Active Manuka Honey

Clinical reports indicate that a special type of honey has the ability to heal wounds and protect against even the most harmful infections. This honey is now being used as an ingredient in skin care products.

Scientists are evaluating different antibacterial substances in order to find an effective treatment for wounds infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The superbugs associated with these types of life-threatening infections have become a major clinical concern. Honey is at the top of the list, given the fact that it has been used for over 4000 years as a wound dressing. More recently, honey has been reconsidered for medical use as numerous reports indicate that it rates favorably in comparison to modern wound dressing materials.

Researchers have discovered that honey possesses a natural antibacterial activity and is very effective in clearing infected wounds as well as protecting wounds from becoming infected. Honey has also been found to have a debriding effect, anti-inflammatory properties and a stimulatory effect on granulation and epithelialisation. In many cases honey has cleared infected wounds when conventional medicine had failed.

Scientists have reported that seriously infected wounds quickly becoming sterile within a week after being treated with a honey-based dressing. It has also been determined that honey forms a protective barrier, preventing clean wounds from becoming infected and therefore preventing cross-infection. Honey has no adverse effects on skin tissue which also makes it safe to use on wounds in order to clear infection.

Honey that is produced from different floral sources have different healing properties. The antibacterial activity in honey is primarily due to hydrogen peroxide which produced by enzymes when honey is diluted. Hydrogen peroxide has been used as an antiseptic but can damage skin tissue in high concentrations. The level of hydrogen peroxide in honey is well below the level that causes damage to skin tissue. A certain type of honey known as Manuka Honey contains an additional plant-derived antibacterial component called the Unique Manuka Factor or UMF which makes it even more effective in the healing process.

It has been determined in clinical studies that the antibacterial potency of UMF Active Manuka Honey is well in excess of that needed to stop the growth of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA and VRE. "The unusual antibacterial activity of Manuka Honey is about twice as great as the hydrogen peroxide activity of other types of honey," says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International which is a manufacturer of advanced skin care products. "Manuka Honey has become known as a valuable ingredient in health care products considering the fact that it has the ability to heal better than most pharmaceuticals, without negative side effects."

Buonanotte cautions that standard honey may not have enough antibacterial properties to heal wounds the way Manuka Honey can. Manuka Honey is also potent enough to treat a variety of other skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, ring worm, athlete's foot, etc.