There are now many published reports describing the effectiveness of honey, which quickly clears wound infections without unwanted side effects. A certain type of honey, called “Manuka honey” found in the New Zealand region appears to have the greatest healing power and is often used for medicinal purposes. Manuka honey is proven to actively promote healing. Laboratory studies have shown that it has an antimicrobial effect against a wide range of bacteria and fungal problems such as athlete’s foot, jock itch and ringworm.
Honey was used to treat infected wounds for 2,000 years before it was discovered that bacteria were the cause of the infection. More recently, honey has been reported to have an inhibitory effect on around 60 types of bacteria, including aerobic and anaerobic, Gram positive and Gram negative. An antifungal effect has also been observed in some yeasts and species of Aspergillus and Penicillium, as well as in all common dermatophytes. The current spread of antibiotic resistant microbial species has led to a re-evaluation of the medical use of honey.
A recent study on the successful use of Manuka honey as a dressing for infected wounds shows that many doctors support the use of Manuka honey in infected wounds, especially in patients prone to MRSA and other bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Manuka honey has been used to treat infections in various types of wounds. These include burns, venous leg ulcers, mixed etiology, diabetic foot ulcers, bedsores, unhealed donor graft sites, abscesses, boils, pilonidal sinuses, wounds infected with lower limb surgery, necrotizing faciitis and postoperative wound infections in newborns. In many of these and other cases, manuka honey has been used to heal wounds that do not respond to treatment with conventional antibiotics and antiseptics.
“People with wounds infected with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that do not respond to antibiotic therapy have had results after using our Manuka Honey First Aid Antiseptic Lotion,” said Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International, a health care company with manuka honey. “The wounds infected with MRSA have also been cleared of infections and healed with the help of our products.”