Honey is a healthy alternative to sugar, it tastes delicious, it is a versatile ingredient in many cuisines and the favourite dish of a certain bear. However, we have almost forgotten about the use of honey in modern medicine.
In ancient times, honey was a valuable therapeutic remedy in Egypt and China. Famous physicians, like Hippocrates and Paracelsus used it to cure their patients. Yet, hardly any medical research has been carried out to prove its healing properties on a scientific basis.
Before the discovery of antibiotics, honey was used to treat wounds and burns. Now, since many bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, honey is having a renaissance in the world of conventional medicine.
It has significant antibacterial properties and aids the healing as well as the cleansing of wounds, so there are no unpleasant smells. Its anti-inflammatory properties can reduce pain, swellings and discharge. Research has shown that honey can reduce scarring, which appears to be due to its positive impact on the production of collagen.
In 2004, a study was carried out with 40 patients suffering from therapy-resistant leg-ulcerations. Previous conventional treatments hadn’t shown any improvements. After honey was applied on the wounds for 12 weeks, the size of the ulcerations as well as the unpleasant smells were reduced significantly, and the patients confirmed that their general well-being had improved.
Another report describes the successful treatment of a patient with a significantly suppressed immune system who suffered from a large wound on one of his legs. The wound was infested with MRSA. With the continuous application of honey, the wound healed completely.
The use of honey in radiotherapy ...
Radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of malignous tumours. In most cases, the side effects (e.g. inflammations) are serious when the radiotherapy is applied to mucous membranes. In order to find a less damaging approach, a very interesting study has been carried out on a total of 40 patients suffering with malignous head-throat tumours. They were separated into two groups. One group who volunteered for the research was given 20ml honey 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after as well as another 6 hours after the radiotherapy. The other group did not take any honey and was only monitored. Only 20% of the patients from the group taking honey suffered from serious inflammations of the mucous membranes, whereas 75% of the other group was affected. As a result, many patients from the second group (without honey) suffered from significant weight loss because they had difficulty eating, whereas the overall weight proved to be not significantly affected in the “Honey”-group. A different study came to the conclusion that the number of pathogenic (infective) germs in patients undergoing radiotherapy can be reduced significantly with the use of honey.
... and skin conditions
A mixture of honey, olive oil and bees wax (at a ratio 1:1:1) has been successfully tested in studies carried out on patients suffering from diverse skin conditions due to fungal infections, neurodermatitis (eczema) and psoriasis.
You see, the benefits of honey are manifold. In addition to its valuable properties when it comes to healing wounds and protecting mucous membranes, regular use of honey can lower “bad” cholesterol, protect the stomach from alcohol and the dreaded Helicobacter Pylori, and even can help to cure inflammatory intestinal diseases, such as colitis ulcerosa.
Of course, delicious honey is not a miracle cure and it cannot replace the conventional approach to serious illnesses by a doctor. However, enjoying good-quality honey as a valuable supplement to our daily diet and using it to heal nasty wounds might be worth giving a try.
Last but not least – some people are allergic to bees and honey. Also, pure honey should not be given to children under 12 months as there is the danger of “baby botulism”. Pure honey might contain traces of Chlostridium botulinum, a natural toxic bacterium which can be destroyed with heat. A baby’s intestinal flora is not strong enough to defend itself against this bacterium which can cause paralysis of the respiratory muscle system. Baby food and biscuits containing honey do not cause any risks as they have been heated adequately during the manufacturing process.
