October 22, 2024, 7:58 am | Read time: 6 minutes
“Even 2,000 years of use are not free of deception!” said Charité doctor Dr. Rainer Stange at the “Health, Wellness & Honey Brunch,” consigning a widespread tradition for alleviating cold symptoms to the realm of fairy tales: grandma’s hot milk with honey. The numerous guests at the FITBOOK and STYLEBOOK event were also able to learn a lot about the yellow gold and its health benefits and areas of application. The centerpiece was an exchange between Rainer Stange, an expert in naturopathy, and dermatologist Dr. Christian Drerup.
The “Health, Wellness & Honey Brunch” organized by FITBOOK and STYLEBOOK provided interesting insights last Wednesday: Honey is generally regarded as a natural sweetener – but can it also heal? Dr. Rainer Stange, an expert in naturopathy and complementary medicine at Immanuel Hospital Berlin, and dermatologist Dr. Christian Drerup discussed this question in front of 80 guests. What is known about the medical potential of honey from relevant studies – and what is not? In addition to professional assessments, there was also an insight into the competition in medical research. According to the experts, there is still plenty of golden knowledge about the health benefits of honey – if only more money were available to unearth this treasure.
Forget grandma’s hot milk with honey for colds
Dr. Rainer Stange was Chief Physician from 2003 to 2009 and Head Physician of the Department of Naturopathy at Immanuel Hospital Berlin-Wannsee and Charité from 2009 to 2016. For a long time, he treated chronic pain, cardiovascular diseases, metabolism, rheumatic and oncological diseases, exhaustion, and depression. The seasoned expert in naturopathy quickly dismissed the tale of hot milk with honey at the beginning of the discussion. The beneficial components in honey are compromised when heated, Stange informed presenter Laura Papendick (RTL), who inquired due to personal interest. However, honey – and especially manuka honey, which is considered particularly healthy due to its high methylglyoxal content – makes perfect sense as a preventative measure. “The two primary applications are for preventing infections and treating wounds,” Stange clarifies (more on wound treatment to follow). For a preventative defense against infection, Stange advises consuming around ten grams of honey a day from the second half of November. To give you an idea of the quantity, this is equivalent to a deep soup spoon. This practice is not recommended for children to prevent early habituation to overly sweet foods.
“If you start researching honey, you will find a lot of exciting things!
Stange also believes that honey could have an effect against psoriasis and neurodermatitis. Multi-talented honey – but why only conceivable? “If you start a research initiative, you’ll find a lot of exciting things!” says Stange optimistically. In his view, the major problem with all natural remedies is that there is too little public interest and, even more seriously for him as a researcher, too little money for studies on the effects of honey and other natural active ingredients. The big research funds in medicine are made available by the pharmaceutical companies. “Their focus is on developing single-compound drugs, which are more profitable than complex, multi-component mixtures like honey or olive oil,” Stange laments.
Sparse data on the health benefits of honey is a problem across all disciplines
Hamburg dermatologist Dr. Christian Drerup is also very cautious about the (proven) health benefits of honey. The topic has potential but is still relatively small in dermatology as a whole, he explains. He is occasionally asked about manuka honey in his practice. “However, if I want to make specific recommendations, I don’t have the evidence.” Consequently, the limited data on honey as a natural remedy presents a challenge across various medical fields, complicating the ability to provide specific recommendations for both naturopaths and dermatologists.
“Poorly healing wounds of diabetics can possibly be closed with honey”
There is one exception – and we come back to the aforementioned effect of honey on wounds. Both experts at the “Wellness, Health, and Honey Brunch” confirmed that there is data on this. “Honey has great potential in wound therapy,” explains Drerup. Wound dressings containing honey that has been purified in a certain way are already being used successfully for chronic wounds,” says Drerup. (In other words, it is not honey from the supermarket.)
Why is this relevant? In an aging population, honey wound dressings could become increasingly important as a relevant means of caring for the elderly. This is because the body’s natural healing process becomes slower and less efficient with increasing age. Factors contributing to this include reduced skin elasticity, circulatory disorders, and diabetes. These factors mean that wounds in older people are often more complicated, take longer to heal, and have a higher risk of complications such as infection or chronic wounds. This issue is frequently encountered and is of significant concern among diabetic patients. “Poorly healing wounds of diabetics can possibly be closed with honey,” says Stange.
Psoriasis, neurodermatitis – honey is worth a try
What about other wounds or other redness of the skin, for example, caused by psoriasis or neurodermatitis: should you perhaps try honey? Both Stange and Drerup are optimistic that it can alleviate symptoms – but only on “small areas” – after all, you can’t apply honey to large areas. “Each application could be beneficial,” Drerup encourages individuals to experiment with honey. However, once or twice a day should be enough for a visible effect.
What is it in honey that heals wounds?
Which active ingredient in honey can actually heal wounds? The methylglyoxal content (MGO value)? The enzymes? The hydrogen peroxide it contains? “I think this is an open question. We don’t know exactly,” says Stange, shrugging his shoulders helplessly. In his view, there is also a lack of serious research interest here. What does he suspect? Stange brings sugar, the main component of all honey, into play: “It is possible that glucose provides nutrients for the local cells.” Cells are known to use glucose (sugar) as an important source of energy. Thus, it’s plausible that honey accelerates wound healing by facilitating new tissue growth through glucose’s nourishing properties.
Speaking of sugar in honey, isn’t it actually a problem for us? “Honey is problematic for people who generally consume a lot of readily available carbohydrates,” says Stange. Those affected should try to get away from this high consumption. Others may consider incorporating honey into their diet.
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“How about a honey conference?”
At the “Health, Wellness & Honey Brunch” organized by FITBOOK and STYLEBOOK, it became clear that honey is a fascinating natural product with many amazing properties – as well as a wealth of untapped knowledge. Knowledge without which honey, for example, has no chance of being included in the general, standard medical care to which every insured person is entitled. What do doctors want for the future? “Knowledge and consensus in knowledge creation,” suggests Stange. “How about a honey conference?”