A natural sweetener's potential in breast cancer care

By Yasmine S. Ali, MD, MSCI, FACC, FACP | Fact-checked by Barbara Bekiesz
Published September 6, 2024

Key Takeaways

  • Manuka honey, produced from the nectar of New Zealand's Manuka tree, has shown anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties in preclinical studies.

  • Studies have also demonstrated potential anticancer effects of Manuka honey, particularly in breast cancer cells, where it showed similar efficacy to tamoxifen in ER-positive cell lines.

  • While promising, the anticancer properties of Manuka honey have only been studied in vitro and in animal models, necessitating further research to determine its efficacy and appropriate use in human patients.

Interest in the potential health benefits of Manuka honey has grown in recent years, and now a preclinical study has shown potential for its use as a nutraceutical in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

What is Manuka honey?

Manuka honey is produced solely from the nectar of the Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) that is native to New Zealand, making it a monofloral honey.

Researchers have found that Manuka honey has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties, which has led to its approved use for wound healing, burn treatment, and other dermatological applications.[]

It has also been found to have potential for tissue regeneration in studies of hydrogel scaffolds, with effects on structural characteristics, porosity, swelling, in vitro degradation, and in vitro biocompatibility of hybrid hydrogel scaffolds in preclinical studies using both fibroblast and keratinocyte cell lines.[]

These same properties are now being investigated in oncology, and have shown promising results.

Potential in cancer treatment

Currently, studies of Manuka honey’s anticancer properties have been performed on in vitro cancer cell lines or in animal models (with ethical repercussions[]), rather than in large clinical trials. 

In one such study on colon cancer stem cells, researchers examined the potential chemosensitizing effects of Manuka honey on 5-fluorouracil therapy.[]

According to the study authors, “Results showed that 5-Fluorouracil increased when it was combined with Manuka honey by downregulating the gene expression of both ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2 […] and thymidylate synthase, the main target of 5-Fluorouracil.”[] The authors concluded that the use of Manuka honey was “associated with decreased self-renewal ability” by cancer stem cells.

In another study, investigators discovered that the antitumor activity of Manuka honey was “in the range of that exerted by treatment of [human breast cancer] MCF-7 cells with the antiestrogen tamoxifen."[] Further, treatment with Manuka honey "stimulated apoptosis of MCF-7 cells in vitro, with most cells exhibiting acute and significant levels of apoptosis that correlated with PARP activation.”

Given that estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer is the most common subtype of breast cancer, accounting for 70% to 80% of breast cancer cases, the finding in this preclinical study that Manuka honey was particularly effective against ER+ cells was newsworthy. 

Another interesting and promising finding from this study was that, while Manuka honey reduced breast cancer cell proliferation, it did not affect the growth and development of normal human mammary epithelial cells, suggesting an ability to target cancer cells specifically.

Further study needed

Given that the currently available results regarding the anticancer properties of Manuka honey are still from preclinical-stage studies, it is unclear whether or not this will translate into meaningful results in clinical trials—nor is it known what dose or route to prescribe or recommend to patients who might wish to make use of Manuka honey for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties.

However, these results are promising and reveal a strong potential for the use of this nutraceutical in a variety of clinical applications.

What this means for you

It’s important to stay informed about emerging research on potential natural therapies, including Manuka honey's anticancer properties, and your patients may ask you about this latest research. While these preclinical findings are intriguing and promising, it may be necessary to remind patients that clinical trials are needed to establish the efficacy, safety, and administration of Manuka honey in cancer treatment.

Read Next: These insects detect cancer with nearly 90% accuracy
Share with emailShare to FacebookShare to LinkedInShare to Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT