Destroying the MRSA Super-bug With Manuka Honey

With nectar from a particular flower indigenous to New Zealand, Honeybees make a special type of honey with incredible healing properties.

Recent studies show an increase in bacterial infections that are resistant to antibiotics. In order to combat these new strains, medical professionals are resorting to the use of Manuka Honey as a viable alternative to traditional forms of medicine. Used for medical purposes thousands of years ago, the antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of honey have been rediscovered by the medical profession where conventional drugs have been found ineffective. In addition to having antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, Manuka Honey has been known to have anti-fungal properties and anti-inflammatory properties as well, making it an extremely valuable resource.

Not all honey is the same as Dioscorides and Aristotle discovered thousands of years ago. In the wake of all the reported staph infections, scientists have been researching the antimicrobial properties of Manuka Honey against MRSA which is a bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics. Even though regular honey contains some level of antibacterial activity, only Manuka Honey is powerful enough to destroy antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA. Manuka Honey comes from the hives of honeybees that gather nectar from the flowers of the manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium) which grows wild throughout New Zealand. Manuka Honey has been tested for antibacterial activity and contains a property found only in honey made from the Leptospermum plants. This property is called the “unique manuka factor” (UMF) which produces a more potent antibacterial action. This property also makes Manuka Honey more stable and active in all situations, unlike other types of honey which loses its effectiveness under certain conditions, such as being exposed to heat or light.

Manuka Honey has been used successfully in wound dressings and is now being used by a company called Honeymark as a main ingredient in their health care products. Honeymark has recently hired BioScreen, a laboratory in California to conduct third-part product testing to certify their products' effectiveness in destroying MRSA. "As a wound dressing, Active UMF Manuka Honey reduces inflammation, swelling and pain quickly," says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International. "This healing occurs much faster in conditions where standard antibiotic and antiseptic treatment was not working. In addition to quickening the healing process, another benefit of using Manuka Honey on wounds is that it doesn't cause tissue damage or scaring as other antiseptics do."

There are many reports of Staph infections being completely inhibited by Manuka Honey. Manuka Honey is also an antioxidant, containing flavanoids with anti-carcinogenic properties. It's important to note that these properties do not exist in other types of honey. Honeymark uses Active Manuka Honey with a UMF rating of 10+ to ensure its effectiveness, says Buonanotte.

In addition to being extremely effective in treating infected wounds, Manuka Honey has also been used for other health conditions such as ring worm, athlete's foot, burns, arthritis, eczema and other forms of dermatitis. For more information or to purchase Manuka Honey products, call 1-866-427-7329 or visit www.HoneymarkProducts.com.