Here's To You, Honey
Antimicrobial For Various Infections
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Exotic Honey Comes To Rescue In Fighting Deadly C. Difficile Infections
Honey and Black Seed Combo Cures 57% of H. Pylori Patients
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Completely heal wounds, infections, rashes, even ulcers: Raw Honey
Reasonably Priced Sources Online
Sampling of Published Articles &
List of Other Uses For Honey
The healing power of honey: From burns to weak bones, raw honey can help
Friday, January 26, 2007 by: Kelly Joyce Neff
(NaturalNews) Raw honey – which has not been pasteurized or filtered, and ideally taken directly from the hive – is a treasure chest of nutritional value and medicinal remedies. It contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals and is a natural and powerful medicine, both internally and externally.
The list of honey's beneficial functions is a long one. Honey increases calcium absorption; can increase hemoglobin count and treat or prevent anemia caused by nutritional factors; can help arthritic joints, when combined withapple cider vinegar; fights colds andrespiratory infectionsof all kinds; can help to boost gastrointestinal ulcerhealing; works as a natural and gentle laxative; aids constipation,allergiesand obesity; provides an array ofvitamins and minerals; and supplies instant energy without the insulin surge caused bywhite sugar.
Many have foundraw honeyhelpful for its positive effects against allergies and hay fever, and one or two teaspoons last thing at night can help withinsomnia. As an antiseptic,honeyis also a drawing agent for poisons from bites or stings or infected wounds, and has outperformedantibioticsin treatments for stomach ulcerations, gangrene, surgical woundinfections, surgical incisions and the protection of skin grafts, corneas,bloodvessels and bones during storage and shipment.
"Raw honey is exceptionally effective internally againstbacteriaand parasites. Plus, raw honey containsnaturalantibiotics, which help kill microbes directly. Raw honey, when applied topically, speeds the healing of tissues damaged byinfectionand/or trauma. It contains vitamins,mineralsand enzymes, as well as sugars, all of which aid in the healing of wounds."
So writes Dr. Cass Igram, D.O. in The Survivor's Nutritional Pharmacy. In a fascinating modern development, scientists and doctors are beginning to rediscover the effectiveness of honey as a woundtreatment. In recent years, honey has been used effectively in clinical settings for the treatment of fist-sized ulcers extending to thebone, as well as for first, second and third degree burns.
Complete healing has been reported without the need forskingrafts and with no infection or muscle loss. It can be applied full strength to such conditions, covered with a sterile bandage, and changed daily. When the wounds are clean, honey acts as a healer. This also is the same procedure for infected wounds, ulcerations and impetigo. Garlic honey can also be applied directly to infected wounds, which will help clean up the area of infection.
Dr. Peter Molan, professor of biochemistry at Waikato University, New Zealand, has been at the forefront of honeyresearchfor 20 years. He heads the university's Honey Research Unit, which is internationally recognized for its expertise in the antimicrobial properties of honey. Clinical observations and experimentalstudieshave established that honey has effectiveantibacterialand anti-inflammatory properties.
Astonishingly, it painlessly removes pus, scabs and dead tissue from wounds and stimulates new tissue growth. "Randomized trials have shown that honey is more effective in controlling infection in burn wounds than silver sulfadiazine, the antibacterial ointment most widely used on burns in hospitals," explains Dr. Molan.
Dr. Molan believes that if honey were used from the start in cases of septicemia, there would be far less tissue damage resulting. "The remarkable ability of honey to reduce inflammation and mop up free radicals should halt the progress of the skin damage like it does in burns, as well as protecting from infection setting in", says Dr. Molan.
"At present, people are turning to honey when nothing else works. But there are very good grounds for using honey as a therapeutic agent of first choice."
Researchers believe that the therapeutic potential of honey is grossly underutilized. With increasing interest in the use of alternative therapies and as the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreads, honey may finally receive its due recognition as a wound healer.
Indeed, it works: Raw honey makes a sterile, painless and effective wound dressing. Apply it directly to open cuts, abrasions and burns, and cover it with a piece of gauze. The results will occur quicker than with conventional alternatives, such as salves and creams.
Honey is also exceptionally effective for respiratory ailments. One Bulgarian study of almost 18,000 patients found that it improved chronicbronchitis, asthmatic bronchitis, chronic and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.
It's an effective treatment forcolds, flu, respiratory infections and a generally depressed immune system. Whereassugarshuts down the immune system, a good quality honey will stimulate it into action.
Here are some more ways to utilize the healing power of honey:
BURNS - Apply freely over burns. It cools, removespainand aids fast healing without scarring. Apart from being a salve and anantibiotic, bacteria simply cannot survive in honey.
BED WETTING - A teaspoon of honey before bed aids water retention and calms fears in children.
INSOMNIA - A dessert spoon of honey in a mug of warm milk aids sleep and works wonders.
HYPERACTIVITY - Replace all use of white sugar with honey. White sugar is highly stimulating with no food qualities. Honey provides the energy without the "spike."
NASAL CONGESTION - Place a dessert spoon of honey in a basin of water and inhale fumes after covering your head with a towel over the basin. Very effective!
FATIGUE - Dissolve a dessert spoon of honey in warm water or quarter honey balance of water in a jug and keep in the fridge. Honey is primarily fructose and glucose, so it's quickly absorbed by the digestive system. Honey is a unique natural stabilizer: Ancient Greek athletes took honey for stamina before competing and as a reviver after competition.
FACIAL DEEP CLEANSER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of oatmeal, and apply as a face pack. Leave on for half an hour, then wash it off. Great as a deep cleanser for acne and other unwanted blemishes.
POOR DIGESTION - Mix honey with an equal quantity of apple cider vinegar and dilute to taste with water. This is also wonderful for the joints – and promotes weight loss.
HAIR CONDITIONER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of oliveoil, cover head with a warm tower for half an hour then shampoo off. Feedshairand scalp. Your hair will never look or feel better!
SORE THROATS - Let a teaspoon of honey melt in the back of the mouth and trickle down the throat. Eases inflamed raw tissues.
FOR STRESS - Honey in water is a stabilizer, calming highs andraisinglows. Use approximately 25 percent honey to water.
ANEMIA - Honey is the best blood enricher by raising corpuscle content. The darker the honey, the more minerals it contains.
FOOD PRESERVATIVE – If you replace the sugar in cake and cookie recipes with honey, they'll stay fresher longer due to honey's natural antibacterial properties. Reduce liquids in the mixture by about one-fifth to allow for the moisture present in the in honey.
BABY'S BOTTLE - Four teaspoons of honey to a baby's bottle of water is an excellent pacifier and multivitamin additive. If the baby's motions are too liquid, then reduce the honey by half a teaspoon; if too solid increase by half a teaspoon. (Caution: Don't give raw honey to babies under 1 year old; it's just too rich.) For teething, honey rubbed on a baby's gums is also a mild sedative and anesthetic.
OSTEOPOROSIS – Research has shown that a teaspoon of honey per day aids calcium utilization and prevents osteoporosis– probably not a bad idea for anyone over 50.
LONGEVITY - The most long-lived people in the world are all regular users of honey. An interesting fact, yet to be explained, is that beekeepers suffer less from cancer and arthritis than any other occupational group worldwide.
MIGRAINE - Use a dessert spoon of honey dissolved in half a glass of warm water. Sip at the start of a migraine attack, and, if necessary, repeat after another 20 minutes.
CONJUNCTIVITIS - Dissolve honey in an equal quantity of warm water. When cooled, apply as a lotion or eye bath.
COUGH MIXTURE – Combine 6 ounces (170 grams) liquid honey, 2 ounces (55 grams) glycerin and the juice of two lemons. Mix well. Bottle and cork firmly, and use as required.
Raw honey may become granulated, as some does after a week and another maybe only after several years. If the granulations bother you, simply place the honey into a pan of hot water (not boiling) and let it stand until becoming liquid again.
Kelly Joyce Neff has an interdisciplinary degree in Celtic Studies which includes work in cultural anthropology, history, linguistics, language, and literature. She is a traditional midwife and herbalist, a reiki master, and an active craftsperson. She lives in San Francisco.
Full article:
http://www.naturalnews.com/021506.html
***
Wounds. 2015 Jun;27(6):141-51.
Honey: A Biologic Wound Dressing.
1University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
2Rhodes & Associates, Largo, FL; email:trhodes6@tampabay.rr.com.
Abstract
Honey has been used as a wound dressing for thousands of years, but only in more recent times has a scientific explanation become available for its effectiveness. It is now realized that honey is a biologic wound dressing with multiple bioactivities that work in concert to expedite the healing process.
The physical properties of honey also expedite the healing process: its acidity increases the release of oxygen from hemoglobin thereby making the wound environment less favorable for the activity of destructive proteases, and the high osmolarity of honey draws fluid out of the wound bed to create an outflow of lymph as occurs with negative pressure wound therapy.
Honey has a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, but there is much variation in potency between different honeys. There are 2 types of antibacterial activity.
In most honeys the activity is due to hydrogen peroxide, but much of this is inactivated by the enzyme catalase that is present in blood, serum, and wound tissues. In manuka honey, the activity is due to methylglyoxal which is not inactivated.
The manuka honey used in wound-care products can withstand dilution with substantial amounts of wound exudate and still maintain enough activity to inhibit the growth of bacteria. There is good evidence for honey also having bioactivities that stimulate the immune response (thus promoting the growth of tissues for wound repair), suppress inflammation, and bring about rapid autolytic debridement.
There is clinical evidence for these actions, and research is providing scientific explanations for them.
***
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2015 Jun 5;3(5):e393. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000000361. eCollection 2015.
Topical Honey for Scalp Defects: An Alternative to Surgical Scalp Reconstruction.
Abstract
This case report discusses the use of medical-grade honey as solitary treatment for a large scalp defect due to surgical excision of necrotizing fasciitis. Honey promoted granulation and epithelialization over bare bone, which has been previously undocumented in the literature. We discuss the proposed mechanisms of honey as a wound-healing agent and the evidence for its use, and we propose that honey may be considered a therapeutic option for scalp wounds-especially in patients who are poor surgical candidates.
***
J Med Food. 2004 Summer;7(2):210-22.
Investigating the antimicrobial activity of natural honey and its effects on the pathogenic bacterial infections of surgical wounds and conjunctiva.
Source
Dubai Specialized Medical Center and Medical Research Laboratories, Islamic Establishment for Education, PO Box 19099, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. noori786@yahoo.com
Abstract
Antimicrobial activities of 10-100% (wt/vol) concentrations of new honey, stored honey, heated honey, ultraviolet-exposed honey, and heated stored honey were tested against common human pathogens, including Escherichia coli, Entrobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, Klebsiella sp., Haemophilus influenzae, Proteus sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus hemolyticus group B, and Candida albicans.
Antimicrobial activity of honey was tested in acidic, neutral, or alkaline media. These were compared with similar concentrations of glucose in nutrient broth. Surgical wounds were made on the dorsum of mice and infected with S. aureus or Klebsiella sp. The wounds were treated with local application of honey four times a day or appropriate antibiotics and compared with control values.
Bacterial conjunctivitis due to E. coli, Proteus sp., S. aureus, Klebsiella sp., and P. aeruginosa was induced in rats. Conjunctival application of honey four times a day or appropriate antibiotics was used for treatment and compared with control values. Growth of all the isolates was completely inhibited by 30-100% honey concentrations. The most sensitive microbes were E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and H. influenzae.
Glucose showed less antimicrobial activity than honey, and many microbes showed positive culture even in 100% glucose. Heating to 80 degrees C for 1 hour decreased antimicrobial activity of both new and stored honey. Storage of honeyfor 5 years decreased its antimicrobial activity, while ultraviolet light exposure increased its activity against some of the microorganisms.
Antimicrobial activity of honey was stronger in acidic media than in neutral or alkaline media. Single doses of honey used to prepare the 60% concentration in nutrient broth were bacteriocidal for P. aeruginosa and bacteriostatic for S. aureus and Klebsiella sp. during certain periods.
Local application of raw honey on infected wounds reduced redness, swelling, time for complete resolution of lesion, and time for eradication of bacterial infection due to S. aureus or Klebsiella sp. Its potency was comparable to that of local antibiotics.
Honey application into infective conjunctivitis reduced redness, swelling, pus discharge, and time for eradication of bacterial infections due to all the isolates tested.
***
J Wound Care. 2015 Mar;24(3):95; 97-103. doi: 10.12968/jowc.2015.24.3.95.
Safety and efficacy of active Leptospermum honey in neonatal and paediatric wound debridement.
Amaya R1.
1Paediatric Specialist; Pediatric Specialists of Houston,1140 Business Center Drive, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77043.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
Safety is a critically important factor in the selection of products used in neonatal and paediatric wound care. Given the lack of standardisation of neonatal and paediatric wound care protocols, the goal of this study was to present data on the safety and efficacy of active Leptospermum honey (ALH) in this patient population.
METHOD:
A multicentre, retrospective chart review was conducted at eight inpatient facilities and one outpatient clinic between October 2011 and March 2014. The number of applications of ALH, adverse events, and the success of debridement and wound healing were recorded.
RESULTS:
Data were collected on 115 neonatal and paediatric patients, with 121 wounds requiring debridement, treated with ALH. Patients were treated for an average of 18.7 days. ALH was well tolerated, with two (1.7%) patients reporting adverse events involving a transient stinging sensation on application, which did not prohibit additional applications of ALH.
Successful debridement was achieved in 86.0% (104 wounds), and 77.7% (94 wounds) were successfully closed using nonsurgical intervention. Outcomes in neonates were similar to the overall paediatric population, with 86.1% (31/36) wounds successfully debrided with no adverse events.
In a subset of six patients with available pre- and post-treatment data, no clinically meaningful changes in white blood cell counts or glucose levels were associated with the initiation of treatment with ALH.
CONCLUSION:
The results of this study support ALH as a safe and effective treatment option in this group of patients.
DECLARATION OF INTEREST:
This study was supported by a grant from Derma Sciences (Princeton, NJ USA). Dr Amaya is a paid speaker for Derma Sciences.
KEYWORDS:
active Leptospermum honey; full thickness wounds; neonatal/paediatric wound care; wounddebridement
***
Wounds. 2015 Apr;27(4):103-14.
The efficacy and safety of natural honey on the healing of foot ulcers: a case series.
Mohamed H1, Salma MA2, Al Lenjawi B3, Abdi S2, Gouda Z2, Barakat N4, Elmahdi H3, Abraham S2, Hamza AH5, Al Khozaei D5, Al Majid S5, Al Majid H5, Abdini J5, Al Jaber M5, Al Masseh F5, Al Ali AA4.
1Weill Cornell Medical College, Al Rayyan, Qatar; email: fmcc2000@gmail.com.
2Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
3Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
4Weill Cornell Medical College, Al Rayyan, Qatar.
5Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar;
Abstract
This clinical observation investigated the efficacy, cost-effectiveness,
and acceptability of natural honey on the healing of a variety of chronic foot
ulcers at the primary care level.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
A total of 12 patients with foot ulcers utilizing
natural honey as an effective alternative to more expensive, advanced
wound products were followed. Cases were referred to Umgwailinah
Primary Health Care Center, Doha, Qatar from different health centers
and from Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar. There were also self-referred cases.
After rinsing the site with normal saline, natural honey was applied
and the wound was covered by glycerin-impregnated gauze
(Adaptic Non-Adhering Dressing, Systagenix, San Antonio, TX)
to prevent the absorption of honey into the cotton gauze and
away from the wound site. Patients were followed on a daily basis for an average of 4 weeks.
RESULTS:
All ulcers healed with no contractures or scars with a mean
healing time of 3 weeks. There was a 75% reduction in the dressing
budget of the health center and a high level of satisfaction among both
health professionals and patients. Patients' pain levels were reduced
significantly after using natural honey, as evidenced by the use of the
Visual Analog Scale.
CONCLUSION:
The use of natural honey in the management of
chronic foot ulcers proved to be efficacious, cost-effective, and
acceptable by both clinicians and patients.
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