Manuka Honey May Be Effective in Treating Atopic Dermatitis Lesions

Manuka honey tested as AD treatment
Pilot study shows evidence of healing in atopic dermatitis

Dermatology Times, October 06, 2017

An open-label, pilot study has found that the topical application of manuka honey may be effective in treating atopic dermatitis lesions.

Abdullah A. Alangari M.D., the study’s lead author and an allergist at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia, says he was prompted to investigate the impact of honey after receiving anecdotal reports from patients saying they benefited from using honey to treat atopic dermatitis lesions. The study appears in a recent issue of Immunity, Inflammation and Disease.

Honey is well-recognized for its medicinal qualities and is currently being employed in wound care and as a burn treatment. Other studies have shown that it can provide antibiotic resistance to specific strains of bacteria. It's health properties are continually under study throughout the world.

In this study, investigators recruited 16 individuals (8 female, mean age 33), but two withdrew due to worsening symptoms. “We asked patients with bilateral atopic dermatitis lesions to place honey topically on one site overnight and leave the contralateral site untreated. We noted that on average the lesions treated with honey improved more than lesions that were untreated,” he said...