Honey: food and medicine

Updated October 2026 · 8 min read

Honey in the Qur'an

The verses (16:68-69) describe the bee, which takes from flowers and produces a drink of different colours. They are among the best-known references to honey, and the word for "healing" (شفاء) has led many Muslims to value honey as a food and a remedy. A healing that "is for people" does not mean it cures every disease. Read it together with the Qur'an's call to moderation in eating (7:31).

What the classical physicians said

As usually reported from the classical sources, Ibn Sina and other physicians treated honey (العسل) as a nourishing food and a useful simple drug. Typical uses were as a sweetener and preservative, a vehicle for other medicines (including black seed), a soothing remedy for coughs and the chest, and an application for wounds and sores. They also warned against using too much, and noted that honey does not suit every temperament. The details above are from memory of the classical texts, so check them against a source before quoting them.

What is in honey

• About 80% sugars (mostly fructose and glucose) and about 17% water.
• Per tablespoon (21 g): roughly 60 to 65 kcal and 17 g of sugar. It has tiny amounts of minerals, enzymes and plant compounds, too small to count as a supplement.
• The colour and flavour depend on the flowers. Darker honeys usually have more plant compounds.

What research says

• Cough in children. A Cochrane review of six trials in 899 children found honey probably reduces cough frequency compared with no treatment or placebo (moderate-certainty evidence), and may work about as well as some cough medicines. It is for children over 1 year and for short use, up to about 3 days.
• Upper respiratory infections. A 2021 review of 14 studies found honey improved symptoms and cough more than usual care, and called for better placebo-controlled trials.
• Wounds. Medical-grade honey dressings are used in clinics for some wounds. This does not mean you should put kitchen honey on a wound.
• Blood sugar, weight and "detox". Honey is sugar. Claims that it treats diabetes or helps you lose weight are not supported.

How to use honey

• For a cough or sore throat: a teaspoon to a tablespoon in warm (not boiling) water, tea or lemon water. Do not give it to children under 1.
• With black seed: a traditional mix of ground seed and honey. See black seed.
• Before training: a tablespoon on bread or in yogurt is a quick source of carbohydrate, much like dates.
• In Ramadan: a spoonful with iftar or a small amount in suhoor yogurt is fine. Count it as sugar.

Buying honey

• Buy from a source you trust. Honey is often adulterated with syrups, and you cannot tell by taste or by simple home tests.
• Raw honey is not "safer" or stronger, and it is not suitable for young babies or people with weak immune systems.
• Store it in a closed jar at room temperature. Crystallised honey is normal. Warm the jar gently in water to make it liquid again.

Who should be careful

• Babies under 12 months: never give honey. The NHS warns of the risk of infant botulism.
• Diabetes or pre-diabetes: count honey as sugar and ask your doctor or dietitian.
• Weight control: it is easy to use a lot, so measure it.
• Pollen or bee allergy: stop if you get itching, swelling or breathing trouble.
• Teeth: rinse and brush after sweet foods.
• The World Health Organization advises keeping free sugars, which include honey, below 10% of daily energy, and ideally below 5%.

References

Classical sources: Ibn Sina, The Canon of Medicine (honey as food and simple drug); Ibn al-Baytar, al-Jami'.

Modern research and guidance:

• Honey for acute cough in children (Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2018)
• Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis (BMJ Evid Based Med, 2021)
• NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children (honey)
• World Health Organization: Healthy diet (free sugars)