Clinical Studies Show Honey Kills MRSA

I was doing research on another topic and found human studies that show that honey has been shown to kill MRSA. One of the studies relates to an immunosuppressed individual who made a full recovery after contracting the MRSA bacteria when it was treated with honey. Another study refers to seven children treated with honey and all seven children were successfully cured of the MRSA bacteria. I have provided links to the source studies, which are located on the National Library of Medicine web site.

It has been repeatedly proven that antibiotic therapy only helps to make MRSA stronger. This information has been wide-spread in public media outlets. MRSA does continue to get stronger, but we can quite likely get rid of it a way that does not require antibiotics.

MRSA has been with us for quite some time. However, it is important to know that the MRSA strains of today are different from the strains in the 1970's. In an article published on the WLWT Cincinnati OH web site quotes Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Lisa Haglund, "although staph infections and even MRSA is nothing new, the latest strain of the infection is different than previously seen versions.

"This particular MRSA strain behaves differently than the hospital MRSA strain we've had experience with since the 70's. It's behaving different also in the laboratory. You can see it has different elements," she said."[1]

The powerful antibiotics that must be prescribed to 'control' MRSA are often ineffective. When antibiotics fail to control MRSA, the result is death. The new strains are changing the landscape for the most susceptible people. It's no longer a condition associated with a hospital stay for the young and old with weaker immune systems. It is striking in communities, and it is different and more antibiotic resistant the ever before. These new strains have killed many healthy teenaged kids who have never even been in a hospital.

In many clinical settings, Manuka honey has been shown eradicate MRSA bacteria when used in wound dressings. Here are only a few of the available studies that show the effectiveness of Manuka honey in the treatment of MRSA.

This study, "Effect of medical honey on wounds colonised or infected with MRSA." from the Children's Hospital Medical Centre, University of Bonn, Germany states, "Full healing was achieved in seven consecutive patients whose wounds were either infected or colonised with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antiseptics and antibiotics had previously failed to irradicate the clinical signs of infection."[2]

A study by the Maxillofacial Unit, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford Surrey, UK shows that this information has been widely recognized for a long time and is available as an option for the treatment of many bacterial wound infections. The study, "Manuka honey dressing: An effective treatment for chronic wound infections." states that, "Manuka honey dressing has long been available as a non-antibiotic treatment in the management of chronic wound infections."[3]

A study from the Wound Healing Research Unit, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK involved an immunosuppressed patient who made a full recovery from an MRSA infection with the use of Manuka Honey. Healing of an MRSA-colonized, hydroxyurea-induced leg ulcer with honey. "RESULTS: MRSA was eradicated from the ulcer and rapid healing was successfully achieved. CONCLUSION: Honey is recognized to have antibacterial properties, and can also promote effective wound healing. A traditional therapy, therefore, appears to have enormous potential in solving new problems."[4]

Manuka honey can control MRSA when used as a wound dressing. All of the studies I could find show an incredible success rate. There is no reason that anyone should ever die from this easily killed bacterial infection. This should be the first option, not the forgotten option.

Resources:

1. WLWT Cincinnati OH, http://www.wlwt.com/health/14415521/detail.html

2. Children's Hospital Medical Centre, University of Bonn, Germany, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17927079?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

3. Maxillofacial Unit, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford Surrey, UK, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17113690?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlusDrugs1

4. Wound Healing Research Unit, University of Wales College of Medicine, Heath Park, Cardiff, UK, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12171686?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlusDrugs1