200 BC. Besides honey’s antibacterial properties, there are several other reasons it works well for wound healing. According to one review on the uses of honey, “honey is an effective treatment of wounds because it is non-irritating, non-toxic, self-sterile, bactericidal, nutritive, easily applied and more comfortable than other dressings.” In addition to keeping wounds clean and effectively removing many types of infection, honey was shown to help skin grafts be accepted more quickly and also to debride wounds effectively. Debridement basically means removing dead or damaged tissue, which allows the healthy tissue to come through and more quickly heal.
Conclusion
These are only some of the uses of honey. It amazes me that this natural substance which has been used for thousands of years is not more widely known for its healing properties. I believe that natural approaches to healing are the best choice. Chiropractic is another natural approach to health that recognizes and invigorates your body’s own healing potential without drugs or surgery. Contact our office if you would like to know more about how chiropractic can help you.
References
Jeffrey AE, Echazarreta CM. Medical uses of honey. Rev Biomed 1996; 7:43-49.
Zumla A, Lulat A. Honey-a remedy rediscovered. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Vol. 82, July 1989.
