Honey May Be Better Than Antibiotics

By Jean Vasicek, Orlando Beekeeping Examiner, 8/9/2009

Honey has been used to heal wounds since ancient times. When bees make honey they mix in glucose-oxidase, an enzyme that mixes with the sugars in honey to create small amounts of hydrogen peroxide. In large doses, hydrogen peroxide can damage tissue, but the small doses continuously created in honey induce rapid healing. Using honey to heal wounds can significantly reduce scarring.

I've had many customers tell me about the miraculous healing qualities of honey. One customer related a story of a wound from a dog bite. The dog had shredded her forearm. The emergency room physician cleaned and dressed the wound, but a terrible infection set in quickly.After trying multiple ointments prescribed by her physician, she tried raw, unfiltered honey. Within a few days the wound healed. Today, the scars are barely visible.

Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of slicing off a piece of my index finger. I raced to the emergency to see if they could sew my finger back on. The emergency room staff was not hopeful and said all they could do was apply antibiotics and wrap the wound. I returned home without treatment and decided to try honey instead. I dipped my bloody nub in a small cup filled with raw, unfiltered honey. I felt a bit of stinging, but after a few minutes the pain dissipated. I soaked my finger for about 10 minutes, rinsed it with water and wrapped it in a band-aid. I did this twice a day for the next 3 days until the wound formed a good scab. I kept it bandaged for another week. Two weeks later, there was barely evidence of damage…