Honey and Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity

Research synthesisLow evidenceMixed effect size4 studies · 2 beneficial · 2 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects of honey on reducing oral mucositis severity, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. The median study duration was 49 days, indicating effects typically observed at 7+ weeks. Evidence is strongest in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Studied populations: patients receiving treatment for cancer, including head and neck cancer and pediatric oncology patients

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 4 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. Many of the included studies did not reach statistical significance — effect may be smaller than the predominant direction suggests. Doses and forms varied across studies, with no clear convergence.

Generated Jul 11, 2026

Time to effect

Median: 7 weeks · IQR 4.5 weeks–9.5 weeks · Range 2 weeks–2.8 months — Reported in 2 of 4 studies

Safety in these studies

Overall tolerabilityReported
Ten interventions were found to have some benefit with regard to preventing or reducing the severity of mucositis associated with cancer treatment. The strength of the evidence was variable and implications for practice include consideration that benefits may be specific for certain cancer types and treatment.
from: Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.

4 of 4 papers

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.
- 2011-04-13
- Meta-Analysis · n = 131
- The Cochrane database of systematic reviews 2021(3)
- - Helen V Worthington
  - Jan E Clarkson
  - Gemma Bryan
  - Susan Furness
  - Anne-Marie Glenny
  - Anne Littlewood
  - Martin G McCabe
  - Stefan Meyer
  - Tasneem Khalid
- PubMed: 21491378
- DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd000978.pub5
1 Insight on
- Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity
- High evidence
- Highly Cited
- Clinical
Ten interventions, where there was more than one trial in the meta-analysis, showed some statistically significant evidence of a benefit (albeit sometimes weak) for either preventing or reducing the severity of mucositis, compared to either a placebo or no treatment. These ten interventions were: aloe vera, amifostine, cryotherapy, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), intravenous glutamine, honey, keratinocyte growth factor, laser, polymixin/tobramycin/amphotericin (PTA) antibiotic pastille/paste and sucralfate.
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Small
Significant
Yes
Nutritional and Supplemental Interventions for Prevention and Treatment of Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Oncology.
- 2025-11-11
- Systematic Review
- Nutrients 17(22)
- - Razvan Mihai Horhat
  - Alexandru Alexandru
  - Cristiana-Smaranda Ivan
  - Norberth-Istvan Varga
  - Madalina-Ianca Suba
  - Elena Ciurariu
  - Monica Susan
  - Razvan Susan
  - Adrian Cote
- PubMed: 41305573
- DOI: 10.3390/nu17223521
4 Insights on
- Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Clinical
Interventions tested included systemic supplements (e.g., glutamine, zinc, and bovine colostrum), topically applied agents (e.g., honey, vitamin E, Aloe vera, and olive oil), and nutrient-containing rinses (e.g., chamomile, Caphosol, and Traumeel S). Honey-based interventions showed promising outcomes.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Effects of honey and Taiwanese green propolis on oral mucositis and quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.
- 2025
- RCT
- Food & function 16(12)
- - Shao-Ching Jen
  - Yue-Wen Chen
  - Jo-Ting Tsai
  - Chia-Chun Kuo
  - Lai-Lei Ting
  - Wen-Yen Huang
  - Tsai-Wei Huang
  - Jin-Hua Chen
  - Made Satya Nugraha Gautama
- PubMed: 40424080
- DOI: 10.1039/d5fo00067j
3 Insights on
- Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Clinical
the honey group showed significantly higher QoL scores and reduced OM severity (β = -0.45, SE = 0.15, P < 0.01)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Effect of honey-ginger mouthwash on oral mucositis in patients undergoing chemotherapy.
- 2025-03-25
- RCT · n = 70
- Journal of immunoassay & immunochemistry 46(3)
- - Fatemeh Sadat Razavi
  - Hania Zokaee
  - Mojtaba Sehat
  - Mohsen Taghizadeh
  - Hossein Motedayyen
  - Elaheh Ghasemzadeh Hoseini
- PubMed: 40134126
- DOI: 10.1080/15321819.2025.2484645
2 Insights on
- Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity
- High evidence
- Clinical
a 14-day intervention with ginger-honey mouthwash indicated no significant impact on the mean severity of oral mucositis (p = 0.6)
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No

Honey and Reduced Oral Mucositis Severity

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment.

Nutritional and Supplemental Interventions for Prevention and Treatment of Oral Mucositis in Pediatric Oncology.

Effects of honey and Taiwanese green propolis on oral mucositis and quality of life in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.

Effect of honey-ginger mouthwash on oral mucositis in patients undergoing chemotherapy.