The healing power of honey for wounds

Since ancient times honey has been valued for its health benefits and is even mentioned in the Bible and it has had a prominent a role in the customs and diets of many cultures for centuries.

It was used by the Egyptians to treat a variety of ailments through topical application, and in recent research the antiseptic and antibacterial properties of honey have been examined by scientists.

Gels that contain antibacterial honey now have regulatory approval for wound care and are available to help conventional medicine in the battle against drug resistant strains of bacteria methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and as an antimicrobial agent honey possibly has the potential for treating a variety of ailments.

In the latest research New Zealand scientists say honey may reduce healing times in patients suffering mild to moderate burn wounds.

Lead researcher Dr. Andrew Jull, of the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the University of Auckland, New Zealand says honey appears to help speed up healing in some burns.

Though honey has been used in wound treatment since ancient times how it works has been unclear - while honey may help the body remove dead tissue and provide a favourable environment for the growth of new, healthy tissue, current interest in medicinal honey focuses largely on its antibacterial effects.

A systematic review of data from 19 clinical trials involving 2,554 patients with a range of different wounds, found honey was more effective in reducing healing time than some gauze and film dressings that are often used to treat moderate burns, but this was not the case for the healing of grazes, lacerations, surgical wounds and leg ulcers.

The Cochrane researchers say honey might be useful as an alternative to traditional wound dressings in treating burns but do not advise using honey to treat other types of wounds.

Dr. Jull says health services should invest in treatments that have been shown to work, but he says they will keep monitoring new research to try and establish the effect of honey.