"Super Honey" Beats Superbugs: Hype Or Reality?

Honey has long been known for its amazing healing properties. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians used it back in their time, and since then many people today have adapted the practice. Up to the Second World War, honey was used for its antibacterial properties in treating soldier’s wounds.

However, since antibiotics have surfaced in the world of medicine, the medical properties of honey have been pushed aside as synthetic healers have taken the forefront. Recently, there has been a renewed interest in the medicinal properties of honey.

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Native Americans tend to learn from the animals around them. Watching a bear walking through swarms of bees despite being stung several times made them observe the pain and struggle the animal went through just to get a taste of that “sticky substance”, and this led them to investigate on what truly made that “sticky stuff” so special.

When they finally got their hands on honey, they discovered that not only does it taste great but it actually helped in healing their bee stings, in a rather miraculous way! Later on, they spread the use of honey for other needs such as treating the cold, soothing a sore throat or helping to resolve hoarseness. And women weren't left behind: they would use honey concoctions as facial masks for cosmetic reasons. 

Other Benefits of Honey

Apart from the above-mentioned wonders of honey, there are several other effects for which honey has been praised. For instance,

A swift decrease in the level of inflammation and a significant reduction of the redness, swelling and pain were quickly noted. Honey also possesses antimicrobial properties, which makes it very promising in the future for the treatment of periodontal disease.

Additionally, researchers have reported that an enzyme in the honey turns into hydrogen peroxide when combined with bodily fluids, such as blood. This also contributes in disinfecting wounds and preventing infections from developing, even when we have a cut. Honey is now used not only as a food additive but also to fight infection, treat wounds and protect your skin.

It can also be used as a potent antioxidant to lessen the effect of the radiation therapy in patients with cancer. Honey is also thought to decrease the risk of developing heart diseases. It lowers our body levels of C-reactive protein and improves blood flow. It may have a lesser impact on blood glucose and insulin levels compared to glucose or another honey analogue, particularly in diabetic patients. It can be used as a healthier sugar substitute.

Additionally, honey is known to enhance the effects of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is the nutrient that fosters better eyesight. Mixing nutrients rich in Vitamin A (carrots for instance) with honey has a symbiotic effect. 

Because of all these amazing properties, honey has truly earned its place in our kitchen counters, emergency cabinets and beauty care shelves. Now, with the coming of “Superhoney”, this nature wonders seems to be rising higher in importance. 

What About The “Super Honey”?

A bio-engineered product called Surgihoney (Super-honey) was produced in a farm in Southern Chile. The product was developed by Ian Staples, a local businessman in the area. He took on a project to identify and discover the “unique” health benefits associated with Super Honey.

Over a year ago, the product was tested on babies, cancer patients, new mothers and the elderly in Hampshire hospitals in the United Kingdom.

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Super honey was also found to be helpful to women after childbirth through caesarian section. Honey has also shown some effects in skin care such as in the treatment of acne, or for skin protection in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Most doctors believe that penicillin and antibiotics are still a better option for patients. Dr. Matthew Dryden, consultant microbiologist at the Hampshire hospitals NHS Foundation,  stated that Surgihoneyhas the potential to “…revolutionize wound care around the world.”One specific highlight that he made is that Super Honey kills the bugs, without destroying the surrounding tissue, unlike several antibiotics.

However, some people are still reticent to accept the claimed “wonders” of Super honey”, and they believe that this is simply an initiative from pharmaceutical companies to make some more money. Others add that since Surgihoney is not natural, you will not get the true effects of the honey. Some people are also worried that Surgihoney might have been genetically modified in laboratories thus decreasing his efficacy; and so raw and natural honey would be much more effective in healing infections compared to Surgihoney.

So what makes this any different?

Looking at prior researches made on honey, there seems to be no reason for messing with what was not broken. The product may be beneficial and hopefully not fake and void of nutrients like many honey-based products on the market, but at this point we are not very sure of how safe this product is.

Results also showed that the use of super honey halved cases of wound infections after caesarean section from six percent to three percent. Among other success stories, there is the story of a 77 year old man who suffered from a severely infected leg ulcer putting him at risk of amputation; and whose symptoms were relieved with the use of Surgihoney. His leg was saved after treatment with honey.

With the success stories and the positive results, Super honey could truly be a reality. However, it is probably not a new concept. Honey has been used for centuries for these purposes, so Super Honey could simply be an extension of the already-known benefits of honey. Superhoney (Surgihoney) has already been licensed by UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. However, the “miracle” product is not yet available for purchase.