You may be familiar with using a spoonful of honey to soothe an occasional sore throat, but recent research suggests that its benefits extend much further.
After years of dedicated research, Professor Gan Siew Hua, the head of the School of Pharmacy at Monash University Malaysia, has hinted that honey can be a potential secret weapon in the battle against cancer.
“Honey is not like your regular table sugar,” Gan said.
Packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, she highlighted that this natural wonder is a powerhouse.
Enriched with phenolic and flavonoid compounds, honey is a potent source of antioxidants, acting as a natural defence mechanism for the body. And yes, that includes cancer.
“For breast cancer, honey has been found to increase the blood cell count and interleukins, important in boosting the immune response and improving the quality of life of patients,” Gan shared.
She also revealed that research has shown its effectiveness against triple-negative breast cancer, a subtype with limited treatment options, accounting for approximately 15% of all breast cancer cases.
While she acknowledged that honey may not be effective against all types of cancer, its benefits remain noteworthy.
“It has about 120 other components that are useful against many other diseases. For example, the sugar in honey is fructose, which has a lower glycaemic index than glucose, making it suitable even for those with diabetes.”
She added that honey also has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties.
However, a couple of hurdles prevent everyday individuals from fully enjoying all of honey’s benefits.
If you’ve ever wandered into a supermarket, you’ve likely encountered a plethora of honey types and brands on the shelves. Gan emphasised that authenticity is the key to unlocking these medicinal benefits.
“It is not exactly good or bad honey that should be debated,” she noted. “It is between fake and pure honey. Fake honeys are modified or even manufactured by humans mostly from sugar water or corn syrup.”
She suggested looking for darker-coloured honey as those are usually higher in antioxidants. Also opt for one that’s collected raw, from deep in the jungle.
There’s a simple trick to determine if the honey you have at home is the real thing.
“Drop a teaspoon of honey in a glass of water. If it disperses immediately, it’s sugar water. But if it goes down in a lump and stays lumpy, it’s highly likely that it’s pure honey,” Gan said.
She said there are various types of honey available, each with its own benefits. “For example, sourwood honeys are rich in vitamin C.”
However, she also debunked a few myths, one concerning what’s known as the “caviar of honey,” manuka honey.
“There’s no doubt that it’s good, but our studies have found that local honey may have higher nutritional value compared to imported manuka honey,” Gan revealed.
Regardless of the type, she stressed that what’s important is consuming honey in moderation due to its high sugar content.
“One tablespoon every morning will be good, you can just take it neat or you can mix it with water and drink it, but not with hot water, because the moment heat is introduced, all the vitamins and minerals in the honey will be destroyed.”
Gan also pointed out that the storage of honey is equally as important. “Make sure it is stored in glass bottles away from sunlight, as plastic containers may leach phthalate.”
Additionally, she recommended that honey be consumed within a year of processing to avoid the accumulation of 5-HMF, a potentially harmful chemical.
“There is still a long way to go for research in this area, but it is very promising. I see the use of honey against cancer is more for prevention and as an adjuvant, in combination with modern drugs, rather than being used alone.”
Acknowledging the challenge of honey standardisation, Gan suggests that with the support of the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (Sirim), the potential for honey as a super food in the country, may be truly transformative.