By MedClinRes.org Clinical Research Team. Sources reviewed October 3, 2026. This article is educational and is not medical advice.
The Short Answer: What Is the “Honey Trick” Recipe for ED?
No single, standardized “honey trick” recipe exists. Versions circulating online differ in their ingredients, so this article does not give a recipe to copy. None of the sources reviewed here show that honey, or a honey mixture, treats erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. The evidence falls into three groups: traditional use, laboratory and small human studies that do not settle the question, and regulatory warnings about honey-type products that secretly contained prescription ED drugs.
ED can have physical and psychological causes. As our related article notes, these range from stress and anxiety to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. A licensed clinician can identify the cause, review your medications, and discuss treatments that have been tested in people.
What the Research Says About Honey and Erectile Function
A 2021 narrative review in the journal Molecules surveyed honey and reproductive health. It describes honey's traditional use for fertility and vitality, and it reports that a traditional Malay mixture of honey and eggs has been used as a massage oil for ED, citing a qualitative study of men's opinions (Zaid et al., 2021). A described custom is not the same as a tested treatment.
The review's erectile-function finding comes from rats. It reports that rats exposed to cigarette smoke and given daily oral honey at 1.2 g per kilogram of body weight showed better erectile function and sexual behavior than smoke-exposed rats without honey. The review also covers rat studies of testosterone and sperm measures, and a human laboratory study in which honey was added to the medium used to freeze semen samples. That last study says nothing about eating honey to treat ED. The review is a narrative summary with an optimistic conclusion, not a systematic assessment of the evidence.
One human study compared Tualang honey with another product, Tribestan, in men with low sperm counts and measured erectile function as one outcome. According to its abstract, there were no significant differences between the two groups in sperm measures, erectile function, or hormone profiles, and no adverse events were reported (study abstract). We could read only the abstract. It compares two treatments and does not report honey outperforming a comparator. The men were studied for low sperm counts rather than for ED.
What this does and does not show:
- It suggests honey has been of research interest in male reproductive health.
- It does not show that eating honey, or any honey mixture, restores erections in men.
- Rat doses and conditions do not translate directly to people.
Claim-Versus-Evidence Checklist for Ingredients Sometimes Named
Use this checklist to separate what the sources we reviewed support from what they do not.
Honey
- Claim: Honey improves erections.
- What the reviewed sources show: Traditional use, rat studies (Zaid et al., 2021), and one human comparison study in men with low sperm counts that reported no significant difference in erectile function between its two groups (study abstract).
- What is missing: A trial in men with ED showing that honey works better than an inactive comparison.
Honey with Egg
- Claim: A honey-and-egg mixture treats ED.
- What the reviewed sources show: The review describes traditional Malay massage-oil use (Zaid et al., 2021).
- What is missing: Clinical testing of any kind.
Honey with Ginger
- Claim: A honey-ginger preparation treats ED.
- What the reviewed sources show: A small pilot study was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials in 2018. It planned for 10 men over 40 to take 8 grams of honey-ginger jam daily (2.5 g ginger and 5.5 g honey) for one month, with no placebo group and no blinding (registry entry).
- What is missing: The entry lists recruitment as complete but gives no completion date, and we did not locate any published results. A registry entry describes a plan, not an outcome.
Cinnamon, Royal Jelly, and Other Add-Ins
- Claim: These boost the effect. They are sometimes named in online versions.
- What the reviewed sources show: Nothing for ED. The review we read discusses royal jelly for estrogen-like effects in laboratory studies of female reproductive tissue, not for ED (Zaid et al., 2021). We found no evidence for cinnamon in the sources reviewed.
- What is missing: Any human data on these mixtures. Treat claims about them as unverified.
The Real Danger: Honey-Type Products With Hidden Drugs
The bigger safety issue is not kitchen honey. It is products sold as honey for sexual enhancement. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has repeatedly warned consumers away from them after laboratory testing found prescription ED drugs that were not listed on the label:
- Secret Miracle Honey (For Men): In April 2022, FDA laboratory analysis confirmed it contained sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra (FDA notice).
- X Rated Honey For Men: FDA analysis found tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis, and FDA reminded consumers again in April 2022 after additional samples tested positive (FDA notice).
- Black Horse Miracle Honey for Men: In July 2025, the FDA confirmed sildenafil and tadalafil that were not listed on the label (FDA notice).
- Secret Miracle Honey Extra Strength: In July 2025, FDA confirmed sildenafil, tadalafil, and acetaminophen were not listed on the label. FDA warned of possible unintentional acetaminophen overdose, especially with other acetaminophen-containing products (FDA notice).
FDA says these products were promoted and sold for sexual enhancement on various websites and possibly in some retail stores. FDA also states that it cannot test and identify every product marketed as a dietary supplement that may contain harmful hidden ingredients. So a product missing from FDA's list has not necessarily been tested and cleared.
Why Hidden ED Drugs Matter: Nitrate Medicines
FDA explains that an undeclared ED drug may interact with nitrates found in some prescription medicines, such as nitroglycerin, and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. FDA also notes that people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates (FDA notice).
The practical point is that a label cannot tell you whether a honey-type product contains a prescription drug. A person who takes nitrates and believes the product is “just natural honey” would have no warning.
Red-Flag List
Product red flags
- Marketed for sexual enhancement as honey, rather than as food.
- Described as “all natural.” FDA notes that products with hidden drugs are often represented this way (FDA notice).
- Sold through websites or marketplaces without a clear, complete ingredient list.
- A name that matches a product on an FDA warning.
Interaction red flags
- You take nitroglycerin or another nitrate medicine. Do not use any product that might contain a hidden ED drug without clinician guidance.
- You use other products that contain acetaminophen, given FDA's overdose warning for the 2025 products above.
- You are unsure how a product might interact with your other medicines. Ask a pharmacist or clinician, and do not stop or change prescribed medicines on your own.
Symptom red flags (general safety guidance, not drawn from the sources above)
- After using any such product, you have chest pain, fainting, severe dizziness, or trouble breathing. Seek emergency care.
- FDA asks health care professionals and patients to report side effects from these products to its MedWatch program (see FDA's reporting note).
Questions to Bring to a Clinician
- What could be causing my ED, and are any of my current medicines or health conditions involved?
- Is it safe for me to take an ED medicine, given my heart and blood pressure history and anything I take that contains nitrates?
- I have already used a honey-type product. Could it have contained a hidden drug, and does that change anything for me?
- Which treatments have been tested in men, and what are their risks?
- Could stress, anxiety, smoking, or alcohol be contributing, and what can I change?
What You Can Do Next
- Do not use honey-type “enhancement” products, especially if you take nitrates.
- Write down what you have tried, including products, amounts, and dates, and bring it to your appointment.
- Ask a clinician or pharmacist before combining any supplement with a prescription medicine.
- For background on another over-the-counter supplement form and why quality varies, see our related article, Gummies for Erectile Dysfunction: What the Research Really Says.
Limits of This Article
This article summarizes a limited set of sources and does not review every study of honey. Evidence can change, and individual health situations differ. It does not diagnose or treat any condition, and it does not recommend, review, or compare any product. Please see a licensed clinician for advice about your own health.
Sources
- Zaid SSM, Ruslee SS, Mokhtar MH. Protective Roles of Honey in Reproductive Health: A Review. Molecules. 2021;26(11):3322. PMC8197897
- Comparison on the Effects and Safety of Tualang Honey and Tribestan in Sperm Parameters, Erectile Function, and Hormonal Profiles among Oligospermic Males (abstract). PMC4253697
- Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials. Study effects of honey-ginger jam on erectile dysfunction: a pilot study (IRCT20140902019011N2, registered 2018). registry entry
- U.S. FDA. Public Notification: Secret Miracle Honey (For Men) contains hidden drug ingredient (April 25, 2022). fda.gov
- U.S. FDA. Public Notification: X Rated Honey For Men contains hidden drug ingredient (2021, updated April 25, 2022). fda.gov
- U.S. FDA. Black Horse Miracle Honey for Men may be harmful due to hidden drug ingredients (July 8, 2025). fda.gov
- U.S. FDA. Secret Miracle Honey Extra Strength may be harmful due to hidden drug ingredients (July 8, 2025). fda.gov
- U.S. FDA. Public Notification: Leopard Secret Miracle Honey contains hidden drug ingredient (November 8, 2018), including MedWatch reporting information. fda.gov




















