Honey is a natural product that has been widely used for its therapeutic effects. It has been reported to contain about 200 substances. Honey is composed primarily of fructose and glucose but also contains oligosaccharides (1) and many amino acids, vitamins, minerals and enzymes (2). The composition of honey varies depending on the plants on which the bee feeds. However, almost all natural honey contains flavonoids, phenol acids. Millard's reaction products and peptides. Most of those compound works together to provide a synergistic antioxidant effect (3-7).
Honey has had a valued place in traditional medicine for centuries (8, 9). However, it has a limited use in modern medicine due to lack of scientific support (10). For a long time, it has been observed that honey can be used to overcome liver, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems (11). Ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans employed honey for wounds and diseases of the intestine (12). Since a few decades ago, honey was subjected to laboratory and clinical investigations by several research groups. The most remarkable discovery, Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences. Mashhad University of Medical Sciences
Traditional and Modern Uses of Natural Honey in Human Diseases:
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Abstract
Honey is a by-product of flower nectar and the upper aero digestive tract of the honey bee, which is concentrated on a dehydration process inside the bee hive. Honey has a very complex chemical composition that varies depending on the botanical source. It has been used both as food and medicine since ancient times. Human use of honey is traced to some 8000 years ago as depicted by Stone Age paintings. In addition to important role of natural honey in the traditional medicine, during the past few decades, it was subjected to laboratory and clinical investigations by several research groups and, it has found a place in modern medicine. Honey has been reported to have an inhibitory effect on around 60 species of bacteria, some species of fungi and viruses. Antioxidant capacity of honey is important in many disease conditions and is due to a wide range of compounds including phenolic, peptides, organic acids, enzymes, and Millard reaction products. Honey has also been used in some gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, inflammatory and neoplastic states. This review covers the composition, physio chemical properties and the most important uses of natural honey in human diseases.
Keywords : Honey, Human Diseases, Traditional Medicine, Modern Medicine
Introduction
Honey is a natural product that has been widely used for its therapeutic effects. It has been reported to contain about 200 substances. Honey is composed primarily of fructose and glucose but also contains oligosaccharides (1) and many amino acids, vitamins, minerals and enzymes (2). The composition of honey varies depending on the plants on which the bee feeds. Millard's reaction products and peptides. Most of those compound works together to provide a synergistic antioxidant effect (3-7).
Honey has had a valued place in traditional medicine for centuries (8, 9). However, it has a limited use in modern medicine due to lack of scientific support (10). For a long time, it has been observed that honey can be used to overcome liver, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems (11). Ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans employed honey for wounds and diseases of the intestine (12). Since a few decades ago, honey was subjected to laboratory and clinical investigations by several research groups. The most remarkable discovery, was antibacterial activity of honey that has been mentioned in numerous studies (13, 14). Natural honey exhibits bactericidal activity against many organisms including Salmonella, Escherichia (3, 15), Helicobacter pylori (9), etc. In an inflammatory model of colitis, honey was as effective as treatment. Research has also indicated that honey may possess anti-inflammatory activity and stimulate immune responses within a wound (17, 18). A scientist (2003) demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects of honey in human after ingestion of honey (19). Honey, interestingly, has been shown to prevent reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced low density (LDL) oxidation in some in vitro studies, thus exhibiting beneficial cardiovascular protection (20, 21). Honey also had Antonio plastic activity in an experimental bladder cancer (22). This article has reviewed important traditional and modern uses of natural honey in human diseases.
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