Injured Penguin Treated With Manuka Honey

An endangered yellow-eyed penguin had a severe leg injury three weeks ago after being bitten by a barracuda. A few days ago he has been released to his nest on Penguin beach on Otago Peninsula.

The survival of adult breeding yellow-eyed penguins is very important so luckily the treatment at nearby penguin hospital at Penguin Place worked well.

The wound was treated with manuka honey cream and the penguin was kept in a small pen to give it time to heal.

Because other penguins treated with heavy doses of antibiotics had problems with their new feathers coming through during moulting, staff had delayed the dose for this penguin, instead letting the antibacterial properties of the honey do the work.

"It's healed really well. It's amazing.

"You can barely tell."

Read the whole article on Otago Daily Times.

Manuka Honey Ringworm Treatment

The commonly occurring skin condition ringworm (tineas) is a fungal infection characterized by red circles or oval shapes on the skin. In contrary to what some people think ringworm is not caused by a worm. The fungal lesions typically have the shape of ring, hence the name ringworm. Other fungal infections are nail fungus, jock itch and athlete's foot.

Superficial dermal infections such as ringworm are very difficult to treat. Antibiotics are used relatively successful at treating bacteria but are less useful in destroying fungi.

Is Manuka honey an effective ringworm treatment?
One study compared the effects of different types of honey on certain types of fungi (dermatophytes)generally causing skin conditions such as ringworm and athletes foot.

Conclusion of this study: It could be that Manuka honey may be more effective [...] Which type of honey is most effective, and the practical usefulness of honey as a topical antifungal salve, will only be known if comparative clinical trials are conducted.

So this particular study did not show the unique properties of Manuka honey to be responsible for treating ringworm. Although more studies have to be conducted to get a better sight for now normal honey seems to be an equally effective ringworm treatment.

How To Use Honey as a Ringworm Treatment?
The Waikato Honey Unit recommends, as a guideline, to apply 20 ml of honey (1 ounce, about 25g) on a 10 cm by 10 cm (4 inch by 4 inch) pad. When bigger pads are used the amount should be adjusted accordingly. Another (waterproof) occlusive dressing should be added to keep the honey in contact with the ringworm infection and from oozing through the pad. Attach the dressings with silk tape or bandages.

This way you will prevent the honey from dripping. Since honey is sticky this might look like a downside. Why not buy a non-sticky ringworm lotion with Manuka honey? Well many, if not most, of these products contain other, sometimes harmful, ingredients as well. These can result in skin irritations. The beauty of using Manuka honey only is that this natural product shows no side effects at all.

Manuka Honey Acne Treatment | Does it Work?

Acne or pimples, zits, spots or blemishes are an infection of the skin. (very simplistically explained) Dermal oils, called sebum, and dead skin cells block the pores and hair follicles thus allowing bacteria to thrive. Sometimes, not in all cases, inflammation will occur which results in red pimples.

Research shows Manuka honey is extremely effective in treating all kinds of skin conditions. But can its high antibacterial activity treat acne effectively? First let's take a look at what science can tell us about the efficacy of a Manuka honey acne treatment. As far as I know there haven't been done any studies or clinical trials on the topical use of (Manuka) honey on Acne vulgaris. Scientists are, however, interested in its possible action. The fact that the Waikato Honey Research Unit mentions one of its current research interests, "Trials of honey to treat acne", on their website illustrates this.

What do acne sufferers say? When we take a look at the acne.org forums we'll read many positive experiences. Reoccurring remarks in the threads are 'makes skin softer, brighter and takes away redness'. So it seems to help (some) people treating their acne. No hard proof here, just an indication it might work.

Another indication has to do with the fact that Manuka honey comes from bees who gather nectar on the Tea Tree. There have been done studies on the topical use of 5% Tea Tree oil compared with topical application of 5% benzoyl, which is a commonly accepted acne treatment product. Conclusion of these studies: both reduced acne, however the tea tree oil action was slower but this could have been caused by not using an optimal concentration. Tea tree oil also showed less side effects than benzoyl peroxide. This is by far no evidence but it might be an (indirect) indication Manuka honey could work. Source: page 2 of Therapeutic Properties of Tea Trea Oils.

In case researchers are able to proof this treatment works there is also another advantage; (next to little to no side effects) Bacteria associated with acne are becoming resistant to treatment with certain antibiotics whereas Manuka honey does not.

How To Use Manuka Honey Internally

Manuka honey is used both as a skin care product and as a natural treatment for stomach and throat conditions. When using it for heartburn, acid reflux, to calm down an upset stomach, stomach ulcers, stomach flu (gastroenteritis), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), diarrhea or other internal complaints there are some things to take into consideration which will add to the efficacy of the honey. Here are a few directions on how to optimally use Manuka honey for digestive purposes.

The honey should be kept as concentrated as possible to optimally coat the gastrointestinal tract when taken. This can be done by:

1. putting a teaspoon of honey on a small piece of bread, cracker or something alike
   
2. taking it on an empty stomach (e.g just after waking up)
3. not eating or drinking for about 20 minutes after eating the honey (to avoid dilution)
4. doing this at least 3 times a day
   

By eating the honey with a piece of bread or fruit you'll guarantee it will reach the stomach. If you would just eat it of the teaspoon there is a chance it will dissolve quickly into the bloodstream. But this might be variable depending on the person. Some people report taking the honey of a spoon works for them. These are just directions to make best use of its soothing, antiseptic properties which are known to protect and heal damaged tissue. For stomach ulcer treatment eating more honey and bread is recommended.

How to Use Manuka honey on a Sore Throat
These directions can also be applied when treating mouth ulcers, gum disease, dental plaque and tonsil infection. Obviously in these treatments it is best to keep the honey as long as possible in the mouth. You can do this by taking a teaspoon en just nibble a little from it and keep it a while in your mouth before swallowing. Rinse and repeat.

Have any questions? Don't hesitate to comment or e-mail me. For information on which brands to buy click here.

Manuka Honey for Medical Use | Acid Reflux

Active Manuka honey has many benefits. A large deal of these benefits are actually proven by research as well. Most of this research has been focused on wound care. All kinds of wounds such as infected wounds, burns, (diabetic) ulcers, fungal infections, insect bites, sunburn, boils and sores benefit from this type of honey. But there are more reasons to respect Manuka honey for its medical uses.

The golden nectar from New Zealand is also used with satisfaction by many for digestive relief. It is used frequently for heartburn and acid reflux , irritable bowel syndrome, upset stomach, stomach ulcers as well as a sore throat.

Acid Reflux (Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD) is an ailment in which contents of the stomach reflux into the esophagus. Among those contents is acid which causes inflammation which might cause permanent damage to the esophagus.

According to this poll acid reflux is the most common medical use for Manuka honey among consumers. The beauty of it is that Manuka honey has no side effects whereas common acid reflux medicines do. It destroys bacteria such as streptococcus and helicobacter pylori*, has antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties and soothes. * h. pylori is thought to cause gastric ulcers.

Critical note: Manuka honey has shown to heal some types of peptic ulcers by killing responsible bacteria. However, the University of Waikato cautions that the antimicrobial activity might be ineffective for most systemic ailments.

As far as I know there aren't any qualitative clinical trials conducted on the efficacy of Manuka honey on acid reflux. Anecdotal reports however sound promising. Many people tend to benefit from using this honey regularly and over a longer period.

According to experts it is recommended to take Manuka honey on a cracker or piece of bread because this slows the rate of digestion. Thus adding to an optimally coating of the internal tract and esophagus. Also it is best to do this about half an hour before breakfast and or dinner. The effects are most influential on an empty stomach. Avoid eating or drinking during this half hour. This also adds to the absorption of the honey.

More info on manuka honey for medical use.

Apart from manuka honey elevated pillows called wedge pillows can certainly reduce gerd symptoms. Click the link for more info on wedge pillows for acid reflux and general gerd reduction tips.

Manuka Honey Research

The last few decades a lot of research on the benefits of Manuka honey has been done. Pioneers and front runner is the Waikato University Honey Research Unit. This unit was established in 1995 but the research already started in the 1980's.

The world renowned professor Molan leads the Honey Research Unit and is accountable for many extremely useful discoveries. Did you for example know that some batches of Manuka honey are that potent that this honey can cure antibiotic resistant bacteria and even the so called superbug MRSA.

The focus of the lot of the studies has been (and is) on wounds, ulcers and infections. To be more precise on strains fungal species which for example cause athletes foot or ringworm, of streptococci that cause sore throats, and microbial and bacterial species that cause infections and other ailments.

But there's more, research on several ailments in cattle and farm animals and more has been done and still continues. Visit the Honey Research Unit for more info.

Honey for Burns | Proven Efficient Burn Treatment

Several different types of burns exist. Typical classifications are 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree wounds, epidermal, superficial dermal, and deep dermal burns to name just a few. Treatment obviously depends on the type of burn and is the task of the medical expert.

A few generalizations can be noted about burn dressings. They should be comfortable, non toxic, non adherent, non irritant, allow gaseous exchange and high humidity at the wound.

A clinical trial by Subrahmanyam (1991) in which the efficacy of silver sulfadiazine burn dressings were compared with honey dressings showed some clear benefits regarding honey. One of the conclusions:

"With silver sulfadiazine, the most widely used agent to prevent or clear infection in burns, 7% of the patients had infection in the burns controlled within 7 days, whereas with honey 91% of the wounds were sterile within 7 days

Honey was observed to remove dead tissue and offensive smell from the burns. Healthy granulation tissue was observed to appear nearly twice as fast with honey, and new skin cover developed faster also. There was better relief of pain, less exudation of lymph, and less irritation with honey. Honey also gave a lower incidence of raised scars and contractures." (Source )

This seminar article titled: "The Evidence Supporting the Use of Honey as a Wound Dressing" provides an extensive list of reports showing clinical evidence for the use of honey as a wound
dressing.

Of course it's redundant to say that severe burns should always be examined by a medical practitioner. But in case of a minor burn, medical grade honey wound paste or dressings might be a useful addition to the home medicine cabinet.