Sandra Keros
Got a scrape? Try healing it with honey.
Last weekend, after washing down a couple of scrapes with hydrogen peroxide and tea tree oil (a natural disinfectant), I applied raw honey on the wounds under some bandages. Guess what - I tried it and it noticeably started healing faster than without the honey.
In the July issue of the
Townsend Letter, "honey prevents infection and speeds healing by starving existing bacteria and protecting the skin from infection by new bacteria. Researchers have shown that the higher
sugar content of honey actually slows bacterial growth, while its thick, syrupy texture acts as a seal over wounds, forming
a natural barrier against any potential bacterial invaders. Furthermore, in its undiluted (raw) form,
contains intense concentrations of substances that can kill many types of antibiotic-resistant bacteria."
The article continues with another amazing factoid:
"In seven consecutive patients whose wounds were either infected or colonized with MRSA (a.k.a. staph infection),
antiseptics and antibiotics had failed to eradicate the clinical signs of infection. A clinical team from University of Bonn (Germany) instead utilized honey to achieve full healing."(1) It didn't mention whether or not eating the honey would help; instead it focused on topical skin application.
Whether for its delicious taste or for healing, my kitchen cupboard will never go without raw honey.
Read tomorrow's blog for the best
kind of honey for antimicrobial action.
Footnotes:
(1)
Townsend Letter, July 2009, "Anti-Aging Medicine" p. 43. Blaser G, Santos K, Bode U, Vetter H, Simon A. Effect of medical honey on wounds colonised or infected with MRSA.
J Wound Care. 2007 Sep; 16(8):325-328.
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