Q. I have heard that honey has many health benefits. A. Honey, like table sugar, contains the sugars fructose and glucose. The only difference is that in table sugar, these sugars are hitched together, while in honey they are not. The traces of micronutrients honey contains are too small to make any significant contribution to our diet. One important proven health attribute of honey is that it is an effective treatment for minor abrasions and burns.
Honey promotes the healing of wounds, and it has been used on burns and postoperative infections.
A study in 1999 showed that putting crude undiluted honey on infected surgical incisions worked faster than the antibiotics typically used for this purpose. Researchers in Israel reported on a study of babies where, after antibiotics failed to work, their open, infected wounds were treated with honey twice a day for 21 days. All of the babies' wounds were closed, clean, and sterile. Treatment with honey is referred to as apitherapy. Some people report that honey helps in replenishing energy, enhancing physical stamina and strengthening those weakened by illness or stress.