Honey for wound care: myth or science? Part 1: literature overview

Honey is one of the oldest medicines. Throughout history its use in wound management has been recorded in several cultures throughout the whole world. Up till now, in Western society nontraditional health care practices have been regarded with scepticism, viewing them at best as “useless, but not harmful”. The emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms and homophobia, has created a resurgence of interest in the therapeutic use of honey. Honey of several floral sources has been studied in vitro to elucidate the scientific basis for its effectiveness. Clinically, honey is particularly suitable for treating patients with large infected wounds. Honey has antibacterial properties, it enhances wound healing and there is minimal eschar formation when honey is used. In contrast to many conventional drugs, no important adverse effects have been reported.