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of honey enables it to cling to irritated surfaces like the throat or a burn site, and soothe and heal. It forms a protective barrier which cannot be penetrated by bacteria, and in which microbes cannot flourish as it does not permit them access to water or oxygen, both needed for their survival and reproduction. The barrier allows the area to heal, while also helping to reduce pain and inflammation. Even better news for the patient the honey barrier prevents the new skin cells from growing attached to the dressing, so when the plaster or gauze is removed, there is no pain or disturbance of the newly formed skin.

In the case of severe wounds which have failed to respond to more conventional medicines, and in some cases have been continually worsening for a year or more, honey has been found to cause dramatic improvement in only a week of treatment. For patients who have developed necrosis of the tissue, (that is tissue which is literally rotting away), honey has been found to prevent further decay, and promote the growth of new and healthy tissue where other forms of treatment have failed completely.

The impressive power of honey stands up well to the newly named "super-bugs" such as MRSA which are resistant to multiple types of antibiotics and are notoriously hard to treat with any success. More research is being done in this area to maximize the effectiveness of honey against these very worrying super-bugs. It has been discovered, for instance, that a particular type of honey made by bees from the Manuka flower in New Zealand, has even stronger anti-microbial properties than other forms of the substance.

It can be concluded that honey truly is a gift of nature with remarkable medicinal value. Honey should never be given to infants under 12 months of age, as it can contain spores of the botulism virus, which very young stomachs cannot kill off in the same way that most can. It should also be remembered that there are many forms of honey, and the properties and make-up of any one batch of honey is entirely dependent on the types of flowers those friendly little bees visited on their daily adventures. Since it is somewhat difficult to persuade bees to visit only the type of flowers that will make their honey most potent, it is recommended to buy the best quality honey you can afford, and refrain from spreading too thickly on any serious wounds without first seeking medical advice! Next time you see some busy honey bees visiting your garden, treat them nicely as they just might be making the honey which is going to heal your sun burn, lower your risk of heart disease, or ease your sore throat.

Learn more about this author, Vicki Niedzielska.
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