Manuka Honey Kills Resistant Superbug Bacteria that Antibiotics Can't

A honey-based dressing for wounds is effective even on injuries that are resistant to antibiotics, according to New Jersey manufacturer Derma Sciences Inc.

The product, called Medihoney, is made from an absorbent material based on seaweed, and saturated with a variety of honey known as manuka, or Leptospermum, honey. The honey is produced by bees that have collected nectar from manuka and jelly bushes, which grow in Australia and New Zealand.

According to biochemist Peter Molan, who has researched natural antibiotics including honey for 25 years, manuka honey is effective at killing even the most antibiotic resistant bacteria even when it has been diluted to a tenth of its original concentration.

"There's more evidence, clinical evidence, by far for honey in wound treatment than for any of the pharmaceutical products," Molan said. He recommends it in particular for people with weak immune systems.

used on wounds