Sweet, sticky honey has been known to have healing properties for thousands of years.
In fact, Hippocrates even wrote about the “liquid gold” when he said that “honey causes heat, cleans sores and ulcers...”
Even though ancient civilizations might not have known why this was so, they could see that honey was effective. As Yogi Berra reportedly said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.”
And watch we did so now we have a clue as to why honey works. Modern science has revealed that when bees take nectar from flowering plants, they add an enzyme to it that produces hydrogen peroxide. This is part of what gives honey such astounding healing properties.
But there’s one type of honey that’s particularly effective – or at least it’s been studied and validated more than other varieties. And the evidence suggests it can be a potent weapon against cancer…
The honey produced from the Manuka or tea tree has racked up an impressive track record. This flowering plant from New Zealand and southeast Australia produces a honey with awesome antibiotic properties.
And some scientists are convinced that it can even put the brakes on cancerous growths.
Study suggests manuka honey is a cancer killer
A group of researchers from the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain conducted a study that shows manuka honey contains properties that can block tumor growth in the breasts, colon, and skin.
According to study results published in the PLOS ONE scientific journal, Professor Basel Al Ramadi, head of the Microbiology and Immunology Department at UAE University, led a research team to determine the extent of manuka honey’s ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
The team learned that this type of honey directly caused apoptosis or programmed cell death! Your body uses apoptosis to balance the creation of new cells with the demise of older ones. It’s essential to your health to keep these two processes in balance, for two main reasons:
- Excessive apoptosis will cause your tissues to atrophy.
- Insufficient apoptosis leads to uncontrolled cell growth, similar to what happens when a person has cancer.
The UAE University research suggests that manuka honey helps eliminate cancer cells by bringing on apoptosis.
Manuka honey has amazing antibacterial
properties, too!
Scrubbing cancer cells from your body isn’t the only health benefit of this sweet syrup. Recent tests conducted at Sydney University’s School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences showed that manuka honey killed every type of bacteria tested.
Scientists from the University of Ottawa, and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, achieved similar results when testing honey against pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and staphylococcus aureus (SA).
The Canadian group conducted in vitro (i.e., lab culture) testing of honey against these strains of bacteria. They found the honey to be effective in killing 100 percent of the isolates in their planktonic form. And when the germs were made into biofilms, the manuka honey killed 63 percent of the PA bacteria and 91 percent of the SA. (A biofilm is a group of microorganisms that stick to one another on a surface. Planktonic cells, by contrast, exist individually, each by itself.)
The researchers said these rates were significantly higher than those achieved when using antibiotic drugs against staphylococcus bacteria.
Sounds wild, but I remember reading some 30 years ago that honey is a highly effective wound dressing because it kills microbes. And, as I mentioned before, our ancestors knew this before the time of Christ.
So, the recent scientific findings simply echo what ancient civilizations already knew about the healing properties of honey. Manuka honey takes no prisoners when it comes up against:
- Helicobacter pylori - which causes most stomach ulcers
- Escherichia coli – the culprit behind most infected wounds
- Streptococcus pyogenes – which causes sore throats
What’s more, manuka honey is also being touted as a marvelous all-purpose medicine that can help:
- Heal superficial burns
- Cover and heal surgical wounds, particularly for diabetic patients
- Soothe inflammation
- Treat leg ulcers, pressure sores and wounds from skin cancers
How do you use this all-purpose honey healer?
There’s no special method or preparation you need in order to use honey. You can apply manuka honey directly to your skin as a balm for infections, or to soothe insect bites and cuts.
And you most certainly can swallow a spoonful or mix it with some tea to help soothe your throat and digestive tract. Because manuka honey is a food, you can eat it the way you would any other honey product and enjoy the health benefits!
With all this positive press… you might be wondering if there’s any downside to using manuka honey. Well, ease your mind because no earth-shattering revelations are coming your way!
Honey is as safe as can be
There are no known side effects of active manuka honey when used internally, unless you are allergic to honey (as some people are). But there are some reasonable warnings and cautions.
It should be no surprise that diabetics might need to avoid or limit their intake of honey because of the high sugar content. And you shouldn’t give honey to children under 12 months old.
You should also know that active manuka honey has stronger properties than regular manuka honey.
“Active” manuka honey contains an additional, non-peroxide component known as methyl glyoxal. Scientists don’t know why, but this element is not found in all manuka honey, only in some. When present, it makes the honey vastly more powerful at fighting bacteria. So powerful, in fact, that researchers have devised a special rating system for manuka honey based on a batch’s “unique manuka factor” or UMF. It’s used as a marker to determine the honey’s therapeutic value.
Best regards,
Lee Euler,
Publisher
References
- Alandejani, T. et al. 2009. Effectiveness of honey on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. Otolaryngology–head and neck surgery. Available at http://science.naturalnews.com/pubmed/19559969.html
- Godiyal, S. Can manuka honey prevent cancer? Natural News. Article available at http://www.naturalnews.com/041372_manuka_honey_cancer_natural_health.html
- Moczulski, J.P. Honey making a medical comeback. NBC News. Article available at https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/honey-making-medical-comeback-flna1c9471056
- The Alternative Daily. 2014, Jan. 17. Manuka Honey – 200x More Germ Fighting Power Than Any Other Honey. Article available at http://www.thealternativedaily.com/manuka-honey-200x-germ-fighting-capabilities-honey/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=N140117
