Diet and nutritionHoney — sweet medicine or just sugar?
Sources: 9 · Article: 17 623 characters
Michał Tombak presents honey not as sugar alone, but as a product with many components that he says has medicinal effects.
- Henryk Różański describes its traditional uses, including for coughs, sore throats and wounds that are slow to heal.
- Henryk Różański adds that in the past, official medicine often used honey as an ingredient to give medicines a pleasant taste and smell.
- Michał Tombak claims that honey and sugar have different effects on health, and that honey intake should be limited.
- Michał Tombak links honey’s medicinal value to its quality, while Henryk Różański warns that some honeys can cause poisoning.
What the authors write
Michał Tombak
Michał Tombak believes that honey heals while sugar is harmful, and gives the daily amount of honey he recommends for a healthy adult.
„I think that we can already draw a conclusion from what I have written above: honey heals, while sugar is harmful. Honey is a powerful biostimulant that has been used as a medicinal and dietary product for many thousands of years. Like any medicine, it must not be consumed in large amounts; this also applies to eating honey as food. The recommended amount of honey may vary depending on the illness. There are various, often conflicting, opinions on honey dosage. I believe that the dose for a healthy adult is 50 to 100 g per day.”Myślę, że z tego, co wyżej napisałem, można już wysnuć wniosek: miód leczy, a cukier szkodzi. Miód to mocny biostymulator, który od wielu tysięcy lat był stosowany jako środek leczniczy i dietetyczny. Jak każde lekarstwo nie może być spożywany w dużych ilościach, również dotyczy to konsumpcji miodu jako pokarmu. W zależności od choroby wskazana ilość miodu może być różna. O dawkowaniu miodu można spotkać różne opinie, często sprzeczne. Ja natomiast uważam, że dawka dla zdrowej dorosłej osoby wynosi od 50 do 100 g na dobę.
Michał Tombak
Michał Tombak attributes antiseptic, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects to honey.
„According to modern scientific research, honey can be used to treat diseases of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and nervous systems, and even diabetes and cancer. Because honey contains many kinds of antioxidants and health-promoting ingredients, it has antiseptic, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects (links to studies at the end of the article).”Według współczesnych badań naukowych miód może być stosowany w: leczeniu chorób układu oddechowego, zespołu żołądkowo-jelitowego, układu sercowo-naczyniowego, nerwowego, a nawet w leczeniu cukrzycy i raka. Ze względu na występowanie w miodzie wielu rodzajów przeciwutleniaczy i składników prozdrowotnych miód ma działanie: antyseptyczne, przeciwpasożytnicze, przeciwzapalne i przeciwnowotworowe (linki do badań na końcu artykułu).
Michał Tombak
Michał Tombak says that honey was once used for many ailments and that modern research has confirmed its health benefits.
„A large number of modern scientific studies have confirmed honey’s health benefits—which, in fact, have been known for centuries.
According to modern scientific research, honey can be used to treat diseases of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and nervous systems, and even diabetes and cancer.”Powstała duża liczba współczesnych badań naukowych, które potwierdziły właściwości zdrowotne miodu – choć tak naprawdę znane były one od wieków.
Według współczesnych badań naukowych miód może być stosowany w: leczeniu chorób układu oddechowego, zespołu żołądkowo-jelitowego, układu sercowo-naczyniowego, nerwowego, a nawet w leczeniu cukrzycy i raka.
Michał Tombak
Michał Tombak claims that the sugars in honey occur together with other substances, and describes the way glucose and fructose are processed after honey is eaten differently.
„Carbohydrates, commonly called sugars, never occur in nature in isolated form, that is, on their own. The chemical composition of honey shows the wealth of substances that accompany its carbohydrates. This means that honey does not need any additional substances from the human body to be digested, and all its beneficial substances are 100 percent absorbed.”Węglowodany, potocznie zwane cukrami, nigdy nie występują w naturze w postaci izolatów, czyli osobno. Po składzie chemicznym miodu widać, jakie bogactwo substancji towarzyszących węglowodanom on zawiera. To powoduje, że miód nie potrzebuje żadnych dodatkowych substancji od organizmu człowieka, aby został strawiony, a przy tym wszystkie pożyteczne substancje miodu są w 100 proc. przyswajalne.
Michał Tombak
Michał Tombak claims that people with diabetes can eat honey if it is good quality and contains no sugar syrups.
„These properties of honey had been known for 30 years, when there were a huge number of scientific studies on treating diabetes with large doses of honey—from 200 to 400 g per day. So people with diabetes can eat honey, but only if it is good quality, meaning that it contains no additives in the form of various sugar syrups.”Te właściwości miodu były znane od 30 lat, kiedy istniała olbrzymia liczba badań naukowych dotyczących leczenia cukrzycy sporymi dawkami miodu – od 200 do 400 g na dobę – więc chorzy na cukrzycę mogą jeść miód, ale pod warunkiem, że jest dobrej jakości, czyli nie zawiera domieszek w postaci różnych syropów cukrowych.
Henryk Różański
Henryk Różański describes honey as a traditional ingredient in medicines that gave them a pleasant taste and smell. He also mentions its use during recovery and in expectorant syrups.
„In traditional official medicine, honeys were treated as additional ingredients that gave medicines a pleasant taste and smell. Their nutritional properties were also noted, so they were used during recovery. Honeys also enhance the effects of some expectorants, such as guaiacol and saponins, so they were quite often included in compound syrups.”Miody w dawnej medycynie oficjalnej były traktowane jako składniki dodatkowe, nadające smak i zapach lekom. Wymieniano również właściwości odżywcze miodów, dlatego stosowano je w rekonwalescencji. Miody wzmagają również działanie niektórych środków wykrztuśnych, np. gwajakolu, saponin, dlatego dość często wchodziły w skład syropów złożonych.
Henryk Różański
Henryk Różański lists traditional honey preparations used for conditions including coughs and sore throats.
„Comfrey honey (Mel Symphyti = Mel Consolidae) contained a water-ethanol extract of comfrey root and liquorice root, sucrose and purified honey. It was used for coughs and inflammation of the larynx, bronchi and throat.
Rose-and-borax honey—Mel rosat. cum Borace = Mel Boracinum—was made from rose honey and a borax solution. It was used to treat mouth ulcers, sore throats and coughs. It was used in medicine in the 19th century, then withdrawn because of the risk of poisoning children.”Miód żywokostowy (Mel Symphyti = Mel Consolidae) zawierał wyciąg wodno-etanolowy z korzenia żywokostu, korzenia lukrecji, sacharozę i miód oczyszczony. Stosowany był przy kaszlu, nieżycie krtani, oskrzeli i gardła.
Miód różano-boraksowy – Mel rosat. cum Borace = Mel Boracinum – sporządzany był z miodu różanego i roztworu boraksu; stosowany w leczeniu aft, zapalenia gardła i kaszlu; wykorzystywany w medycynie w XIX wieku, potem wycofany z uwagi na niebezpieczeństwo zatrucia dzieci.
Henryk Różański
Henryk Różański says that rose-and-borax honey was used for mouth ulcers, sore throats and coughs, but was withdrawn because of the risk of poisoning children.
„Rose-and-borax honey—Mel rosat. cum Borace = Mel Boracinum—was made from rose honey and a borax solution. It was used to treat mouth ulcers, sore throats and coughs. It was used in medicine in the 19th century, then withdrawn because of the risk of poisoning children.”Miód różano-boraksowy – Mel rosat. cum Borace = Mel Boracinum – sporządzany był z miodu różanego i roztworu boraksu; stosowany w leczeniu aft, zapalenia gardła i kaszlu; wykorzystywany w medycynie w XIX wieku, potem wycofany z uwagi na niebezpieczeństwo zatrucia dzieci.
Henryk Różański
Henryk Różański describes using honey in water to regulate bowel movements and applying it to wounds that are slow to heal.
„In traditional medicine, honey was also used as a simple way to regulate bowel movements: one glass of cold boiled water with 3–4 tablespoons of natural honey, drunk in the morning on an empty stomach. Official medicine rarely recommended honey for treating wounds that were slow to heal. Folk medicine used it on a wider scale, with very good results.”Miody miały także zastosowanie w dawnej medycynie jako proste środki regulujące wypróżnienia (woda przegotowana zimna – 1 szklanka, z 3-4 łyżkami miodu naturalnego, wypita na czczo), rano. Rzadko natomiast zalecano w medycynie oficjalnej miód do leczenia trudno gojących się ran. Na szerszą skalę wykorzystywała to medycyna ludowa z bardzo dobrymi rezultatami.
Henryk Różański
Henryk Różański says that natural honey that has not been overheated crystallizes, while heated purified honey loses components and has little medicinal value.
„Natural honey that has not been overheated crystallizes (sets). Purified, heated honeys do not set and have little medicinal value. They lose valuable phytoncides, vitamins, enzymes and other biostimulants. Natural honey in water is cloudy and slightly acidic.”Naturalny miód (który nie został przegrzany) ulega krystalizacji (krzepnięciu). Miody oczyszczone, podgrzewane nie krzepną i są mało wartościowe leczniczo. Tracą cenne fitoncydy, witaminy, enzymy i inne biostymulatory. Naturalny miód w roztworze wodnym jest mętny, ma odczyn słabo kwaśny.
Michał Tombak
Michał Tombak recommends checking honey quality because he values its nutritional and medicinal properties.
„This does not mean that low-quality honey has no value at all. But we want honey to have medicinal properties as well as nutritional ones. There are many ways to adulterate honey, but there are also methods that make it possible to check the quality of honey—and the honesty of its producers and sellers—without special tests.”Nie oznacza to, że miód niskiej jakości nie ma żadnych wartości, ale nam przecież zależy, aby miód, oprócz właściwości odżywczych, miał również właściwości lecznicze. Sposobów falsyfikacji miodu jest mnóstwo, ale istnieją też metody, które pozwalają bez specjalnych badań sprawdzić jakość miodu i jednocześnie uczciwość producentów oraz sprzedających.
Henryk Różański
Henryk Różański warns that honey made from the nectar of some plants can cause nausea, vomiting and paralysis if consumed in excess.
„“Mad honey” causes nausea, vomiting and even paralysis in different parts of the body if consumed in excess (the limbs, face, and less often the chest—leading to suffocation due to paralysis of the respiratory muscles). The literature describes the poisonous and medicinal properties of Pontic honey (German...”“Szalony miód” powoduje przy nadmiernym spożyciu nudności, wymioty, a nawet porażenia w różnych częściach ciała (kończyny, twarz, rzadziej klatka piersiowa –> uduszenie z powodu porażenia mięśni oddechowych). W literaturze opisano właściwości trujące i lecznicze miodu pontyjskiego (niem.
Michał Tombak
Michał Tombak says that honey has long been used in folk medicine in many recipes.
„Folk medicine has many recipes that use honey. I will give some simple recipes based on honey’s medicinal properties.”W medycynie ludowej jest duża liczba przepisów wykorzystujących miód. Podam proste recepty bazujące na leczniczych właściwościach miodu.
Michał Tombak
Michał Tombak gives an old example of Hippocrates using honey to treat many illnesses.
„Hippocrates, the brilliant physician and thinker of antiquity, lived to the age of 90 and successfully used honey to treat many illnesses, as well as eating it himself. When Julius Caesar was dining at the home of Senator Paulius Rumilius, who was celebrating his hundredth birthday, he asked the guest of honour what he used to keep his body and mind strong. The answer was: “Honey inside, olive oil outside.””Genialny lekarz i myśliciel starożytności Hipokrates żył 90 lat i z powodzeniem stosował miód w leczeniu wielu chorób, a także sam go spożywał. Kiedy Juliusz Cezar, będąc na obiedzie u senatora Pauliusa Rumiliusza, który obchodził stulecie urodzin, zapytał solenizanta, jakich środków używa dla zachowania siły ciała i ducha, otrzymał odpowiedź: „Wewnątrz miód, na zewnątrz olej z oliwek”.
Henryk Różański
Henryk Różański lists honey among the products included in one group of remedies, alongside lactose, compotes, milk and kefir.
„This group included honey, milk sugar (lactose), compotes, milk, kefir, mercurous chloride (Hydrargyrum chloratum mite, calomel, dose 500 mg–1 g), Fructus Cassiae (cassia fruit) in the form of a conserve, Fructus Tamarindorum—in the form of a conserve (tamarind fruit), potassium sulfate (Kalium sulfuricum, dose 2 g), potassium tartrate (Kalium tartaricum, dose 8 g), magnesium carbonate (Magnesium carbonicum, Magnesia carbonica, dose 0.5–1 g), effervescent magnesium citrate = fizzing magnesium citrate (Magnesia citrica effervescens, dose 15 g), burnt magnesia—Magnesia usta, or magnesium oxide (Magnesium oxydatum, dose 0.6–1 g), manna, or Manna calabrina (dried sap of the manna ash, rich in mannitol; dose 4–8 g), sodium phosphate (Natrium phosphoricum; dose 8–30 g), Glauber’s salt—Sal Glauberi (Natrium sulfuricum, sodium sulfate; dose 15 g), castor oil (Oleum Ricini; it is not a strong remedy at all, despite what many people think; dose 30 g), compound liquorice powder—Pulvis liquiritiae compositus, or (seu) Pulvis Pectoralis Kurellae, sometimes called chest powder (2 parts powdered liquorice root, 2 parts powdered senna leaves, 1 part ground fennel seeds, 1 part purified sulfur, 6 parts sugar; dose of this mixture 4 g 1–2 times a day as a mild laxative and expectorant for coughs), Seidlitz powder (Pulvis Seidlitzensis = Pulvis aerophorus laxans; a mixture of Tartarus natronatus—Natrio-kalium tartaricum (sodium potassium tartrate), 7.5 parts, and sodium bicarbonate, natrium bicarbonicum, 2.5 parts; mixed with water and tartaric acid and drunk as a fizzy beverage), purified (precipitated) sulfur, Sulfur praecipitatum (dose 1 g), and potassium tartrate with borax—Kalium tartaricum boraxatum (dose 2 g).”Do tej grupy zaliczano miód, cukier mleczny (laktoza), kompoty, mleko, kefir, chlorek rtęciawy (Hydrargyrum chloratum mite, kalomel, calomel, dawka 500 mg-1 g), Fructus Cassiae (owoc kasji) w formie powidełek, Fructus Tamarindorum – jako powidełka (owoce tamaryndowca), siarczan potasu (Kalium sulfuricum, dawka 2 g), winian potasu (Kalium tartaricum, dawka 8 g), węglan magnezu (Magnesium carbonicum, Magnesia carbonica, dawka 0,5-1 g), cytrynian magnezu musujący = cytrynian magnezowy burzący (Magnesia citrica effervescens, dawka 15 g), magnezja palona – Magnesia usta, czyli tlenek magnezu (Magnesium oxydatum, dawka 0,6-1 g), manna, czyli Manna calabrina (sok jesionu mannowego wysuszony, bogaty w mannitol; dawka 4-8 g), fosforan sodu (Natrium phosphoricum; dawka 8-30 g), sól glauberska – Sal Glauberi (Natrium sulfuricum, siarczan sodowy; dawka 15 g), olej rycynowy (Oleum Ricini; wcale nie należy do silnych środków, jak się wielu ludziom zdaje, dawka 30 g), proszek lukrecjowy złożony – Pulvis liquiritiae compositus, albo (seu) Pulvis Pectoralis Kurellae, czasem zwany proszkiem piersiowym (sproszkowany korzeń lukrecji 2 części, sproszkowane liście senesu 2 cz., zmielone nasiona kopru włoskiego 1 część, siarka oczyszczona 1 część, cukier 6 części; dawka tej mieszaniny 4 g 1-2 razy dziennie jako środek łagodnie przeczyszczający i wykrztuśny przy kaszlu), proszek Seidlitza (Pulvis Seidlitzensis = Pulvis aerophorus laxans (mieszanina Tartarus natronatus – Natrio-kalium tartaricum (winian sodowo potasowy) 7,5 części i wodorowęglanu sodu natrium bicarbonicum 2,5 części; wypija się po zmieszaniu z wodą i kwasem winowym jako musujący napój), siarka oczyszczona (strącona) Sulfur praecipitatum (dawka 1 g), winian potasu z boraksem – Kalium tartaricum boraxatum (dawka 2 g).
Research from PubMed · Europe PMC
We selected 5 studies with the best, positive results. This is a selection, not a full review of all research.
Total number of studies on this topic in PubMed: 366.
The review reports that topical honey helped clear infection quickly from severely infected skin wounds and improved tissue healing.
Aim of the study: Honey has been widely accepted as food and medicine by all generations, traditions, and civilizations, both ancient and modern. For at least 2700 years, honey has been used by humans to treat a variety of ailments through topical application, but only recently have the antiseptic and antimicrobial properties of honey been discovered.
Results: Honey has been reported to be effective in a number of human pathologies. Clinical studies have demonstrated that application of honey to severely infected cutaneous wounds rapidly clears infection from the wound and improves tissue healing. A large number of in vitro and limited clinical studies have confirmed the broad-spectrum antimicrobial (antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antimycobacterial) properties of honey, which may be attributed to the acidity (low pH), osmotic effect, high sugar concentration, presence of bacteriostatic and bactericidal factors (hydrogen peroxide, antioxidants, lysozyme, polyphenols, phenolic acids, flavonoids, methylglyoxal, and bee peptides), and increase in cytokine release, and to immune modulating and anti-inflammatory properties of honey; the antimicrobial action involves several mechanisms.
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?not stated
Did a manufacturer help with the study?unknown
Type of studydiscussion of other studies
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
The review describes studies in which honey lowered blood glucose levels or was better tolerated than many common sugars and sweeteners, although clinical evidence is limited.
Aim of the study: Diabetes mellitus remains a burden worldwide in spite of the availability of numerous antidiabetic drugs. Honey is a natural substance produced by bees from nectar.
Results: The paper also highlights the potential impacts and future perspectives on the use of honey as an antidiabetic agent. It makes recommendations for further clinical studies on the potential antidiabetic effect of honey. This review provides insight on the potential use of honey, especially as a complementary agent, in the management of diabetes mellitus. Hence, it is very important to have well-designed, randomized controlled clinical trials that investigate the reproducibility (or otherwise) of these experimental data in diabetic human subjects.
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?no — the authors say so
Did a manufacturer help with the study?NO
Type of studydiscussion of other studies
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
The review describes clinical studies in which manuka honey was associated with lower bacterial counts, faster healing and greater comfort in surgical and chronic wounds.
Aim of the study: Chronic and postoperative wounds remain challenging to manage, with high risks of infection, delayed healing and increased costs. Manuka honey offers antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and tissue-regenerative properties through methylglyoxal, phenolic compounds, high sugar content and low pH.
Results: Operative uses include pre-grafting bed conditioning, adjunctive treatment for infected wounds and integration with negative pressure wound therapy. Emerging delivery approaches, such as bioengineered honey-collagen dressings and nanofibrous scaffolds, show promise for enhancing postoperative outcomes. To conclude, Manuka honey is a versatile and promising adjunct in modern wound care management. Standardised application protocols and robust, high-quality surgical trials are urgently needed to confirm its effective role in perioperative clinical practice.
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?no — the authors say so
Did a manufacturer help with the study?NO
Type of studydiscussion of other studies
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
The review cites studies suggesting that honey may improve insulin sensitivity and lipid levels, but its role in obesity control needs to be confirmed in further studies.
Aim of the study: Honey has a long history of therapeutic properties for multiple diseases, including inflammation and oxidative stress. This review aimed to provide a better understanding and renewed interest in the potential role of honey in obesity control, obesity-related diseases treatment and weight management, with specific reference to its components and the effect of honey overall.
Results: There is compelling evidence that honey possesses the desired properties for this purpose, as seen in the in vitro, in silico, in vivo and clinical analyses discussed in this review. This review also highlights the components potentially responsible for the health benefits of honey. Honey and its components reduce blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism by reducing triglycerides, and reduce total cholesterol and LDL levels while increasing HDL levels that prevent excessive weight gain and reduce the risk of obesity and its complications. Further controlled studies are necessary to validate the role of honey in the management of obesity, both as a preventive and as a therapeutic agent.
Money for the studyuniversity or foundation · For Women in Science (FWIS): Loreal-UNESCO Fellowship
Do the authors have ties to companies?not stated
Did a manufacturer help with the study?unknown
Type of studydiscussion of other studies
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
The review reports that medical-grade honeys have strong bactericidal effects in laboratory studies, including against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Aim of the study: Indeed, medicinal importance of honey has been documented in the world's oldest medical literatures, and since the ancient times, it has been known to possess antimicrobial property as well as wound-healing activity. The healing property of honey is due to the fact that it offers antibacterial activity, maintains a moist wound condition, and its high viscosity helps to provide a protective barrier to prevent infection.
Results: Its mechanism may be related to the low pH level of honey and its high sugar content (high osmolarity) that is enough to hinder the growth of microbes. The medical grade honeys have potent in vitro bactericidal activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing several life-threatening infections to humans. But, there is a large variation in the antimicrobial activity of some natural honeys, which is due to spatial and temporal variation in sources of nectar. Thus, identification and characterization of the active principle(s) may provide valuable information on the quality and possible therapeutic potential of honeys (against several health disorders of humans), and hence we discussed the medicinal property of honeys with emphasis on their antibacterial activities.
Money for the studynot stated
Do the authors have ties to companies?not stated
Did a manufacturer help with the study?unknown
Type of studydiscussion of other studies
“Not stated” does not mean nobody paid — the database does not always record it.
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