Manuka Honey for Medical Use

The medical use of honey is making a comeback. The Greeks, Arabs, Chinese, Egyptians, Byzantines, actually most peoples used honey for skin care and digestive purposes. This knowledge goes back least 5000 years ago. A Sumerian tablet of 3,000 BC recommends honey for skin ulcers. Honey butter was used as a topical dressing after Ayurvedic surgery in traditional India. And the most well known example of honey as a skin care product are the honey and milk baths of Egyptian queen Cleopatra.

After the invention of penicillin in the beginning of the 20th century the medicinal aspects and uses of honey became oblivious. The instigation of laboratory research on Manuka honey started in the 1980's and its promising results has led to the revival of honey as a medicine. This rediscovery should be embraced because an increasing amount of types of bacteria is becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Hippocrates wrote: "Honey and pollen cause warmth, clean sores and ulcers, soften hard ulcers of lips, heal carbuncles and running sores."

The Koran, Chapter XVI, entitled The Bee, states: "There proceedeth from their bellies a liquor of various colour, wherein is medicine for men." (The "various colour" refers to the diversified colors of honeys.)

Interesting read on the history of honey (pdf)

Considering the extraordinary benefits some batches of manuka honey have displayed it should be emphasized that there is a distinction between honey as a medicine and as a dietary supplement. Most manuka honeys even though they have been tested for their antibacterial and other beneficial properties are technically just dietary supplements. The only manuka honey and products based on this honey, such as Medihoney dressings, are approved by the FDA and are indeed medical devices.

According to prof. Molan, the world renowned biochemist, researcher and discoverer of Manuka honey's additional qualities, this honey is known to heal seemingly untreatable wounds. Surprisingly it is very powerful in destroying harmful bacteria but at the same time it assists in restoring the balance of good bacteria the human body,

"There's more evidence, clinical evidence, by far for honey in wound treatment than for any of the pharmaceutical products. However, it won't work once an infection gets in the blood. It's not a miracle."

Acid reflux or Gerd (Gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition in which stomach contents leak back (reflux) into the esophagus. This is caused by a muscle not closing properly. Among those contents is acid which causes irritation, and possible inflammation which might cause permanent damage to the esophagus. This chronic injury is called esophagitis.

Although there is no clinical evidence for the medical use of Manuka honey on acid reflux, abundant anecdotal reports show it does at least seem to offer heartburn relief. Common medicines are known to offer relief but these have side effects whereas Manuka honey does not.

picture digestive system by LadyofHats | Wikimedia Commons

Stomach flu, gastroenteritis, gastro, gastric flu, tummy bug is inflammation of the digestive system involving both the stomach and the small intestine resulting in stomach pain and diarrhea. Although the name flu suggests otherwise this disease is unrelated to influenza.

In one clinical trial honey was used in place of glucose in a re-hydration fluid (solution of electrolytes) and given to infants and children hospitalized with gastroenteritis. The honey treatment showed a statistically significant reduction in the duration of diarrhea caused by bacterial infection (58 hours cf 93 hours). Haffejee and Moosa (1985)
source: Waikato Honey Unit

An ulcer in the digestive system (gastrointestinal tract) is called peptic ulcer. When the ulcer is located in the stomach it is called gastric (or stomach) ulcer. These ulcers can be very painful.

Gastric and peptic ulcers are thought to be caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Waikato University researchers have done trials showing manuka honey is effective in killing Helicobacter pylori. The studies also showed manuka honey to be more effective than other types of honey. A clinical trial on 45 people with upset stomach, indigestion (dyspepsia) were given 30 ml of honey before meals three times a day:

"After treatment with honey the number of patients passing blood (from peptic ulcers) in their feces had decreased from 37 to 4; the number of patients with dyspepsia had decreased from 41 to 8; the number of patients with gastritis or duodenitis seen on endoscopy had decreased from 24 to 15; the number of patients with a duodenal ulcer seen on endoscopy had decreased from 7 to 2." Salem (1981)
source: Waikato Honey Unit

But, this does not mean manuka honey is a clinically proven cure for stomach ulcers. For more detailed information on the research done visit this post titled; does manuka honey cure stomach ulcers?

Pain in the throat, a sore throat (pharyngitis) is caused by an inflammation of the throat. Most commonly this inflammation is caused by viral infections, bacterial infections, fungal infections, or irritants such as pollutants or chemical substances.

This is why manuka honey with its inflammatory, anti viral, anti bacterial and anti fungal powers is used more and more for a sore throat. The best honey rating for a sore throat (as for many home uses) is an UMF rating of 10 to 18 (or a MGO honey with compared strength.) as these ratings are recommended for most therapeutic uses.

A sinus infection (Sinusitis), simply put, is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. This condition is mainly caused by a bacterial, fungal, viral, infection or allergic or autoimmune issues. source: Wikipedia The pressure and headache caused by a sinus infection are due to the fact that bacteria form layers of living material (biofilms) that coat the surface of the sinus cavities.

photo by melissaclark | Creative Commons

A study from the University of Ottawa shows manuka honey to be more effective (in many cases) at destroying bacteria that cause sinus infections than antibiotics. The research was restricted to laboratory tests (in vitro). Manuka honey destroyed bacteria free-floating in liquid. It didn't completely rid the bacteria in a biofilm, but was still able to kill 63 to 91 per cent of different bacteria types. source: canada.com

Manuka honey can not only kill the toughest bacteria but it is also very useful because it stimulates the body's immune system. A stimulated immune response results in faster injury repair by an accelerated growth of new cells.

Manuka honey has a potent antibacterial activity. Its powerful healing properties have shown to clear infections, remove dead (necrotic) tissue (debriding*) and pus, stimulate closure and tissue growth and decrease scarring. It is also very effective in preventing wounds becoming infected. (* Debriding is the removal of dead tissue which is also implemented by using maggots of certain types of fish)

There is extensive clinical evidence for the supremacy of the medical use of manuka honey regarding wound care. Research has shown it is more effective than several conventional wound care practices. This was concluded from a comparison of 17 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 1965 participants, and in five clinical trials of other forms involving 97 participants treated with honey. source: using honey in wound care

"It's been used on wounds where nothing else will work,"

Research has shown that certain strains of manuka honey used on wounds and ulcers have the following action:

• Its antibacterial properties reduce infection;


• Increases blood circulation to the wound;


• Reduces inflammation, which leads to less swelling and pain relief;


• Its antioxidant activity decreases the amount of destructive free radicals;


• Speeds wound closure by hastening granulation and epithelialization;


• Reduces wound odor by preventing ammonia production;


• Its osmotic effect draws dead tissue, exudate and dirt from the wound;


• Its debriding action allows easy detachment of scabs and dead tissue;


• Provides a moist wound environment which aids healing.

Staph infections and other wound infections are a plague to hospitals nowadays. They are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Manuka honey soaked wound dressings based have shown to be twice as effective as other honey against Eschericihia coli and Enterococci, which are common causes of wound infections. Another notorious staph infection is caused by the MRSA bug.

MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is infamous because it is resistant to various antibiotics resulting in very difficult to treat infections.

Manuka honey can both prevent the MRSA staph infection from infecting open wounds and quickly clear the wound from this dangerous infection. There have been at least 9 papers published in medical journals supporting this last statement. Biochemist Prof. Molan on the medical use of honey in treating MRSA:

"Waikato hospital took up my suggestion to use Manuka honey to try to prevent MRSA infections. In one of the wards, where they had a long history of problems with MRSA, the charge nurse tried putting honey dressings on all patients with wounds when they had an MRSA outbreak. As well as clearing up the wounds that were already infected, there were no cases of cross infections.

"Now, whenever they get a patient with MRSA, rather than putting them in isolation they just put honey dressings on everybody with open wounds and they've never had a case of cross infection since. We've since tested Manuka honey against MRSA and other super bugs, and they are all very sensitive to it."

"They (Manuka wound dressings) are being used but I don't think people have really caught on to the idea that it can be the answer to the MRSA problem. People don't realize just how much evidence there is and the reason why honey works - it's not just an antibacterial activity - there are other beneficial healing elements, so even if a wound isn't infected it's still the best thing to use to get the most rapid healing without scarring."
source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Dr. Robert Frykberg, chief of podiatry at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Phoenix, said the Medihoney product has worked on about half the patients with diabetic foot ulcers who have used it.
He said the Medihoney dressing can also prevent the dangerous drug-resistant staph infection known as MRSA from infecting open wounds.

Since ancient times honey has been used to treat burn wounds. In 1998 a study comparing honey with silver sulfadiazine dressings for superficial burns was conducted. (Subrahmanyam) Silver sulfadiazine has been traditionally considered to be the agent of choice for minor or partial-thickness burns. Especially to prevent and or clear infections. However this clinical trial showed

In 7% of the patients burn wound infections were cleared within 7 days, whereas with honey 91% of the burn wounds were sterile within these 7 days. Healthy new tissue appeared almost twice as fast with honey, and new skin cover developed faster also. Honey also got rid of dead tissue and bad odor accompanying the burns. There was better relief of pain, less exudation of lymph, and less irritation with honey. Honey also gave a lower incidence of raised and contractured scars.