How Honey Can Help Control Diabetes

So, you thought honey just tasted good, huh? Well, it seems that our buzzing little friends have something more to contribute to good health than a tasty snack. One of the hottest treatments for people with diabetes is the application of topical honey.

One major problem many people experience with diabetes is the development of foot ulcers and wounds that refuse to close. In the past, many physicians have treated this condition with antibiotics. However, as anti-biotic usage has been so high in the last fifty or so years, often these conditions are resistant to this kind of treatment.

As a result, doctors are trying out one of the oldest remedies in the book to counter the problem of closing wounds. Honey has been used as a home remedy for over a thousand years, and perhaps much longer. Now, it seems to be showing that it is gaining legitimacy as a way to treat one of the most troubling symptoms of diabetes. Doctors believe that honey works because it is good for suppressing bacterial growth, which fights infection. The only side effect reported from using honey to treat ulcers or wounds that refuse to close is a slight stinging sensation when it is applied to the affected area.

Often, these open sores develop as a result of some minor trauma, and the diabetic's body is unable to efficiently heal itself because of poor circulation. In severe cases, this may lead to amputation. Even in less serious instances, the wounds can nag the patient for long periods of time. One man reported a foot wound that would not close even after eight months. Once he began the honey treatment the affected area healed within a few weeks and the sores have not recurred in the two years since.

However, some medical professionals have expressed reservations about people with diabetes relying solely on the honey treatment. They recommend that using honey for diabetes may be advisable, but they should not do so without telling their doctors they have begun such treatment and they should never suspend standard anti-biotic treatment in favor of honey.