Infections which are caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming increasing frequent. This type of infection is spreading and can be life-threatening and is causing havoc in hospitals where we generally go for the solution not a more serious problem. For example, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become resistant to broad-spectrum antibiotics. MRSA can cause anything from swollen, painful boils to pneumonia, bloodstream infections and surgical wounds which can be lethal and MRSA has been responsible for a large number of deaths. In a society which has become reliant on western medicine it becomes a major concern that a lot of these products are not proving as effective as they used to be, as bacteria continues to prove it can evolve to as we do. It’s looking like things will only get worse.
Natural options seem to be making a comeback more and more these day some are even proving to be just as if not more effective, some are even promising rivalries to these of health threatening resistant germs. One product which is proving to most effective is Manuka Honey a honey which is native to New Zealand from harvested from bee’s which feed exclusively on the flowers of the therapeutic manuka bush. This product is proving time and time again to not only stop many of the worlds super bugs but is also being used to treat a wide range of debilitating ailments.
Manuka honeys and other honeys have long been known medicinal use
from a supplement for the common cold to the use of healing nasty wounds. Its antibacterial properties have long proven to been an effective alternative. Though it was always known, that Manuka honey in particular, harboured additional properties superior to convectional honeys. Dr Peter Molan from the University of Waikato spent over 20 years examining the product attempting to unfold the mysteries to why this honey’s had amazing disease-fighting properties and why it was superior to other honeys. With evidence that this was the case and reports of excellent results being obtained studies began to commence worldwide. Research is now continuing in many universities throughout the UK such as the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dr Rowena Jenkins and her team investigate from the University of Wales Institute-Cardiff in Wales exactly how manuka honey appears to wipe out bacteria especially super bugs and MRSA.
Throughout the research Dr. Jenkins and her team closed in on an important discovery during an experiment with which MRSA was grown in a laboratory and treated with and without manuka honey for four hours. To ensure control and quality of results, the experiment was repeated using standard honey syrup to document whether any anti-superbug effects seen were due to the sugar content in honey alone. The cells of the bacteria were then broken open so cell proteins could be accessed and separated to document each protein individually.
There results were promising and concluded that the anti-bacterial properties of the Manuka honey were not due to the sugar content in the honey, and Manuka Honey was much more effective. When the MRSA infected cells were treated with manuka honey, they appeared to lose many of the bacteria’s vital proteins. One in protein in particular known as FabI, was depleted entirely.
FabI is the protein which is essential for the superbug’s survival. It controls fatty acid biosynthesis, which supplies the bacteria with component which are essential for the bacteria to multiply and survive. If the bacteria cannot grow the infection cannot spread which is the positive outcome of the whole exercise.
Manuka honey contains additional properties from standard honey which is frequently known as UMF (Unique Manuka factor). This has been relevant for a while though more recently it was labelled as MGO which is the actual compound associated with the effect it has on bacteria.
Only with scientific research we can drill down to specifics and hopefully one day understand this products amazing abilities which will result in saving millions of lives.
