Manuka Honey May Reverse Antibiotic Resistance

The more I research about Manuka Honey, the more I marvel at what nature has to offer. I know that Manuka Honey is good for your skin (make sure it is the 16+). Then I found the following information from natural news. RAW honey has wonderful antibiotic and antiseptic qualities; however, Manuka Honey is one of the best things to put on a cut and can reverse antibiotic resistance.

Super bug breakthrough — Manuka Honey may reverse antibiotic resistance
In less than a week, three different research studies have been released about antibiotic-resistant super bugs. Two were issued as nothing less than dire warnings. For example, as Natural News covered earlier, UK scientists are calling for the “urgent need for global action” due to the discovery of a spreading phenomenon — a gene that is turning bacteria into not just super bugs but SUPER superbugs.

On the heels of that report, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has just sounded the alarm that an impending “health care disaster” is looming unless Big Pharma can find new drugs to combat deadly antibiotic-resistant super bugs.

Tired of all this bad news? Keep reading. Because amid all this gloom-and-doom about the threat of deadly super bugs comes yet another study from a third group of scientists that reaches a new and hopeful conclusion.

It turns out these researchers have found a way to battle life-threatening super bugs naturally with Manuka Honey. In fact, Manuka Honey could be an efficient way to clear chronically infected wounds and could even reverse super bug bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

Those are the results of a report just presented at the Society for General Microbiology’s Spring Conference in Harrogate in the UK. Professor Rose Cooper from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff is investigating how Manuka Honey interacts with three types of bacteria that commonly infest wounds: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Group A Streptococci and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). She and her research team have discovered that honey can interfere with the growth of these bacteria in a multitude of ways. And that makes honey a strong option for the treatment of drug-resistant wound infections.

The idea that honey has antimicrobial properties is nothing new. In fact, traditional therapies containing honey were used in the topical treatment of wounds by numerous ancient civilizations. Professor Cooper is particularly interested in the super bug-fighting potential of Manuka honey, which comes from nectar collected by honey bees foraging on the Manuka tree in New Zealand.
Although Manuka honey is found in modern wound-care products sold around the world, the anti-infection properties of the honey have not been used much by mainstream medicine. According to a press statement, Professor Cooper’s group believes this is because the mechanisms of the honey’s germ zapping action haven’t been known. So they are working to document just how Manuka honey halts wound-infecting bacteria, including super bugs, on a molecular level.

“Our findings with streptococci and pseudomonades suggest that Manuka Honey can hamper the attachment of bacteria to tissues which is an essential step in the initiation of acute infections. Inhibiting attachment also blocks the formation of biofilms, which can protect bacteria from antibiotics and allow them to cause persistent infections,” explained Professor Cooper in a media statement.

“Other work in our lab has shown that honey can make MRSA more sensitive to antibiotics such as oxacillin — effectively reversing antibiotic resistance. This indicates that existing antibiotics may be more effective against drug-resistant infections if used in combination with Manuka Honey.”

The researchers believe their findings may increase the clinical use of Manuka Honey as doctors are faced with the threat of diminishingly effective systemic antibiotics now used to try and control wound infections. “We need innovative and effective ways of controlling wound infections that are unlikely to contribute to increased antimicrobial resistance,” said Professor Cooper. “The use of a topical agent (Manuka Honey) to eradicate bacteria from wounds is potentially cheaper and may well improve antibiotic therapy in the future. This will help reduce the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from colonized wounds to susceptible patients.”

Manuka Honey and Acne

Your skin truly benefits from ingredients that are both good for the inside of your body as well as on the surface. Basic building blocks consist of good nutrients, proteins, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals; all essential to promote the growth of healthy cells.

Manuka Honey,uniquely produced in New Zealand, is a natural ingredient in skin care as it is anti aging, antiseptic and antibacterial. Because of these properties found in Manuka Honey, it is especially effective on skin blemishes and acne.

Manuka Honey Acne Cream

Pores become blocked, trapping bacteria; causing a reaction in the body which produces tenderness, swelling, and redness. More so than the traditional acne medications on the market, Manuka Honey has the ability to penetrate the skin and control the bacteria without drying out your skin. Manuka Honey has anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the swelling and alleviate the discomfort.

Honey has been known for centuries for many of its healing qualities, used by warriors for wound treatment and grandmothers to soothe sore throats. Honey naturally can absorb and retain moisture when added to skin care products.

While regular honey has natural antioxidant and antibacterial properties, Manuka honey has additional properties when it comes to health and healing. And those properties are not lost with heat – it can be added to hot tea or taken on toast. Manuka Honey comes from New Zealand where the bees utilize the flowers of the Manuka Tree. Manuka Honey has been researched for almost 3 decades by Dr. Peter Molan MBE, Associate Professor in Biochemistry at the University of Waikato.

Why is Manuka Honey different? It is the Unique Manuka Factor, referred to as UMF is a measure of its antibacterial strength and has a rating system. A UMF of up to 10 has levels for those wishing to use the honey for maintenance purposes. A UMF rating of 10-15 is useful and above 15 is considered superior.

Manuka Honey is used in the medical communities and has been found to be effective against notoriously resistant bacteria; even the MRSA bacterium has not developed resistance to Manuka Honey. It is resistant to heat and more stable than hydrogen peroxide when interacting with the effects of natural body fluids. In addition to its antibacterial properties it nourishes and promotes tissue regrowth.

Some skin conditions that Manuka Honey can help; skin ulcers, abscesses, dry cracked skin, wounds, burns, acne and eczema. Manuka Honey can be applied directly to wounds with a gauze dressing or can be found added to skin care in high concentrations and used as soaps, moisturizers and lotions. In addition to the UMF properties, honey has a variety of nutrients and vitamins that contribute to its effectiveness in skin care. Kiri® has developed a line of skin care utilizing the medicinal and other values of Manuka Honey. Manuka Honey and Manuka Honey skin care products can now be found here in the United States.