Does honey benefit skin ulcers?

    Last Updated: October 23, 2024

    Three meta-analyses of honey for diabetic foot ulcers from 2019–2023 reported improvements to healing time and rate, pain, and/or length of hospital stay, compared to the usual care.[1][2][3]

    A 2016 Cochrane review reported very-low-certainty evidence (only 1 study) that honey was as effective as an antiseptic plus an antibiotic for improving pressure ulcers (bed sores).[4]

    References

    1. ^Yildiz Karadeniz E, Kaplan Serin EUse of honey in diabetic foot ulcer: Systematic review and meta-analysis.J Tissue Viability.(2023 May)
    2. ^Li S, Xiao T, Ye N, Yang G, Chen H, Liang X, Li T, Wang J, Peng Y, Li Y, Liu YEffect of honey dressing in the management of diabetic foot ulcers: A meta-analysis.Int Wound J.(2023 Sep)
    3. ^Wang C, Guo M, Zhang N, Wang GEffectiveness of honey dressing in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Complement Ther Clin Pract.(2019 Feb)
    4. ^Norman G, Dumville JC, Moore ZE, Tanner J, Christie J, Goto SAntibiotics and antiseptics for pressure ulcers.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.(2016 Apr 4)