Honey as medicine: historical perspectives

Abstract

The use of honey as an internal and external health agent is much older than the history of medicine itself. The earliest recorded medical prescription including honey is from Sumer. Honey was used as a remedy against a variety of illnesses in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. There are frequent references to honey in sacred texts. Honey has a long tradition, not only in Western medicine but also in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. Honey was not commonly used by medical practitioners after the fall of the Roman Empire. In medieval times honey was not a popular subject of medical texts and very little was written on its use in that period. In the nineteenth century honey was neglected due to the development of modern synthetic medicine. Its comeback has, however, been observable as early as the beginnings of the twentieth century, and honey has been used again as a remedy for a variety of health problems and an excellent wound healer.