Traditional Use vs Clinical Evidence for Natural Ingredients
How long-standing traditional uses of honey, castor oil, mastic, oils and shilajit differ from what clinical trials found, and why one never stands in for the other.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read natural ingredient safety before you use anything on this page.
Information only. This page separates what traditions describe from what research found. Neither is advice to use any ingredient.
Quick answer
Traditional use is a record of how people have used a substance over time. Clinical evidence is what controlled studies in people found. Traditional use is not proof that something works, and a long history is not a reason to dismiss research either. Each deserves to be read in its own terms.
How the sources use the terms
European regulators have a formal category for the first idea. The European Union herbal monograph for mastic resin describes it as a traditional herbal medicinal product whose listed uses rest only on long-standing use. [1] That is the basis of the approval: tradition, not new trials.Traditional use and what research found
Each row separates the two. Tradition is described as the cited source describes it; we have no way to verify these accounts independently and we do not claim any lineage or authority for them.| Ingredient | Traditional use, as the source describes it | What research found | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honey (wounds) | A Cochrane review says honey has been used as a wound remedy since ancient times. [2] | High-quality evidence for faster healing of partial-thickness burns compared with conventional dressings in one comparison; low or very low quality for most others. [2] | Promising but limited |
| Bee products (propolis, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly) | A meta-analysis says these have been used as medicine since ancient times. [3] | For royal jelly and blood-sugar markers, no significant benefit in five trials. [3] | No good evidence of benefit (this outcome) |
| Castor oil | Anecdotal reports dating back to ancient Egypt describe it being used to stimulate labor, and the Cochrane authors say it has been widely used as a traditional method of starting labor in midwifery practice. [4] | Three small trials (233 women) found no evidence of a difference from placebo or no treatment; all women who swallowed it felt nauseous. [4] | Insufficient evidence |
| Mastic resin (Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia) | A review reports use as a traditional medicine over about 2,500 years, with the resin produced exclusively in the southern part of the island of Chios, Greece, and mentioned in ancient texts by Galen, Theophrastus and Dioscorides. [5] | The review notes lab and animal studies as well as some clinical trials, and a gap in evaluating the resin's isolated components because of its chemical complexity. [5] Our mastic gum page gives the details. | Traditional use; clinical evidence limited |
| Coconut and olive oils on skin | A trial report describes them as traditionally used to moisturize skin and treat skin infections. [6] | One small trial in atopic dermatitis, 26 people per oil for 4 weeks. [6] | Insufficient evidence (one small trial) |
| Oil pulling | The American Dental Association describes it as an ancient folk remedy practiced for centuries in India and southern Asia. [7] | Not reviewed on this page. See oil pulling: what dental reviews found. | Traditional use only (here) |
| Shilajit | A review describes traditional use in almost 20 regions of the world against about 20 health problems. [8] | The same review warns that eating it without knowing its metal levels is not safe. [8] See shilajit. | Traditional use; contamination concern |
Why the difference matters
- A tradition can describe a preparation, not a product. Traditional preparations, amounts and plant parts may differ from a capsule or powder sold today. Results for one do not transfer to the other.
- Tradition can also record harm. Tradition does not make an ingredient safe. The castor oil row shows that a traditional method can come with a clear side effect. [4]
- Research can confirm, narrow or fail to confirm a use. In the table, honey dressings held up for one burn comparison, and royal jelly did not help blood-sugar markers. [2][3]
- Commercial demand and communities. Mastic is described as produced in one part of one Greek island. [5] Whether trade affects the people or places that produce an ingredient is not described in the sources we read here.
Related pages
Research overview, research limitations and natural ingredient vs medical treatment.Frequently asked questions
Does a long history of use mean a natural ingredient is safe?
No. Castor oil has a long history in midwifery practice, yet the trials reported that all women who swallowed it felt nauseous. [4] Shilajit is used in many regions, and a review warns about unknown metal levels. [8]
Is traditional use evidence?
It is a record of use and a reason to study something. The EU monograph for mastic bases its listed uses on long-standing use alone, not on new trials. [1]
Do clinical trials replace traditional knowledge?
No. Trials answer narrow questions about a specific product, population and outcome. They do not describe a whole tradition.
Why do traditional amounts not appear on this site?
We do not give dosing advice. A clinician or pharmacist decides what is right for a person.
Which source describes traditional medicine worldwide?
Proper evidence not found: we tried to read the WHO traditional medicine fact sheet, but its text did not load, so this page offers no worldwide summary.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety
Do not use a traditional claim as a reason to skip a clinician. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about interactions, tell the surgical team about everything you use, and be cautious with pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, and kidney or liver conditions. See how medicine interactions work and, for traditions as practiced, traditional and historical sources in the Research Library.
References
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). European Union herbal monograph on Pistacia lentiscus L., resina (mastic). EMA/HMPC/46758/2015, final, adopted 2 February 2016. Read 2026-10-23.
- Jull AB, Cullum N, Dumville JC, Westby MJ, Deshpande S, Walker N. Honey as a topical treatment for wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(3):CD005083. PubMed 25742878. Several authors were investigators in an included trial that received a small contribution from a honey-dressing manufacturer (disclosed in the review). Read 2026-10-23.
- Mahboobi S, Jafarnejad S, Eftekhari MH. Royal jelly does not improve markers of glycemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2019;44:235-241. PubMed 31126561. Read 2026-10-23.
- Kelly AJ, Kavanagh J, Thomas J. Castor oil, bath and/or enema for cervical priming and induction of labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(7):CD003099. PubMed 23881775. Read 2026-10-23.
- Pachi VK, et al. Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Chios mastic gum (Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia, Anacardiaceae): A review. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;254:112485. PubMed 32092498. Read 2026-10-23.
- Verallo-Rowell VM, Dillague KM, Syah-Tjundawan BS. Novel antibacterial and emollient effects of coconut and virgin olive oils in adult atopic dermatitis. Dermatitis. 2008;19(6):308-15. PubMed 19134433. Read 2026-10-23.
- American Dental Association, MouthHealthy. Oil Pulling. Read 2026-10-23.
- Hussain A, Saeed A. Hazardous or Advantageous: Uncovering the Roles of Heavy Metals and Humic Substances in Shilajit (Phyto-mineral). Biol Trace Elem Res. 2024;202(12):5794-5814. PubMed 38393486. Read 2026-10-23.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.