Raw, Manuka Honey Kills Every Bacteria Scientists Throw at It, Including Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs




As modern medicine grapples with the global epidemic of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, studies are revealing Mother Nature may have had the answer all along.





In recent years, dozens of studies are unveiling the powerful antibiotic, antiviral and immune-boosting properties of raw, unprocessed Manuka honey.

Native to New Zealand and Australia — thanks to the Manuka bushes and Tea Trees there — Manuka honey kills more strains of bacteria and “super” bacteria than any antibiotic known to mankind.

A 2014 survey of these studies suggests Manuka honey may be the most powerful tool we have for healing chronic wounds — wounds that do not heal within four to eight weeks due to antibiotic-resistant pathogens like MRSA.

One of the studies published in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases found that Manuka honey eradicated eight strains of common “problematic” wound pathogens — those with innate or acquired antibiotic resistance.




Additionally, the harmful bacteria were not able to “shape-shift” or mutate and become resistant to the honey under conditions that normally trigger them to do so with conventional antibiotics.

Compounds like methylglyoxal in Manuka honey apparently cause multi-system failure in the bacteria, killing them before they are able to adapt and build up immunity, explains one of the authors of the study, University of Sydney microbiologist Dee Carter.

With an “urgent need for effective agents in topical wound care,” Manuka honey shows promising results, the authors of the report concluded.




RELATED: What a Hunter-Gatherer Diet Did to a Man’s Gut in Just Three Days


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49 responses to “Raw, Manuka Honey Kills Every Bacteria Scientists Throw at It, Including Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs”

  1. Deborah Avatar
    Deborah

    Too bad it’s quite unaffordable for most families to use regularly.
    What a shame.

    1. Jaik Avatar
      Jaik

      My Costco just got 2.2 pound jars in for $50!!! I nabbed one, of course.

      1. jahjan Avatar
        jahjan

        Is the Costco honey Manuka?

      2. Cynthia Barber Avatar
        Cynthia Barber

        theres health stores selling them as low as 25.00 per jar!

    2. Walter S Adams Avatar
      Walter S Adams

      Most honey in the US that you find for three dollars at the store is sinbsidized by the government that’s why the price is so low.

      1. Judith Riley Avatar
        Judith Riley

        It’s also mixed with high fructose corn syrup.

        1. Sharee Avatar
          Sharee

          That’s why you should always buy your honey from local dealers they do not put anything in it

      2. Liz Avatar
        Liz

        That $3.00 honey is corn syrup. Especially if it’s from China. Pire honey/raw/manuka is the real thing!

    3. Patty Avatar

      Amazon has several affordable choices!!

    4. Lori Avatar
      Lori

      It’s much cheaper than a doctors visit.

  2. Bernice Avatar
    Bernice

    Then why are we allowing so many companies to produce and many products that are killing the bee population?

    1. Dallas Avatar
      Dallas

      Comvita of New Zealand, one of the first companies in the world to produce manuka honey and many other bee associated products was founded by Claude Stratford. Claude traveled to many parts of the world educating the public about bees. He even helped repopulate the Canadian bee stocks after a disease killed huge numbers of bees. He has since passed on but his legacy is increadable, not only does his company offer many jobs to the local people the company still ships bees and bee products all over the world. I thought you would be interested in this.

    2. Ruth Avatar
      Ruth

      Have we taken the first step of planting bee friendly trees and plants around our homes? I am grateful the bees love my lemon and cherry trees.

  3. connie Avatar
    connie

    Sounds good…but where do you get it?

    1. Joyce Topping Avatar
      Joyce Topping

      Costco has it, it’s $50 for a small bottle (don’t remember the amount), and also look on Amazon.

      1. vera Avatar
        vera

        BioHoney is a company a GP in kirrawee runs. I will get the webpage…

    2. Candice Avatar
      Candice

      I buy it at whole foods, trader Joe’s, or sprouts.

    3. Cameron Avatar
      Cameron

      There is a brand new Manuka Honey label launching in January next year. They are offering 10% off all products when you sign up to their email list. http://www.southerngoldmanuka.com

  4. Alex Avatar
    Alex

    Sara, I would be really curious to find out if this is true only for Manuka honey or if it’s true for other types of honey, too. Sometimes scientists get stuck on researching one breed of fruit flies or rats or one type of honey because someone else already published a research article on it and they want to reproduce results and compare and get funding. Have you heard anything about other types of honey? Also, I’ve heard that even packing a wound with white sugar is helpful because it draws water from deeper in the tissues and basically flushes the wound- I think that’s how I’ve heard it explained.

    1. James Dunlop Avatar
      James Dunlop

      well, raw honey DOES help. just not enough to make a difference with all the superbugs. i am diabetic, with open ulcers. i take raw honey every day. kinda hard to tell if it is doing anything or not, but.. for the price of a container of raw honey, i am not going to complain about a 10 dollar container of it.. just in case. i certainly would love to knwo more though. there is a medical grade honey used on open wounds. rarely used though. and old world romans used to puse honey as well for treatment. :/

      1. Loretta Avatar
        Loretta

        If you are truly in to home remedies, try boiling peach tree leaves in water until you can mash them into a poultice and put that on the wounds. Bandage over it. Change 2 times a day for the first 48 hours, then as needed until healed.

      2. Pam Avatar
        Pam

        Are you eating it? Honey for wound care is supposed to be applied topically to the wound.

      3. Bonnie Avatar
        Bonnie

        Emergency rooms used honey for wound care now. Also, raw honey, I use the local creamed version has prevented me from having allergies for 6 years now.It is expensive, at 31 USD for a 2.5 lb glass jar, but the cost of treatment after the fact would be much higher.

      4. Steve Avatar
        Steve

        The arcticle says topical
        Once you injest the all the anti bacterial stuff is consumed and doesn’t work
        So you put straight onto wound

    2. Anna Avatar
      Anna

      I think you are on to something about the sugar. I always put a slice of new bread into my brown sugar container to keep the sugar from getting hard and the funny thing is, that the bread never molds. I replace it about every 3 weeks or so. Question is: Does sugar prevent mold? And if so, could it also fight fungus?

    3. Joe Avatar
      Joe

      yes white sugar has strong healing powers ,when my dad farmed with horses any wounds deep enough to worry about were packed with white sugar especialy around and in eyes
      60 yrs ago

    4. Anna Avatar
      Anna

      Some Nursings homes use honey mixed with milk of magnesia to dry out & to help wounds heal faster.

  5. Bob Avatar
    Bob

    And our own friendlt intestinal bacteria?
    Everything dies?

    OMG!

  6. Christina Avatar
    Christina

    Honey may be a true wonder in natural medicine but nevertheless this “article” is still just a commercial to make you buy a very expensive pot of honey

  7. Hawkins Avatar
    Hawkins

    Just to be clear, it’s only effective for topical wounds, i.e. those on the skin, if you apply it directly on the wound. It has no antibiotic affects in the body if you eat it, so it is not helpful for treating the resistant pneumonias, urinary or kidney infections that are currently troubling the infectious disease doctors. It can also not penetrate into an abscess and so is not helpful for the difficult to treat MRSA infections which can form on the skin. It mostly aids in the healing of shallow ulcers and many hospitals already use topical lotions that have honey as an ingredient for this very purpose.

    1. Deb Avatar
      Deb

      I have used manuka doctor honey for the past year as I’m allergic to most antibiotics. I’m prone to dental, kidney and lung infections. I used to go to the doctors monthly for symptom control. I now only go annually for my physical. I take 1/4tsp morning and night for maintenance and more frequent when needed which had been rare. I’m also allergic to bees so I make sure it is pure manuka honey. I used manuka doctor. I can also share that I’m a healthcare professional that has witnessed great wound results with compromised patients. It’s also good for treating asthma that is triggered by environmental allergies. Can’t say enough about the wonders of manuka honey. Even an improvement in the sense of well being.

  8. Lorna talbot Avatar
    Lorna talbot

    My husband has been using honey for fifty years. His computer study reveals that all honey has antibacterial properties. Please respond to this. We shop at Costco weekly, would you know the name of this honey or is Manuka a world wide honey?

    1. Cameron Avatar
      Cameron

      Manuka honey only comes from the honey of bees that have used the nectar of the Manuka tree which is native to New Zealand. You should only buy Manuka honey from New Zealand, anything else is a knock off.

      1. G Avatar
        G

        The Manuka tree is native to Australia as well.

    2. Sassy Avatar
      Sassy

      You don’t know what honey your husband has been buying for 50
      years?

  9. Annie Avatar
    Annie

    I have been using local honey for yrs as can’t take antibiotics. No colds or flu or stomach. A teaspoon does the trick. I do not feel you have to reach half way round the world and purchase an expensive honey when all you need to do is eat healthy (I do Paleo) and live a clean drug and tobacco free life and search out for different local honeys.

    1. Anna Avatar
      Anna

      I would worry about the effect the honey might have on our friendly bacteria in our gut. Any research on this?

      1. Lilli Avatar
        Lilli

        Honey is a prebiotic. The healthy bacteria use it as a food source, so it is beneficial to gut health.

  10. Sheryl Avatar
    Sheryl

    We only buy Organic certified Manuka honey directly from NZ producer – TranzAlpineHoney New Zealand https://tranzalpinehoney.co.nz/ – exceptionally good against sore throat bacteria and skin wounds for my boys.

  11. MarySusan Avatar
    MarySusan

    My daughter had a very deep gash in the top bend of her foot that was infected and not healing due to paraplegia and nerve damage. MAss General Hosp. (Boston) packed her foot with medicinal honey over a 3 month time frame because the gash was down to the muscle. The honey kept it moist and Free from infection while it healed from the inside out.

  12. hi Avatar
    hi

    In the Quran we read, “And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees and in people’s habitations… there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors, wherein is healing for humankind. Verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought.”

    1. Shar Avatar
      Shar

      Amazing the knowledge they had back then

  13. phyllis Avatar
    phyllis

    Be careful when buying Manuka honey that you purchase the bottle states the Unique Manuka Factor. UMF

  14. Tammy Avatar

    I had a loaf of bread on the counter for 2 months and it never got any mold. Some refined breads are using
    a new additive that retards growth of mold.
    Yum. :/

  15. Carol A Kelley Avatar
    Carol A Kelley

    New Zealand, which is where most Manuka honey comes from, recently gave permission for the spraying of pesticides. So we can expect to see a bee die off there.

  16. JB Avatar
    JB

    It is difficult to identify authentic manuka honey as the ratings and numbers are confusing and not consistent. I love Manuka and do eat ia lot, but it it ridicously expensive and there is no true way to know if its really Manuka.

  17. Brian Avatar
    Brian

    It would be nice if they had a link to the ”dozens of studies” instead of just a link to where to purchase the honey.