Honey is what happens when 60,000 bees fly roughly 55,000 miles and visit 2 million flowers - all to produce about 450 grams of the stuff. That’s a lot of work for something we casually drizzle on toast.

But honey isn’t just a sweetener. It’s been used medicinally for thousands of years, and modern research suggests those ancient practitioners were onto something. The catch? Most of what you’ll read online about honey’s “miracle” properties is either overstated or poorly sourced. Here’s what the actual evidence says.

What is honey, exactly?

Honey is the product of bees collecting plant nectar, mixing it with enzymes from their bodies, then storing and concentrating it in honeycomb cells. The result is roughly 80% carbohydrates (mostly fructose and glucose), 17-19% water, and a cocktail of other compounds including organic acids, proteins, amino acids, minerals, polyphenols, vitamins, and enzymes.

There are around 300 different types of honey worldwide, depending on which flowers the bees visited. Common varieties include acacia, manuka, buckwheat, clover, and wildflower honey. The composition varies considerably between types - buckwheat honey, for instance, contains significantly more antioxidants than lighter varieties 1.

What are the research-backed benefits of honey?

I should be upfront: honey research has some limitations. Many studies are small, some use specific types like manuka or Tualang honey that might not apply to the jar in your cupboard, and the quality varies. That said, certain benefits have reasonably solid evidence behind them.

1. Honey can help with coughs (particularly in children)

This is probably honey’s best-supported use. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 14 randomised controlled trials found that honey improved cough frequency and severity in people with upper respiratory infections, and performed better than “usual care” or no treatment 2.

The NHS actually recommends honey as a first-line treatment for acute coughs in children over 1 year old, before trying over-the-counter cough medicines 3. That’s a fairly strong endorsement from a national health service.

A word of caution though: honey should never be given to infants under 12 months due to botulism risk (more on that below).

2. Honey may help wound healing

Medical-grade honey dressings have become a genuine treatment option for certain wounds. The evidence is strongest for burns and diabetic foot ulcers.

For burns, a meta-analysis of 10 studies involving 717 patients with first- and second-degree burns found honey dressings were more effective at sterilising wounds and promoting healing than silver sulfadiazine, the conventional burn cream 4.

For diabetic foot ulcers, another meta-analysis (7 randomised trials, 756 patients) found honey dressings shortened healing time and improved bacterial clearance rates 5. If you’re dealing with diabetes-related complications, including conditions like diabetic bladder dysfunction, blood sugar management remains the foundation of treatment - but honey dressings may help with wound care specifically.

The mechanism appears to involve honey’s antibacterial properties (it creates an acidic, hypertonic environment hostile to bacteria) combined with compounds that may promote tissue repair.

Oral mucositis - painful inflammation and ulceration of the mouth lining - is a common side effect of cancer treatment. It affects eating, drinking, and quality of life.

A meta-analysis of 19 randomised controlled trials (1,276 patients) found honey significantly reduced the severity of mucositis during both prevention and treatment phases of radiochemotherapy 6. Patients using honey had lower pain scores and shorter hospital stays.

This is one area where honey’s traditional use aligns well with modern evidence.

4. Honey may improve pressure ulcer healing

For hospitalised patients with pressure injuries (bedsores), one trial in 99 critically ill children found medicated honey dressings shortened wound healing time compared to standard care, with no allergic reactions or secondary infections reported 7.

The evidence here is more limited than for burns, but it’s promising enough that some hospitals now stock medical-grade honey products.

5. Honey might help with allergic rhinitis symptoms

There’s a popular belief that eating local honey can help with hay fever by exposing you to local pollen. The actual evidence for this is weak - honey contains minimal pollen, and what’s there may not match the airborne pollens causing your symptoms.

However, one small study (40 patients, 4 weeks) found that honey combined with standard antihistamine treatment improved overall allergy symptoms more than antihistamines alone 8. The honey dose was substantial though - 1 gram per kilogram of body weight daily. For a 70kg person, that’s 70 grams of honey per day, which brings considerable sugar intake.

If you’re interested in natural approaches to allergies, you might also want to read about health foods that may benefit allergic conditions.

6. Honey may reduce post-tonsillectomy pain

A meta-analysis of 8 randomised studies found that oral honey reduced postoperative pain, analgesic use, and night awakening in children after tonsillectomy 9. The study quality was mixed, but the effect was consistent enough to be worth noting.

7. Honey might support memory function

One small study in 102 menopausal women found that 20 grams of honey daily for 16 weeks improved short-term memory scores compared to hormone replacement therapy 10. Animal studies suggest this may involve reducing oxidative stress and increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) 11.

I wouldn’t make too much of this yet - the human evidence is thin, and memory is notoriously difficult to study.

8. Honey contains cardiovascular-relevant compounds

Honey is rich in polyphenols and other antioxidants including quercetin, caffeic acid, kaempferol, and vitamin C 12. These compounds have antithrombotic, anti-ischaemic, and vasodilatory effects in laboratory studies.

However, and this is important: no long-term human studies have demonstrated that eating honey prevents cardiovascular disease. The sugar content is also a consideration - honey is still roughly 80% sugar.

For those interested in heart health supplements with stronger evidence, fish oil has more robust clinical data, though it’s not without controversy either.

9. Honey may modestly improve blood lipids

One controlled study of 55 overweight participants found that consuming 70 grams of honey daily for 30 days (compared to sucrose) resulted in modest improvements: total cholesterol dropped 3%, LDL cholesterol dropped 5.8%, and triglycerides dropped 11% 13.

These aren’t dramatic numbers, and 70 grams of honey daily adds about 250 calories of sugar. I’m not convinced this is a practical intervention for most people, but it does suggest honey may be a better choice than table sugar if you’re going to use a sweetener anyway.

10. Honey has antibacterial properties

Honey’s antimicrobial activity comes from multiple mechanisms: its high sugar content draws water out of bacterial cells, its low pH (3.2-4.5) inhibits many pathogens, and the enzyme glucose oxidase produces small amounts of hydrogen peroxide 14.

Manuka honey from New Zealand contains additional compounds (particularly methylglyoxal) that give it stronger antibacterial effects. However, the antibacterial properties that work well in wound dressings don’t necessarily translate to benefits when you eat honey - your digestive system is a rather different environment.

What are the side effects of honey?

For most adults, honey consumed in moderate amounts is safe and well-tolerated. The main concerns are:

Allergic reactions: People allergic to pollen, bee stings, or other bee products (like propolis or royal jelly) may react to honey. Symptoms can include tingling, skin reactions, shortness of breath, and in rare cases, anaphylaxis.

Blood sugar effects: Despite being “natural,” honey is mostly sugar. It will raise blood glucose levels, which matters for diabetics.

Calorie content: Honey contains about 64 calories per tablespoon. It’s not a weight-loss food.

Contraindications and warnings

1. Infants under 12 months must not be given honey. Honey can contain Clostridium botulinum spores. Adults handle these fine, but infant digestive systems can’t prevent the bacteria from growing and producing toxin. Infant botulism is rare but serious.

2. Diabetics should treat honey like any other sugar. It will affect your blood glucose. Some studies suggest honey has a lower glycaemic response than table sugar, but the difference isn’t large enough to make it “safe” for uncontrolled diabetes.

3. People on anticoagulants should be cautious. Honey may have mild blood-thinning effects. If you take warfarin or similar medications, discuss honey consumption with your doctor, especially if you’re eating large amounts.

4. Avoid “mad honey” and honey of unknown origin. Honey made from rhododendron nectar (sometimes called “mad honey”) contains grayanotoxins that can cause serious poisoning - symptoms include dizziness, dangerous heart rhythm changes, low blood pressure, and vomiting 15. This is primarily an issue with honey from certain regions (Turkey, Nepal) and isn’t a concern with commercially sold honey in most countries.

Practical takeaways

Honey is not a miracle cure, but it’s not just empty calories either. The evidence is strongest for:

Treating coughs in children over 1 year
Wound care (using medical-grade honey products)
Reducing chemotherapy-related mouth ulcers

For other claimed benefits - cardiovascular protection, memory enhancement, blood lipid improvements - the evidence is interesting but not strong enough to recommend honey specifically for these purposes. Antioxidant-rich foods in general (including honey) may contribute to health, but the sugar content means honey shouldn’t be consumed in large quantities.

If you’re choosing between sweeteners, honey is probably marginally better than refined sugar. But the healthiest approach remains limiting added sugars overall.