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The Latest Health Buzz An effective weapon against infection may be an item we all have in our pantries 
Long hailed for its ability to help a sore throat when added to hot tea, the antibacterial properties some honey has researchers abuzz. Leptospermum honey, indigenous to New Zealand and Australia, has been shown to display ideal properties to dress topical wounds and aid their healing in a recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiological Infectious Diseases, Munich. This particular honey has a low pH level, an ability to remove non-vital tissue from wound areas, a knack for stimulating new tissue growth and a tendency to reduce scarring and pain. Most importantly, the honey's benefits possess no toxicity for healthy tissue nearby. The paper's authors see especially intriguing potential for the honey in cases involving aggressive, antibiotic-resistant pathogens like MRSA, a bug that travels easily into skin wounds and lesions in common areas such as hospitals or gyms. To that end, a New Jersey company has initiated production on a line of products based on a medical-grade version of the honey, available in both dressings and gels. The paper claims that the same amount of honey is needed whether the pathogen resists antibiotics or not. "This is unusual, as more antibiotic or antimicrobial is typically necessary for the antibiotic resistant strains," says Edward J. Quilty, chairman of Derma Sciences, Princeton, N.J. Another benefit is that the honey does not induce resistance over time. It can be used to treat conditions such as various foot and leg ulcers, first and second-degree burns and surgical wounds. |
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