Honey as a Wound Dressing

Honey is one of the oldest known medicines that has continued to be used up to present times. Its use has recently been rediscovered by the medical profession, especially for dressing wounds. The numerous reports of the effectiveness of honey in wound management have recently been reviewed by scientists. The rapid clearing of infection from wounds treated with honey has been among the many observations, even with anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria such as Staph/MRSA and VRE.

However, not all honey is created equal. The medicinal value varies greatly, primarily due to the floral source used by the honeybees during the manufacturing process. Ancient physicians were aware of the differences in the therapeutic value of the different types of honey. Aristotle referred to pale honey as being "good as a salve for sore eyes and wounds". Dioscorides stated that a pale yellow honey from Attica was the best, being "good for all rotten and hollow ulcers".

Any honey can be expected to suppress infection in wounds because of its high sugar content. However, honey made from the nectar of the flowers grown on the Manuka bush (Leptospermum scorparium), indigenous to New Zealand, has proven to have the highest levels of antibacterial properties. This unique honey has become known as "Manuka Honey".

Other therapeutic properties of honey besides its antibacterial activity are also likely to vary. An anti-inflammatory action and a stimulatory effect on growth of new blood capillaries and on the growth of granulation tissue and epithelial cells have been observed in clinical studies. Scientists feel that the anti-inflammatory action that exists in Manuka Honey may be due to antioxidants. The stimulation of tissue growth may be due to the supply of the nutrients that exist in Manuka Honey, which is known to hasten the healing process.

The antibacterial activity of honey is due primarily to hydrogen peroxide generated by the action of an enzyme that the bees add to the nectar, but there are some floral sources that provide additional antibacterial components. The body tissues and serum contain an enzyme, catalase, that breaks down hydrogen peroxide. The antibacterial components that come from the nectar are not broken down by this enzyme. "Scientists feel that it is best to use Manuka Honey, as this contains hydrogen peroxide activity as well as another antibacterial component that comes from the nectar of the flowers grown on the Manuka Bush," says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International, a manufacturer of health care products containing Manuka Honey as a healing agent. "This other antibacterial component has become known as the Unique Manuka Factor or UMF."

For more information or to purchase Manuka Honey products, call 1-866-427-7329 or go to www.HoneymarkProducts.com.


Brand: Honeymark
Wound Care Product: First Aid Antiseptic Lotion
Main Ingredient: Manuka Honey
Website: www.HoneymarkProducts.com
Contact: 1-866-427-7329