Health Benefits and Uses of Honey in Medicine

Honey has been used to treat a broad spectrum of injuries, including chronic wounds and burns, since ancient times. It is a widely available folk remedy with pronounced antibacterial, antibiofilm, anti-inflammatory, and reepithelialization properties. Characterization of its wound-healing properties and description of mechanisms of action allow its use in clinical practice. Indeed, medical-grade honey and its related products are used in wound care to prove clinical efficacy and safety. To increase its further clinical use, it is necessary to elucidate the honey-mediated wound-healing process in detail. This chapter aims to characterize recent advancements in the in vitro antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and wound-healing properties of honey and in clinical testing of medical-grade honey. Although an increasing number of clinical trials using honey as a wound remedy have been conducted, there is inconclusive evidence that honey is superior to standard care and/or other wound care products. Nevertheless, honey was shown to speed up the healing process and is the ideal wound dressing, positively affecting the entire process of wound healing. However, further research and clinical testing are needed to determine the overall efficacy of honey in wound care management.