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In 2600 BCE, an ancient Egyptian trauma manual recorded honey as a wound healing-agent for the first time. Today, this paper is conserved and known as the Edwin Smith Papyrus which contains endless amounts of knowledge concerning honey and its healing properties. As time advanced, research was made on this “grandma’s medicine” way to heal wounds, which, over the course of time, had gotten more and more widespread.
Healthline explains that honey is a very good wound healer for three main reasons. First, honey has an acidic pH of between 3.2 and 4.5, which is a fairly high number. Acidic pH works in a way where it encourages the blood to release oxygen, which is very important for wound healing. Furthermore, acidic pH reduces the presence of substances called proteases: these usually slow or impair the wound healing process. Honey’s chemical composition contains high amounts of sucrose and glucose, both of which are sugars. The sugar present in honey has an osmotic effect, meaning that it draws water out of damaged tissues. Less water means better healing as the flow of lymph is better, and as swelling decreases. Furthermore, sugar draws water out of bacterial cells, which stops their growth and prevents them from multiplying and spreading further in the wound.
Clinical trials have been led to compare honey and sugar, and one of these investigations showed that honey was more effective than plain sugar in reducing bacterial contamination, thus promoting wound healing. Additionally, in vitro research has been conducted, which has proved the bioactivity in honey. Bioactivity is an essential component of wound healing. Oftentimes, the honey produced from Manuka trees is said to have unique and very effective kinds of antibacterial activity, as they contain hydrogen peroxide which is not affected by the catalase enzyme activity found in wounds. This antibacterial activity is mostly due to methylglyoxal, “which forms by spontaneous conversion in ripened honey from its precursor substance dihydroxyacetone that is found in manuka nectar” (Wounds). For general honeys though, work in vitro has still proven that the immunostimulatory activity of honey on leukocytes causes the production of cytokines, which leads to the stimulation and growth of cells, helping blisters and burns heal faster.
Honey is mostly composed of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and organic acids. Chemically speaking, it contains glucose, sucrose, but also 80–85% carbohydrates, 15–17% water, 0.3% proteins, 0.2% ashes and minor quantities of amino-acids, phenols, pigments and vitamins (Bogdanov et al., 2008, Miguel et al., 2017). When the wound healing process begins, honey, as a viscous fluid, has a jelly consistency which creates a surface layer over the wound that inhibits the entrance of bacteria and protects the wound from dehydration. Afterwards, the processes mentioned above concerning pH and sugar come into action. Some of the best properties of honey which help it be a better accelerator for wound healing are flavonoids and aromatic acids, high hydrogen peroxide levels, its viscosity and its thick consistency, its lower water activity, high concentration of sugars and its elevated pH levels. Together, these make honey into one of the best wound healing agents that can be used. Medical Grade Honey reduces inflammation and stimulates fibroblast migration and collagen deposition that support regeneration and hasten healing of the injured area. In today’s world, the use of honey has been reintroduced and is widely spread with time.
It is important to pay attention to what type of honey is used as its activity can be bacteriostatic or bactericidal, depending on the kind of honey. In this investigation, Niaouli Honey is to be used, which can vary based on its state and the conditions it was prepared and harvested in. Research on Niaoulli honey’s properties are limited as it is often limited in its growth, and can only be found in some places, such as Madagascar. Occasional research has found that “Niaouli honey helps combat urinary infections, headaches, bronchitis, colds, rheumatism and restless sleep; it’s simply the perfect ally for your body. Its consumption during the change of seasons will definitely help due to its antiviral properties” (Larihoney). Niaouli honey is not researched by scientists but its component of Niaouli is found in many essential oils, which has led to multiple investigations.
Deep Green Permaculture explains that using cut plants can encourage the growth of new roots and the faster development of the plant itself for three main reasons. First, honey contains natural compounds which can act like rooting hormones, and which stimulate the growth of roots. These discoveries and studies continue to be fairly new, which means that these compounds have not yet been identified, but it is suspected that enzymes, sugars and vitamins may play a role in promoting root growth. Similarly, the antibacterial properties of honey can help prevent pathogens infecting the cutting by pathogens. This is part of why honey never spoils. Lastly, The properties of honey help improve moisture retention. Because honey is hygroscopic, and an absorber of moisture, it helps retain and keep moisture on the cut end of the cutting, which is important for the development of new roots. Oftentimes, honey is used as an organic substitute to rooting hormone powder as it is known to be antibacterial, anti-fungal, and a helper for plants to develop roots. Recent research has proven that it provides an energy source which, even after helping roots sprout, keeps them growing strong. To use this technique, tablespoons of honey are added to boiled water, which is then let to cool before being sprayed on the plants which are growing. Additionally to being antifungal and antibacterial, honey has some of the most important components to plant growth, which include phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. This makes it a liquid fertilizer. Furthermore, it can help save plants which are not doing too well and seem to be dying. Especially in cases of nutrient deficiency, honey is best to use on plants.
Overall, honey has very strong antibacterial properties, which makes it a very effective healer for blisters, burns and wounds. Its chemical composition allows it to speed up the wound healing and to slow down other bacterias’ spread. In recent years, it has been further used on plants and gardening to improve growth and development, as well as survival for nutrients.
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