What is it?
Honey is made by bees that feed on the flowers of bushes and trees.In recent tests conducted at Sydney University's School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences, honey killed every type of bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant "superbugs". The University of Waikato in New Zealand has formed the Waikato Honey Research Unit to study the composition of honey and its antimicrobial activity.
The curative properties of honey have been known to indigenous cultures for thousands of years, and dressing wounds with honey was common before the advent of antibiotics. New Zealand's Maori were the first to identify the healing properties of honey and some of their remedies and tonics are still used today.
The finest-quality honey, with the most potent antimicrobial properties, is produced from hives in wild, uncultivated areas. Since 2004, Britain's National Health Service has licensed the use of honey for wound dressings and honey creams.
The pros
- Honey has an antibacterial component that cleans the gutt. This activity is stable and doesn't lose its potency when exposed to dilution, heat or light.
- Honey has been found to be effective against a range of bacteria including Helicobacter pylori (which causes most stomach ulcers); Escherichia coli (the most common cause of infected wounds) and Streptococcus pyogenes (which causes sore throats).
- Honey is antimicrobial and antiviral. It is also an antioxidant that can help to increase vitality and immunity.
- Tests have indicated that Honey can heal wounds and skin ulcers that haven't responded to standard treatments.
