Honey and Research

When it comes to medical sciences, most people aren’t going to think about honey being researched. Honey is typically just associated with being a type of food, but it actually has quite a few different medical uses as well. Some of these alternative uses are already well known. For example, a common old wives tale that has been proven true says that it can help to soothe a sore or swollen throat. While it might seem outdated, it can also be used a makeshift antibiotic. Simply place a smear of honey onto a cut for about thirty minutes and it will clean out the wound. This can do in a pinch if for whatever reason no other type of antibacterial is available.
Honey is filled with different vitamins, which research shows is great for anyone on a diet. Many diets recommend changing out sugar for honey. While it is technically a little higher in calories then sugar, research shows that our bodies break it down much slower. This means that unlike with sugar, it doesn’t just provide a small energy boost and then get stored as fat, but instead provides energy throughout the day.
Many scientists are still interested in finding additional uses. While there haven’t actually been any scientific tests conducted yet, there are many theories that honey can help to combat seasonal allergies. The most popular theory is that it contains very trace amounts of pollen that can agitate seasonal allergies, meaning it can act as a natural vaccine because it slowly introduces these trace amounts of pollen into the system. This lets the body develop a natural immunity.
Recently, there have been tests about the effectiveness of using honey to help hamper the growth of food borne pathogens, namely things like salmonella and E.coli. Once again though, this is something that is still being tested and hasn’t officially been confirmed or denied.