Overview
Honey is a delicious liquid produced by honeybees from blooming plant nectar. Honey comes in around 320 distinct kinds, each with its own color, odor, and flavor.
Honey is mainly sugar, with some amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc, and antioxidants thrown in for good measure. Honey is utilized as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial agent in addition to being a natural sweetener. Honey is widely used topically to treat burns and improve wound healing as well as orally to cure coughs.
Evidence
Honey has been studied for a variety of ailments, including:
- Cardiovascular disease. Honey’s antioxidants may be linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
- Cough. Some patients with upper respiratory infections and severe nocturnal cough may benefit from eucalyptus honey, citrus honey, or labiatae honey, according to studies.
- Gastrointestinal illness is a condition that affects the digestive system. Honey appears to assist with gastrointestinal issues including diarrhea caused by gastroenteritis, according to research. Honey might potentially be used as part of an oral rehydration regimen.
- Disease of the nervous system. Honey has been shown in studies to have antidepressant, anticonvulsant, and anti-anxiety properties. Honey has been found in certain trials to aid in the prevention of memory problems.
- Wound treatment. Topical use of medical-grade honey has been found to aid wound healing, especially in the case of burns.
Because there are no defined procedures for making honey or certifying its quality, results may vary.
Our point of view
In general, it’s safe.
Honey is usually considered safe for adults and children over the age of one. It may be useful in the treatment of burns, coughing, and perhaps other ailments.
Side effects and safety
Honey is a natural sweetener, cough suppressant, and topical treatment for small sores and wounds that is likely safe to use.
Honey should not be given to newborns under the age of one year, even if it is just a smidgeon. Honey can induce baby botulism, an uncommon but dangerous gastrointestinal disease caused by Clostridium botulinum spores. In a baby’s intestines, bacteria from the spores can thrive and proliferate, generating a deadly poison.
Specific components of honey, notably bee pollen, might cause sensitivity or allergy in some people. Bee pollen allergies, while uncommon, can have significant and occasionally fatal consequences.
The following are signs and symptoms of a reaction:
- Asthma symptoms such as wheezing
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Perspiration that is excessive
- Fainting
- Heart beats that aren’t regular (arrhythmias)
- After topical treatment, there is stinging.
Honey has the potential to influence blood sugar levels.
Interactions
There is presently no evidence that honey interacts with other medications.
