Manuka Flowers
Manuka Honey Kills MRSA Superbugs
A certain type of honey is now being found to have the antibacterial ability to heal wounds, clear infection and reduce pain.
Scientists have discovered that a certain type of honey has the antibacterial properties to kill the hospital superbugs which claim thousands of lives per year. Well known for thousands of years for its medicinal properties, this special type of honey called "Manuka Honey" is able to destroy mutant bacteria, including MRSA, which has become resistant to antibiotics.
This discovery comes at a time of growing scientific interest in the substance's healing properties. Manuka Honey contains natural antibacterial and antimicrobial agents which experts have discovered can prevent the growth of a number of wound infections, even at very low concentrations. Outbreaks of Staph infections cost the health care industry millions of dollars per year in extra treatment. In addition to its strong antibacterial properties, Manuka Honey has also been found to have anti-inflammatory properties which reduces the pain associated with wounds.
Honey was regarded by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians as a powerful medicinal agent and used to help heal burns and sores. During World War I, German physicians used it as a surgical dressing for battle wounds. However, the advent of antibiotics left medical professionals with the misconception that they were better at healing infections than honey. Recent studies are now proving otherwise.
Researchers have found that Manuka Honey kills bacteria present in wounds, even when diluted. It has been determined that even at concentrations as low as 3%, Manuka Honey is able to inhibit the growth of bacteria. At higher concentrations, Manuka Honey can destroy MRSA and heal Staph infections. This is very encouraging news for the medical industry, given the overwhelming number of cases of infections involving antibiotic-resistant strains of bacterial.
The high sugar content in Manuka Honey creates a waterless environment in which bacteria cannot survive. Manuka Honey is also highly acidic, primarily due to the presence of the enzyme, glucose oxidase, which adds to its antibacterial properties. This enzyme produces hydrogen peroxide, which was once used as a wound disinfectant. However, scientists caution that supermarket honey is not suitable for the treatment of wounds because it lacks the addition antibacterial properties present in Manuka Honey. In addition, regular honey could contain bacteria spores which you would not want to introduce to wounds.
Manuka is made from one of New Zealand's native plants and has long been used in folk medicine. "When the bees pollinate the flowers that grow on the Manuka Bush, they bring twice their weight in nectar back to their hives where they manufacture this special type of honey. It's this nectar that comes from the Manuka Bush that creates the unique healing properties present in Manuka Honey.
