Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chestnut honey plays a positive role in strengthening the immune system as it contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It, moreover, has both antibacterial and antiviral properties. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine how people consume chestnut honey as a form of traditional medicine and how it might protect them from COVID-19. METHODS: This study was carried out on 177 people (who had been snowball sampled) from a province in Turkey where chestnut honey is widely produced. The data was collected using a 20-open/closed-question online questionnaire form that asked the participants to report their sociodemographic details, how they consume chestnut honey, and about COVID-19. RESULTS: 41.8% of the participants reported that they used chestnut honey to protect themselves against COVID-19, 40.7% believed that chestnut honey helped to make them immune against COVID-19, and 37.3% felt that chestnut honey could treat COVID-19. However, there was no significant relationship between the participants consuming chestnut honey and their either being tested for COVID-19 (p > 0.05, χ2 = 1.080) or testing positive for COVID-19 (p > 0.05, χ2 = 0.793). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that chestnut honey is a widely used remedy in Turkey for treating different health problems and for maintaining health. In contrast, it also demonstrated that consuming chestnut honey has no effect on protecting the participants from COVID-19.