Honey Prevents Antibiotics-Resistant Bacteria ‘Biofilms'

Eat Your Way To Health
Fay Burstin, Herald Sun (Australia), 6/15/2006

EVERYDAY foods found in most kitchen pantries and fridges could be leading a quiet household medical revolution.

Honey, lemons, ginger and orange juice are among some of the regular foods -- in ordinary doses, not extracts, essences or supplements -- whose remarkable healing properties are being discovered by doctors and scientists.

Honey is set to become the new medical champion in hospitals after researchers at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, found it could help fight potentially lethal antibiotics-resistant bacteria that protect themselves from attack by forming slimy clumps.

Biofilms prevent wounds from healing and cause chronic ulcers.

But the Cardiff team found biofilms on laboratory-grown bacteria from patients' injuries treated with manuka honey were disrupted, making them more susceptible to antibiotic treatment.

The research, which included impregnating dressings with manuka honey, could also have a big impact in developing countries where honey is cheap, available, easy to use and without side effects but where modern pharmaceuticals are difficult to get hold of…