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NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ -
Eastport, NY, United States, 2007/07/21 - A special type of honey found in New Zealand called "Manuka Honey" has the power to defeat the hospital-acquired superbugs which claim up to 5,000 lives a year, scientists have discovered.
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Well known for thousands of years for its medicinal properties, Manuka Honey is able to kill mutant bacteria, including MRSA which has defeated all but the strongest antibiotics. The latest discovery by researchers comes at a time of growing scientific interest in Manuka Honey's healing capability. Manuka Honey contains natural antibacterial agents which experts have discovered can prevent the growth of a number of hospital-acquired wound infections, even at very low concentrations.
Honey was revered by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians as a powerful medicinal agent and used to help heal burns and sores. During World War I, German physicians mixed it with cod liver oil to use as a surgical dressing for battle wounds. With the widespread use of antibiotics to combat infections in the latter part of the last century honey was regarded as a home remedy. Recent studies have indicated reason to take honey more seriously, particularly Manuka Honey which is a special type of honey, only found in the New Zealand region, which seems to have more healing properties than other types of honey.
The latest findings followed laboratory experiments on bacteria gathered from infected wounds and hospital surfaces, including MRSA. Scientists have found Manuka Honey attacked the bugs even when it was diluted in another medium. "We have found that even at concentrations as low as 3%, Manuka Honey is able to inhibit the growth of the bacteria," says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International, a U.S. manufacturer of Manuka Honey-based health care products. "At higher concentrations, Manuka Honey destroys the MRSA."
One of the main differences between Manuka Honey and other types of honey is the high sugar content that creates a waterless environment in which the bacteria cannot survive. Manuka Honey is also highly acidic due to the presence of the enzyme glucose oxidase, which adds to its antibacterial properties. Frank Buonanotte says that this enzyme produces a secret weapon, hydrogen peroxide, which was once used as a wound disinfectant in hospitals.
Honey is primarily composed of fructose, glucose and water. It also contains enzymes, vitamins B and C, iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium, silica, manganese and potassium. In most circumstances, regular honey found in supermarkets is not as suitable for treating wounds as Manuka Honey. Some honeys sold in health food stores could contain bacteria spores which you would not want to introduce to wounds. Studies found that wound dressings soaked in Manuka Honey were most effective, even in treating wounds infected with drug-resistant bacteria.
Manuka Honey (HoneymarkProducts.com) is made from one of New Zealand's native plants and has long been used in folk medicine. Recent studies done at the University of Waikato in New Zealand have revealed astonishing results.
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