Tualang Honey: Evidence and Safety
Tualang honey is a wild rainforest honey from Malaysia. Here is what small Malaysian human trials found, what they did not show, and the safety rules for any honey.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Quick safety points
- Never give honey, including Tualang honey, to a baby under 12 months. Honey can carry botulism spores, and babies can get infant botulism. [1][2]
- Bee products can cause allergic reactions, from skin rashes to life-threatening anaphylaxis. People with atopy (a tendency to allergies) are at higher risk. [3]
- Honey is a free sugar. We found no Tualang-specific sugar advice, so people who manage blood sugar should ask a clinician or pharmacist. [4]
- Jar honey is not a wound dressing. In the one lab study we read, Tualang honey dressings were less active than silver or medical-grade honey dressings against some bacteria. [5]
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children and medicines: not described for Tualang honey in the sources we read. See pregnancy and breastfeeding.
What Tualang honey is
Tualang honey is a dark amber jungle honey from Malaysia. Reviews say it is made by the giant rock bee (Apis dorsata), which hangs its combs from branches of very tall Tualang trees (Koompassia excelsa), mainly in the north-west of Peninsular Malaysia. [6][7] It is a multi-flower honey, so the nectar comes from many plants in the forest, not only from the Tualang tree. [6] A lab comparison of Malaysian honeys found Tualang honey was amber, had a moisture content of about 17.5 percent, and had more phenolic compounds (plant chemicals) than acacia, pineapple or Borneo honey. [7] It is sold as jars of raw or strained honey, and in some blends and capsules.Wild harvest. Giant honey bees nest in the open and are collected from the wild, not kept in boxes. One review says wild giant honey bee populations have declined markedly over the last 25 years, partly because they lose nesting sites. [8] That review is about Apis dorsata in general. We did not find a source on how Tualang honey harvesting affects the trees or bees.
Food use and how it differs from medical use
Tualang honey is a food. The human studies below used it by mouth or as a trial dressing, usually under a research team's supervision. That does not make it a medicine, and it does not make kitchen honey a wound product. Food honey, "raw" honey and sterilized medical-grade honey dressings are different products with different evidence. See medical-grade honey and wound care.Traditional use (not proof)
Reviews describe Tualang honey as having a long history of traditional use in Malaysia. [9] Traditional use does not show that honey causes any health effect. The sources we read do not describe specific traditional uses in detail.What research shows
All the human studies we found are small, and they come from Malaysia. Several author names repeat across them, so they appear to come from a few Malaysian research groups. The abstracts do not always say who funded the work. We read abstracts, not full texts. Most trials used about 20 grams of honey a day for weeks to months. That is what those studies used, not advice for readers.| Use | What the source found | Strength of evidence | Population and form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memory in postmenopausal women | 102 women, randomized to 20 g a day of Tualang honey, hormone therapy or no treatment for 16 weeks. Immediate memory scores improved with honey and with hormones, but delayed recall did not. [10] | Promising but limited (one trial, no placebo) | Healthy postmenopausal women; one branded honey |
| Blood pressure, blood sugar, weight | 100 postmenopausal women, 12 months, 20 g a day of Tualang honey versus a honey, bee bread and royal jelly mix. Diastolic pressure and fasting sugar were lower with Tualang honey than with the mix. [11] | Unclear (no placebo or no-honey group) | Postmenopausal women |
| Fatigue after head and neck cancer treatment | 40 people, open-label, 8 weeks. Fatigue scores were better with Tualang honey than with a vitamin C tablet. [12] | Limited (small, not blinded) | Cancer survivors after chemotherapy or radiotherapy |
| Quality of life in COPD | 34 people, single-blind, 6 months. Quality-of-life scores were better with honey than with standard care alone at 4 and 6 months. [13] | Limited (very small) | People with COPD |
| Healing after tonsillectomy | 63 children, open-label. Wound healing was faster when Tualang honey was added to antibiotics. [14] Pain eased slightly faster but not significantly in a related report. [15] | Limited (open-label, children) | Honey topically and by mouth, three times a day for seven days |
| Healing after sinus surgery | 32 people, randomized. Tualang honey dressings did not match steroid dressings; at 3 months the steroid group had fewer symptoms. [16] | Negative result | Nasal dressing after endoscopic sinus surgery |
| HIV (no antiretrovirals) | 95 people, open-label, 6 months, three honey doses versus no treatment. CD4 count and viral load changed unevenly across groups. [17] | Insufficient (surrogate markers) | Adults with HIV |
| Breast cancer imaging | 30 women on anastrozole, randomized to add honey or not. Breast MRI enhancement fell in more women with honey. [18] | Insufficient (30 women, scan marker only) | Postmenopausal women with breast cancer |
| Sperm count | 66 men with low sperm counts, 12 weeks, honey versus a herbal product. Sperm measures rose in both groups, with no difference between them and no adverse events reported. [19] | Insufficient (no placebo) | Men with oligospermia |
| Schizophrenia and memory | 80 people, 8 weeks. Total learning scores were better in the honey group. The abstract calls the design cross-sectional, so strength is unclear. [20] | Insufficient | People with schizophrenia |
Oral mucositis in radiotherapy: proper evidence not found in the sources we read. We searched for a Tualang honey trial and did not find one. Burns: we found no human burn trial of Tualang honey; the one study of burn dressings was a lab test. [5] Honey dressings in general are studied for burns and wounds; see medical-grade honey and wound care. [21]
Lab and animal work is much larger. A systematic review of 123 lab and animal articles describes antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and nerve-related activity. [22] A review of 28 articles on effects on the nervous system describes memory, mood and pain-related findings, mainly from lab and animal work; the human memory trial above is one of few. [23] These findings do not show effects in people. For honey in general, a meta-analysis of 18 trials found small, low-certainty changes in fasting glucose and cholesterol, and effects differed by honey type, so they should not be assumed for Tualang honey. [4]
Forms and why they matter
- Raw or strained honey: the usual food form. The abstracts we read do not say how the trial honey was processed, so results may not carry to other jars.
- Honey-impregnated dressings: used in small surgical studies and lab tests. They are not the same as sterilized medical-grade dressings. [5][16]
- Capsules and blends: sold at retail but not the form tested in the trials we read.
- "Raw" is a label word. The sources we read do not show that raw honey is safer or better.
Safety and cautions
- Babies under 12 months: no honey of any kind. MedlinePlus says honey is a risk factor for infant botulism and advises against it under 1 year. [1] A 2026 review found health authorities advise the same. [2]
- Allergy and asthma: bee products can cause reactions from dermatitis to anaphylaxis; atopic people are at higher risk. [3]
- Diabetes and blood sugar: honey is a free sugar. [4] One trial reported lower fasting sugar than a honey mix, but that does not show honey helps blood sugar control. [11] Ask a clinician if you manage blood sugar.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, medicines, wounds: not described for Tualang honey in the sources we read. A serious wound needs a clinician.
- Adverse events: the sperm trial reported none. [19] Most other abstracts do not report safety in detail, and long-term safety is unknown.
- Contaminants and adulteration: the sources we read do not report testing of Tualang honey for pesticides, metals or added syrups.
Quality and buying
We did not find a source that grades or tests commercial Tualang honey. Studies use different brands and processing, so a result from one jar does not carry to another. See honey adulteration, labels and how to choose.Related pages
Uses studied and safety checks for Tualang Honey
Read the safety checks first. Each card says whether a finding comes from people, from the lab or from tradition, which product and way of use was tested, and how strong the evidence is. A finding for one product or one way of using it does not carry over to another.
Check before you use (3)
- Honey and infant botulism. Honey can carry botulism spores. It should not be given to babies under 12 months. This applies to Tualang honey like any other honey.
- Allergic reactions to bee products. Bee products can cause allergic reactions from skin rashes to anaphylaxis. People with atopy are at higher risk.
- Honey as a sugar and gaps in safety data. Honey is a free sugar. The sources we read do not describe Tualang honey in pregnancy, breastfeeding, children or with medicines, and long-term safety is unknown.
Tualang honey and memory in postmenopausal women
Preliminary or mixedIn one 16-week trial of 102 postmenopausal women, 20 g a day of Tualang honey improved immediate memory scores compared with no treatment, similar to hormone therapy. Delayed recall did not change.
Supplements: Promising but limited; one trial.
Tualang honey and cognition in schizophrenia
Preliminary or mixedAn 8-week study in 80 people with schizophrenia reported better total learning scores with Tualang honey. The abstract calls the design cross-sectional, so its strength is unclear.
Supplements: Very limited.
Tualang honey and cancer-related fatigue
Preliminary or mixedA 40-person open-label trial in head and neck cancer survivors found less fatigue with Tualang honey than with a vitamin C tablet after 4 and 8 weeks.
Supplements: Limited; not a placebo-controlled trial.
Tualang honey after tonsillectomy and sinus surgery
Preliminary or mixedIn children after tonsillectomy, endoscopic healing was faster when Tualang honey was added to antibiotics, and pain eased slightly faster but not significantly. After sinus surgery, honey dressings did worse than a steroid dressing at 3 months.
Supplements: Mixed; not a substitute for surgical aftercare.
Tualang honey and blood pressure, blood sugar and weight
Preliminary or mixedIn a 12-month trial of 100 postmenopausal women, Tualang honey was compared with a honey-bee bread-royal jelly mix, not with placebo. Diastolic pressure and fasting sugar were lower with Tualang honey than with the mix.
Supplements: Unclear; the comparison group was another bee product.
Tualang honey and quality of life in lung disease (COPD)
Preliminary or mixedIn 34 people with COPD, a 6-month trial found better quality-of-life scores with honey than with standard care alone. It was single-blind and small.
Supplements: Limited.
Tualang honey in HIV, breast cancer imaging and male fertility
Not enough evidenceSmall Malaysian trials reported changes in CD4 counts (95 people with HIV, no antiretrovirals), breast MRI enhancement (30 women on anastrozole) and sperm measures (66 men, similar to a herbal product). None shows a treatment benefit that should guide care.
Supplements: Insufficient evidence; do not use in place of treatment.
Tualang honey and burns or wounds
Lab or animal research onlyNo Tualang honey burn trial in people was found. A lab study of dressings found Tualang honey less active than silver or medical-grade honey against some bacteria. Honey dressings in general are studied for burns; jar honey is not a dressing.
Supplements: No human burn trial found for Tualang honey.
Connected topics
Open a group to see how each topic connects and how strong the evidence is.
Health goals (2)
- Memory SupportPreliminary or mixed
One 16-week trial in 102 postmenopausal women found better immediate memory with Tualang honey; delayed recall did not change.
- Reduce FatiguePreliminary or mixed
One small open-label trial in head and neck cancer survivors found less fatigue than a vitamin C comparison.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tualang honey a medicine?
No. It is a food. Small Malaysian trials studied it for several uses, but none is strong enough to call it a treatment. [10][11][12]
Does Tualang honey help menopause?
One trial found better immediate memory scores in postmenopausal women, and another compared it with a honey mix. Neither measured menopause symptoms. [10][11]
Can I put Tualang honey on a burn or wound?
We found no human burn trial of Tualang honey. Jar honey is not a wound dressing; see a clinician for any worrying wound. [5][21]
Can babies have Tualang honey?
No. No honey for babies under 12 months. [1][2]
Is Tualang honey the same as manuka honey?
No. It comes from different bees and plants. A lab study found Tualang honey weaker than manuka-based dressings against some bacteria. [5]
References
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Infant botulism. Read 2026-10-24.
- Aricò MO et al., Acta Paediatr 2026, Infant botulism and honey exposure: global epidemiology, prevention policies and communication strategies. Read 2026-10-24.
- Matuszewska-Mach E et al., Int J Mol Sci 2025, Ensuring the safe use of bee products: a review of allergic risks and management. Read 2026-10-24.
- Ahmed A et al., Nutr Rev 2023, Effect of honey on cardiometabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Read 2026-10-24.
- Nasir NA et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2010, Antibacterial properties of tualang honey and its effect in burn wound management: a comparative study. Read 2026-10-24.
- Ahmed S, Othman NH, Malays J Med Sci 2013, Review of the medicinal effects of tualang honey and a comparison with manuka honey. Read 2026-10-24.
- Moniruzzaman M et al., BMC Complement Altern Med 2013, Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Malaysian honeys produced by Apis cerana, Apis dorsata and Apis mellifera. Read 2026-10-24.
- Sihag RC, Insects 2025, Conservation of giant honey bee (Apis dorsata F.) for honey and beeswax production and sustainable pollination services. Read 2026-10-24.
- Azman ANSS et al., BMC Complement Med Ther 2024, Medicinal activities of Tualang honey: a systematic review. Read 2026-10-24.
- Othman Z et al., Menopause 2011, Improvement in immediate memory after 16 weeks of tualang honey (Agro Mas) supplement in healthy postmenopausal women. Read 2026-10-24.
- Ab Wahab SZ et al., Complement Ther Med 2018, Long-term effects of honey on cardiovascular parameters and anthropometric measurements of postmenopausal women. Read 2026-10-24.
- Ramasamy V et al., Gulf J Oncol 2019, Effects of Tualang honey on cancer related fatigue: a multicenter open-label trial of H&N cancer patients. Read 2026-10-24.
- Muhamad R et al., J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2018, The effect of Tualang honey on the quality of life of patients with COPD: a randomized controlled trial. Read 2026-10-24.
- Mat Lazim N et al., Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2013, The effect of Tualang honey in enhancing post tonsillectomy healing process. Read 2026-10-24.
- Abdullah B et al., Kulak Burun Bogaz Ihtis Derg 2015, The effectiveness of Tualang honey in reducing post-tonsillectomy pain. Read 2026-10-24.
- Kumarasamy G et al., J Complement Integr Med 2020, Tualang honey versus steroid impregnated nasal dressing following endoscopic sinus surgery. Read 2026-10-24.
- Wan Yusuf WN et al., J Tradit Complement Med 2019, Tualang honey ameliorates viral load, CD4 counts and improves quality of life in asymptomatic HIV infected patients. Read 2026-10-24.
- Hizan NS et al., Integr Med Res 2018, Tualang honey adjunct with anastrozole improves parenchyma enhancement of breast tissue in breast cancer patients. Read 2026-10-24.
- Ismail SB et al., Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2014, Comparison on the effects and safety of Tualang honey and Tribestan in oligospermic males. Read 2026-10-24.
- Yahaya R et al., Heliyon 2020, Tualang honey supplementation as cognitive enhancer in patients with schizophrenia. Read 2026-10-24.
- Schils M et al., Cureus 2026, Application of honey dressing in the management of postoperative wounds, ulcers, and burns: a systematic review. Read 2026-10-24.
- Azman ANSS et al., 2024 (same systematic review as [9]; 123 lab and animal articles). Read 2026-10-24.
- Azman KF et al., Molecules 2021, Tualang honey: a decade of neurological research. Read 2026-10-24.