Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 May 9:12:347-354.
doi: 10.2147/CCID.S198577. eCollection 2019.

Impact of olive oil and honey on healing of diabetic foot: a randomized controlled trial

Zohreh Karimi  1   2 , Mohammad Behnammoghadam  3   4 , Hossein Rafiei  5 , Naeem Abdi  6   7 , Mohammad Zoladl  8 , Mohammad Sharif Talebianpoor  9 , Arash Arya  10 , Maryam Khastavaneh  8
Affiliations

Impact of olive oil and honey on healing of diabetic foot: a randomized controlled trial

Zohreh Karimi et al. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. .

Abstract

Background: This study aimed 1) to examine the impact of honey on diabetic foot; 2) to examine the effect of olive oil on diabetic foot; and 3) to compare the impact of honey and olive oil in the healing of diabetic foot. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 45 patients took part. Patients were randomly assigned to three groups. In the honey group, the wound was dressed using gauzes with honey daily for 1 month. In the olive oil group, the wound was dressed using gauzes with olive oil (4 mL) daily for 1 month. Patients in the control group received usual dressing. Wounds were assessed before and after intervention using the Wagner scoring system and the checklist of diabetic foot healing (where a higher score indicates better wound healing). Results: Demographic characteristics of patients in the three groups were similar. Mean scores of tissue around the wound, wound grade, wound drainage, and wound healing were similar before intervention in all three groups. After intervention, means score of tissue around the wound, wound grade, wound drainage, and wound healing were significantly higher in patients in the honey and olive oil groups compared to patients in the control group. Conclusion: The results of this study reveal that honey is as effective as olive oil in the treatment of diabetic foot. Given the few studies on this topic, further investigation is needed.

Keywords: therapeutic use; foot ulcer; honey; olive oil.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Before intervention with honey.
Figure 2
Figure 2
After intervention with honey.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Before intervention with olive oil.
Figure 4
Figure 4
After intervention with olive oil.
Figure 6
Figure 6
After intervention in the control group.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Before intervention in the control group.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Wound healing before and after intervention in patients in three groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Anselmo MI, Nery M, Parisi MC. The effectiveness of educational practice in diabetic foot: a view from Brazil. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2010;2(1):45. doi:10.1186/1758-5996-2-45 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Leone S, Pascale R, Vitale M, Esposito S. Epidemiology of diabetic foot. Infez Med. 2012;20(1):8–13. - PubMed
    1. Fahmida A, Asiful I, Siew HG, Ibrahim K. Honey: a potential therapeutic agent for managing diabetic wounds. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2014;169130. doi:10.1155/2014/169130 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nasiri M, Fayazi S, Jahani S, Yazdanpanah L, MH Haghighizadeh. The effect of topical olive oil on the healing of foot ulcer in patients with type 2 diabetes: a double-blind randomized clinical trial study in Iran. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2015;14:38. doi:10.1186/s40200-015-0167-9 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aalaa M, Malazy OT, Sanjari M, Peimani M, Mohajeri-Tehrani M. Nurses‘ role in diabetic foot prevention and care; a review. J Diabetes Metab Disord. 2012;11(1):24. doi:10.1186/2251-6581-11-24 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources