Are there ongoing registered clinical trials testing honey or propolis for dementia or Alzheimer’s as of 2025?

1. What the literature actually shows: abundant preclinical evidence, scarce human trials

Reviews collected in 2023–2025 document consistent preclinical signals: honey and propolis and their flavonoids reduce oxidative stress, inflammation and amyloid‑related changes in cells and multiple rodent AD models ^{[2] [6] [4]}. Systematic and scoping reviews list many animal and in vitro studies and only a few human clinical trials overall, with human trials representing a small minority of the evidence base ^{[3] [2]}.

2. Propolis has the stronger human footprint so far — but trials are small and localized

Human data cited in these sources are limited. A randomized, placebo‑controlled study in elderly Japanese reported cognitive benefits from a dietary supplement containing propolis extract, suggesting improved memory and attention in that cohort ^[5]. But broader confirmation, replication, or large multi‑center trials are not reported in the materials provided ^{[5] [3]}.

3. Honey studies: promising mechanisms but “no human trials” is the repeated refrain

Multiple recent reviews and news summaries emphasize that most evidence for honey’s neuroprotective effects remains preclinical; a 2025 review noted 27 preclinical studies and explicitly reported that no human trials existed for honey in AD as of that review ^[1]. Other 2025 overviews reiterate that randomized clinical trials of honey in Alzheimer’s disease were not yet available in the literature they surveyed ^{[7] [8]}.

4. Animal models point to plausible therapeutic mechanisms but not to proven clinical benefit

Studies with Brazilian green propolis and other propolis types improve cognition and modulate microglial inflammation, calcium signaling and synaptic plasticity in mouse AD models ^{[9] [4] [10]}. These mechanistic and behavioral results justify human research but do not establish safety or efficacy for people with AD ^{[4] [11]}.

5. Where the gaps and implicit agendas lie

Reviews and industry‑adjacent outlets highlight potential benefits while noting limitations; some human studies reported industry ties (e.g., data deposited with a company in the propolis trial) and unpublished data are sometimes cited, signaling possible publication bias or commercial interest in bee‑product supplements ^{[5] [11]}. Systematic reviews note that randomized human trials are rare and small, underscoring a gap between commercial promotion and rigorous clinical proof ^{[3] [2]}.

6. Answer to the original question — are there ongoing registered trials in 2025?

Available sources do not report ongoing, large, registered clinical trials of honey or propolis specifically for Alzheimer’s disease in 2025; the literature shows preclinical work, some small human trials for propolis, and reviews calling for more clinical research, but no evidence in these reports of active registries or major phase 2/3 trials underway ^{[1] [3] [5]}.

7. What credible next steps would look like

Researchers should register randomized, adequately powered trials (with clear endpoints, standardized extracts and placebo controls) to move from animal signals to clinical recommendations; sources explicitly call for more human trials to test safety, dosing and efficacy before any therapeutic claims can be made ^{[2] [3]}.

Limitations: this analysis is confined to the provided search results; additional trial registrations or press releases after these reports or outside these sources are not captured here — available sources do not mention any specific ongoing registered AD trials of honey or propolis beyond the small human studies and the animal/preclinical work cited ^{[1] [5] [4]}.