Honey Kills Bacteria Study Finds

[admin]

Honey Kills Bacteria That Cause Sinusitis

Honey is very effective in killing bacteria in all its forms, especially the drug-resistant biofilms that make treating chronic rhinosinusitis difficult, according to research presented during the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO, in Chicago, IL.

The study, authored by Canadian researchers at the University of Ottawa, found that in eleven isolates of three separate biofilms (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and methicicillin-resistant and -suseptible Staphylococcus aureus), honey was significantly more effective in killing both planktonic and biofilm-grown forms of the bacteria, compared with the rate of bactericide by antibiotics commonly used against the bacteria.

Given the historical uses of honey in some cultures as a homeopathic treatment for bad wound infections, the authors conclude that their findings may hold important clinical implications in the treatment of refractory chronic rhinosinusitis, with topical treatment a possibility.

Chronic rhinosinusitis affects approximately 31 million people each year in the United States alone, costing over $4 billion in direct health expenditures and lost workplace productivity. It is among the three most common chronic diseases in all of North America.

[Thunder]

This is awesome.  My accountant has some rare problem with her sinuses, she's actually a case study for a university.  She constantly has sinusitis.  I guess the surgery to correct her problem could cause brain damage so she suffers every day.  I am definitely going to pass this on to her.

[Tantor]

Honey also has pretty high concentrations of pesticides.. particularly malathion....

All those pesticides we use pretty much show up in bee honey first.

[Mr. J]

My understanding is that only raw, unprocessed, honey has the antibacterial  properties.