From Rosh Hashanah tables to hospitals: How medical-grade honey is helping treat wounds

Alona Benjamin, Clinical Nurse Specialist. @Clalit Health Services

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, Jewish families around the world are preparing to return to one of the most iconic traditions of the Jewish New Year: dipping slices of apple in honey, symbolizing the hope for a sweet and prosperous year ahead.

But the golden substance found on holiday tables also has another, far less familiar use. In Israel, medical-grade honey is used as part of the treatment of certain complex wounds, particularly in patients whose injuries are difficult to heal.

At Clalit, Israel’s largest health maintenance organization, wound-care specialists use a range of advanced medical approaches to treat patients suffering from conditions including diabetic wounds, pressure injuries and other chronic wounds.

An ancient remedy revisited by modern medicine

The use of honey to treat wounds has been known for centuries across different medical traditions. Modern medicine, however, has investigated some of its properties and developed products specifically designed for clinical use.

There is an important distinction between ordinary food-grade honey and medical-grade honey. The latter is specially prepared, processed and sterilized to meet specific medical requirements. It can be incorporated into specialized dressings and used as part of a supervised treatment plan.

“Honey has been known for centuries for its therapeutic properties, but modern medicine allows us to use them in a controlled way and adapt them to the clinical setting,” explains Alona Benjamin, a clinical nurse specialist in Clalit’s Sharon-Shomron district.

How can honey help treat a wound?

Medical-grade honey can contribute to wound care in several ways. Its high sugar concentration can create an environment that is unfavorable to the growth of certain microorganisms. It can also help maintain a moist environment, which can support the wound-healing process.

Some medical honey products may additionally help remove damaged tissue, making it easier for healthy tissue to develop. But specialists stress one important point: honey is not a universal treatment and does not replace comprehensive medical care.

“The goal is not simply to apply honey to a wound,” Benjamin says. “It is about using a medical product as part of an overall treatment plan, depending on the patient’s condition and the characteristics of the wound.”

For patients, the distinction is essential: the honey used in medicine is not the same product found in a kitchen cupboard.

Food-grade honey is not manufactured or sterilized for application to open wounds and may contain microorganisms or other contaminants. Medical-grade products, by contrast, undergo specific manufacturing processes and quality controls.

Healthcare professionals therefore advise against attempting to treat a serious or chronic wound with ordinary honey without medical guidance.

As Jewish families prepare to celebrate the New Year, honey takes on an additional meaning. A symbol of sweetness on holiday tables, it has also become, in a very different medical form, one of the tools available to specialists treating complex wounds.

Caroline Haïat