Next time you burn yourself in the kitchen, you might want to reach for the honey instead of the medicine cabinet…

Researchers in New Zealand at the University of Auckland set out to review current scientific evidence for the healing power of honey as a topical treatment for cuts and burns. They combed through reports from 26 different clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of honey applied to minor wounds and burns.

Reinforcing ancient wisdom, honey was found to heal burns faster than treatment with silver sulfadiazine and honey was also shown to heal infected post-operative wounds faster than antiseptics and gauze. The researchers even called the evidence “high quality” that honey dressings heal partial thickness burns more quickly than conventional dressings.

While our grandmothers knew this all along, it is nice to see that the research community is catching up!