The Sweet Secret to Beating Deadly Superbugs
There are all kinds of health threats these days.
But there’s one that’s not getting nearly enough attention any longer: Drug-resistant superbugs.
These are bacteria that are becoming (or have already become) resistant to mainstream medicine’s BEST antibiotics.
The misuse of these drugs has led to nearly one million people dying every year from drug-resistant infections.
The deadly threat has scientists scrambling to find a solution. And their search has them reevaluating an ancient remedy hailed for its natural antibacterial properties.
These days, we tend to think of honey as a natural sweetener. But honey’s benefits go FAR beyond its ability to satisfy your taste buds.
In fact, it could be the answer to antibiotic resistance.
Recently, researchers put honey to the test to find out which types have the highest antibacterial properties. They also evaluated whether the age of the honey impacted its potency.
They tested the effectiveness of black locust, goldenrod, linden, and sunflower honey from 2020, 2021, and 2022 against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.
They also wanted to find the minimum amount of honey necessary to stop bacterial growth.
Here are the key takeaways:
- Fresher honey had higher antibacterial activity than older honey
- Linden and sunflower honeys had the strongest antibacterial effects
- The hardest bacterium to inhibit was Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a type of gram-negative bacteria.
So, while honey won’t work against all types of bacteria, it does have a broad range that it can effectively inhibit. That makes it a powerful tool that deserves a spot in our first aid kits.
You can apply honey directly to an infected wound. Just ensure your hands are clean and that you use a sterile applicator.
P.S. Three ways to fight infections NATURALLY!
SOURCE:
Balázs, V. L., Kocsis, B., Csikós, E., Ángyán, V. D., Szabó, P., Biró, V., Kocsis, M., & Farkas, Á. (2024). Antibacterial activity of Hungarian varietal honeys against respiratory pathogens as a function of storage time. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1-12.
