A research by Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian found that a spoonful of Malaysian honey, daily, boosts postmenopausal memory in women and researchers at the university dubbed it is “alternative therapy” for hormone-related cognitive decline.
The study had a sample of 102 healthy women who were randomly divided into three groups; one group was fed 20 grams of honey daily and the other took conventional off the shelf “hormone-replacement therapy” pills containing oestrogen and progesterone and the third group neither took honey nor chose to swallow pills. The study was conducted in a time span of four months. Results of the study showed that those who took honey and hormone pills, on average recalled two to five more words out of the 15 presented to them for a short term memory test.
Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian’s Dr Zahiruddin Othman said that “the immediate memory improvement in the honey group is probably best explained by improvement in concentration and overall well-being after honey supplement.”The research was conducted by scientists to empirically prove that honey from the tropical tualang tree was an antidote for scars, bone injures, maternity complications and cancer cells. The scientists added memory to the list, however, U.S. experts warned women to not believe in every word they were told as the study had not followed the scientific method with precision.
Stanford School of Medicine Dr Natalie L Rasgon said that “this is not a scientifically rigorous study.” She alleged that the study neither had an adequately sized sample, nor was the time period in which the study was completed of adequate length. She also said that the researches had not taken into account spurious factor that the good effects may just be the result of heightened blood sugar levels and not honey. She said that “i can`t understand how they can compare honey to oestrogen. Honey is not even a supplement.”She also explained that oestrogen and progesterone had different effects on the brain, and scientists are still divided on the question of how hormones influence memory. She quoted a study funded by US government and titled “Women`s Health Initiative” which had found that taking oestrogen and progesterone actually increased dementia rates in women over 65. The study also found that hormone replacement therapies did cause blood clots and breast and colon cancer.
Dr Rasgon and Henderson who work as consultants for drug makers and pharmaceutical firms selling hormone-replacement therapy said that “memory changes as people get older and for women it`s difficult to separate the effects of aging from the effects of menopause. The current evidence is that on average, most women don`t need to worry much about cognition during the years around menopause”. They also underscored that relative mental retardness of menopausal women had never been a problem in medical circles. Dr Rasgon said that perceived memory problems often aren`t real. If women continue to be concerned, however, Henderson said they should find out whether their worries are a symptom of depression, sleeplessness or side effects of medicine.
While the jury is still out on how oestrogen affects memory the hormone had shown no success in preventing Alzheimer`s. Henderson said that “there is actually emerging evidence that exercise does have positive effects on memory.” He added that tualang honey which was hard to find and costs as much as $40 per 100 grams on the Internet might not be a great idea for all aging women. As for Rasgon, she won`t be putting honey in her tea tonight. “It`s too sweet for me,” she said.
