Thursday, September 18, 2008

Skin Care and Manuka Honey

Manuka Honey has proven to be the most effective natural ingredient in skin care products for treating a wide range of conditions from infected wounds to acne.

Manuka Honey is a form of mono-floral honey which is produced by bees that feed on the flowers that grow on the Manuka plant (also known as the tea tree or Leptospermum Scoparium) which is indigenous to New Zealand. A similar honey is reported to be made by Australian bees which feed on the Jelly Bush (also known as Leptospermum Polygalifolium).

Manuka Honey has antibacterial and anti-fungal activities that are effective in treating a variety of different conditions such as infected wounds, acne, eczema, ringworm, etc. Manuka Honey is believed to magnify the properties of the tea tree by synergistically adding the naturally antibacterial properties inherent in honey.

According to a number of reported studies, many types of honey contain low levels of hydrogen peroxide, enough to provide an antimicrobial effect without causing tissue damage. However, the hydrogen peroxide present in standard honey is rapidly decomposed into water and oxygen upon contact with catalase, which is an enzyme that is present in blood and wound fluid. This rapid decomposition of hydrogen peroxide makes the antimicrobial activity of ordinary honey short-lived. Although, Manuka Honey has been found to show a stronger antimicrobial effect than other types of honey that is stable and maintains its healing properties even in the presence of catalase. Manuka Honey is also non-toxic to tissue, thereby giving it a distinct advantage over many other topical antiseptics.

There are a number of interesting theories as to the active components of Leptospermum Scoparium. It has been reported that Leptospermum Scoparium contains monoterpenes at low levels and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons at higher levesl including those possessing cubebene/copaene, elemene, gurjunene/aromadendrene, farnesene/caryophyllene, selinene, calamenene and cadinene skeletons. Also reported as being present in Leptospermum Scoparium have been oxygenated sesquiterpenes and triketones. The antimicrobial activity of the Leptospermum Scoparium is believed by some to arise from the triketone fractions.

Because of its impressive medicinal qualities, Manuka Honey is now being used as a main ingredient in skin care products. One U.S. manufacturer has been capitalizing on the healing benefits of Manuka Honey. Honeymark International is a New York-based skin care company that imports Manuka Honey from New Zealand and blends it into their products. Their proprietary formulations take the sticky mess out of applying honey directly to the skin. Honeymark products are effective in treating skin ulcers, MRSA/Staph infections, fungal infections, dermatitis, etc.

"Manuka Honey is a natural healer that has recently gained worldwide notoriety, particularly because of its ability to eradicate MRSA and heal Staph infections," says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International. "No other skin care ingredient is as effective in healing bacterial and fungal infections."

Manuka Honey is an all-natural, organic ingredient that has been found to have no negative side effects. For more information or to purchase Manuka Honey skin care products, call 1-866-427-7329 or visit www.HoneymarkProducts.com. Honeymark products are not tested on animals.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Prevention and Treatment of MRSA with Manuka Honey

In many randomized controlled trials, scientists have concluded that Manuka Honey is capable of killing MRSA and healing Staph infections.

MRSA related Staph infections are the cause of concern in many hospitals across the world. It is not an uncommon occurrence that a patient is admitted into a hospital with one ailment and leaves with a Staph infection. Although, hospital patients aren't the only ones concerned about MRSA. Doctors and other medical professionals have grown increasingly more fearful that they may be exposed to this deadly bacteria.

MRSA is a mutated form of bacteria that has developed a resistance to antibiotics. If gone untreated, a MRSA-Staph infection can be fatal. Amidst all the hysteria, scientists are beginning to recognize that a particular type of honey, known as Manuka Honey, is actually effective against this notoriously resilient superbug.

Researchers have examined MRSA that has come in contact with Manuka Honey and have determined that MRSA cannot survive in the healing environment created by Manuka Honey. MRSA is a bacterium that grows and divides into 2 similar cells every half hour. It divides by forming a wall across the middle of the cell, which then splits in half to create 2 new cells. Studies have shown that Manuka Honey interferes with the cell cycle of MRSA by affecting the separation of new cells, so that cells unable to complete division are disabled at that point in the cell cycle.

All types of honey contain hydrogen peroxide which is a known antiseptic and disinfectant. However, scientists have discovered that there is an additional antibacterial component in Manuka Honey, making it much more effective for therapeutic use. This additional component, known as UMF, is unaffected by enzymes that dilutes the effectiveness of regular honey. It remains active when used as a wound dressing and diffuses deeper into skin tissues.

In addition to its unparalleled antibacterial properties, Manuka Honey is also considered to be antimicrobial and, therefore, capable of treating both bacterial and fungal infections. Another advantage to utilizing Manuka Honey for medical purposes is that its anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce pain in damaged tissue.

Manuka Honey is made by bees that use the nectar from the flower that grows on the Manuka bush, which is indigenous to New Zealand. It's this unique nectar that provides Manuka Honey with it's impressive healing qualities. Since Manuka Honey comes from New Zealand, it can be somewhat hard to come by. However, a New York-based manufacturer of skin care products called Honeymark has developed a line of Manuka Honey products that is available in the U.S.

"Manuka Honey is natures best kept secret," says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International. "Although, its ability to conquer the battle against MRSA superbugs is projecting Manuka Honey into the lime light." Unlike some traditional forms of medicine, Manuka Honey has been found to have no negative side effects when used for medical purposes.

Honeymark's First Aid Antiseptic Lotion contains Active Manuka Honey and is their best selling product, specifically because of its ability to heal Staph infections. For more information or to purchase Manuka Honey products, call 1-866-427-7329 or visit www.HoneymarkProducts.com.