Its Official, Honey kills all bacteria known to man.

[mick]

For some of us, this is nothing new, but its nice to see Honey in the media.

AUSTRALIAN researchers have been astonished to discover a cure-all right under their noses -- a honey sold in health food shops as a natural medicine.

Far from being an obscure health food with dubious healing qualities, new research has shown the honey kills every type of bacteria scientists have thrown at it, including the antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" plaguing hospitals and killing patients around the world.

Some bacteria have become resistant to every commonly prescribed antibacterial drug. But scientists found that Manuka honey, as it is known in New Zealand, or jelly bush honey, as it is known in Australia, killed every bacteria or pathogen it was tested on.

It is applied externally and acts on skin infections, bites and cuts.

The honey is distinctive in that it comes only from bees feeding off tea trees native to Australia and New Zealand, said Dee Carter, from the University of Sydney's School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences.

The findings are likely to have a major impact on modern medicine and could lead to a range of honey-based products to replace antibiotic and antiseptic creams.

Professor Carter's two sons, Marty, 8 and Nicky, 6, think it's funny the way their mother puts honey on their sores. But she swears by it, telling stories of how quickly it cures any infection.

"Honey sounds very homey and unscientific, which is why we needed the science to validate the claims made for it," she said.

The curative properties of various types of honey have been known to indigenous cultures for thousands of years, and dressing wounds with honey was common before the advent of antibiotics.

"Most bacteria that cause infections in hospitals are resistant to at least one antibiotic, and there is an urgent need for new ways to treat and control surface infections," Professor Carter said.

"New antibiotics tend to have short shelf lives, as the bacteria they attack quickly become resistant. Many large pharmaceutical companies have abandoned antibiotic production because of the difficulty of recovering costs. Developing effective alternatives could therefore save many lives."

Professor Carter said the fascinating thing was that none of the bacteria researchers used to test the honey, including superbugs such as flesh-eating bacteria, built up any immunity.

She said a compound in the honey called methylglyoxal -- toxic on its own -- combined in unknown ways with other unidentified compounds in the honey to cause "multi-system failure" in the bacteria.

The results of the research project are published in this month's European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
Story

[Ross]

Regular honey works just fine and does the same thing.  They sell Manuka as medicine because it tastes like medicine:)

[jeremy_c]

Isn't botulism brought about by a bacteria that exists in honey? Thus, honey contains bacteria that survives fine in it?

Jeremy

[Natalie]

I actually just questioned this honey last week.
Someone I know was told by their doctor to feed their child Manuka honey to help combat an infection.
She complained about the price $20.00.
I asked why only manuka and not all honey (she actually thought they were made by special Manuka Bees) so I looked it up and it claims that the honey comes from the manuka bush that is in the tea tree family and has higher properties for bacteria fighting.
I know tea tree oil is used in holistic medicine and face creams etc.
It seems that all honey would work but I don't know what to think.

[Ross]

Botulism spores exist in honey.  As far as I know, the actual organism does not.

[Romahawk]

What about all the bacteria in our stomach that aids in digestion of the food we eat. Is honey going to kill all those off when we eat it? Seems to me that folks who eat honey regularly would become very anemic and malnourished rather quickly if  the statement that honey kills all bacteria is true.

[luvin honey]

We use a spoonful for itchy, scratchy, tickling coughs during the winter. One spoonful and there is no more coughing for the rest of the night! I think I have heard of this being used in poultices for MRSA. I would like to try it on my son's bug bites, which always seem to be irritated and infected.

Romahawk--that's why I have honey on my yogurt.  ;)

[qa33010]

     For all cuts, scraps, burns or if allowed to get infected, my wife grabs the jar of raw honey off the counter and slathers it on with a dressing.  Redoes it a few times a day and the kids do great.  Sure cut down on anti-biotic creams.

[tlynn]

As quoted in the article - "Honey sounds very homey and unscientific, which is why we needed the science to validate the claims made for it,"

No we don't!  If it works it works.

We in the western world have been brainwashed to believe if it hasn't been proven by scientific studies it must be worthless, especially in the arena of medicine, and there's a reason for that.  The problem is you can't patent honey, and so it doesn't get a lot of interest in the mainstream medical community.  Create a new drug and you can patent and license it and make lots of money.  So now they are going to have to create special honey from special bees in select locations, proven to be highly effective, and sell it for 20US/tube.  And my honey will work just as well.

[Ross]

exactly

[zzen01]

As recently as WW 1 Honey was used by front line medics and Military Doctors as a topical dressing. AND when you are healed up it tastes good too.  :-*!

[Brian D. Bray]

Everyone should have at least 1 small jar of raw honey in their medicine cabinet.  It is the best topical cream for burns, scrapes, cuts, stabs, and rashes as person can have.
It works great on rashes that are the result of nettles, poison ivy, ring worm, and even athletes feet.

It air blocking power along with the hydrogen peroxide and antigerm properties work on most skin sores a body can experience.