by Amanda N.

Created on: December 30, 2010   Last Updated: February 17, 2011

Honey has been used medicinally to treat wounds for thousands of years. From ancient Egypt and Greece up until the second world war, honey had been widely used for its antibacterial properties to cure wounds. This article will explain how honey can be used in different ways for medicinal purposes.

Inhibit Bacteria

Developing a new antibiotic can take 10 to 15 years, and the natural honey comes in handy as a convenient antibiotic. It can impede the growth of a broad range of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. Tests also prove that medical grade honeys (MGH), such as manuka and jellybush, can be effective to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Heal Wounds

MGH can also be used to treat wounds with MRSA, wounds that cannot be treated with normal antibiotics. Fungating wounds can also be cured with such honeys.

Besides, according to a 2011 BBC news report, applying medical bandages with chemicals derived from honey on hard to heal wounds, such as leg ulcers and surgical wounds, resulted in motivating results. Seven out of ten patients had success in the trials.

Another medical dressing Medihoney also produces positive results in healing wounds. The dressing is made from manuka honey. Unlike other honeys, manuka honey provides non-peroxide antibacterial properties that cannot be weakened by heat, light, or dilution. Such properties make Medihoney an excellent wound-healing product. It can lessen inflammation and eliminate the nasty odor of infected wounds.

Cough

Minor illnesses like cough can also be cured by honey. A study shows that honey can help cure children’s coughs so they can sleep.

Limitation of Honey

While the healing properties of honey seem to be powerful, it should be well noted that honey is not a cure-all. When an infection gets in the blood, all honeys fail to work.

Besides, although all honeys have acidity to prevent growth of bacteria, different strains of honey have different levels of antibacterial activities. Some may have as little antibacterial properties as sugar while some such as manuka honey can be very potent. And for manuka honey, although it has a high level of non-peroxide antibacterial properties, not all kinds of manuka honey on the market contain non-peroxide antibacterial properties. Some manuka honey may just contain hydrogen peroxide antibacterial properties that can be found in other strains of honey.

Honey is a powerful medicine for curing wounds. In an era when superbugs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria become a growing concern, honey is certainly a blessing.


References:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22398921/ns/health-healt h_care/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/stoke/hi/people_and_plac es/nature/newsid_9349000/9349458.stm
http://www.woundsresearch.com/content/a-comparison-b etween-medical-grade-honey-and-table-honeys-relation -antimicrobial-efficacy

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