Scientists discover why honey is still the best antibiotic
(NaturalNews) Conventional antibiotics are overprescribed and overconsumed. They
are given out like parade candy, tossed out to anyone waving their hands. 2010
data obtained by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) show that a whopping
833 antibiotic prescriptions are handed out on average per
every 1,000 people.
Conventional antibiotics make users sicker in the long run
Doctors carelessly prescribe antibiotics for viral infections, which is useless
since antibiotics are only effective for breaking up bacterial infections. To
make matters worse, overprescription and overconsumption make future infections
harder to fight, since antibiotics deplete the good bacteria in the gut.
In this medical travesty, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are rising up, adapting
to the singular mode of action that the prescription antibiotics lean on. The
CDC has recently identified 20 resistant strains of bacteria, thanks to reckless
dependency on these prescriptions. A 2013 report by the CDC sounds the alarm,
reporting that over
2 million people contract antibiotic-resistant infections each year. Conventional
antibiotics are making users sicker in the long run, more vulnerable and more
prone to infection.
As this disturbing trend continues, scientists are looking for simpler answers.
Researchers from the Salve Regina University in Newport, Rode Island, are
rediscovering the reasons why raw
honey is still one of the best natural antibiotics around to this day.
Honey fights infections on multiple levels and doesn't promote
resistant bacteria
Lead author Susan M. Meschwitz, Ph.D., presented the findings at the 247th
National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. She reports, "The unique
property of honey lies
in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult
for bacteria to develop resistance."
Meschwitz said that honey
uses a combination of weapons including polyphenols, hydrogen peroxide and an
osmotic effect. Honey
is practically an ambidextrous fighter, using multiple modalities to kill bacteria.
One of those fighting methods is its osmosis effect. This effect comes from
honey's high sugar concentration. In this process, water is drawn from the
bacteria cells, leaving the pathogens no option but to dehydrate and die off.
Honey breaks up bacteria by destroying its modes of communication
Honey also possesses properties that stop the formation of biofilms. These
slimy biofilms are bacteria communities which harbor diseases. Honey keeps these
biofilms from congregating by breaking up a bacterial communication process
called quorum
sensing.
By breaking up this process, honey stops the bacteria from communicating and
expanding their viability. Without this communication mode, the bacteria cannot
release the toxins that increase their ability to cause disease.
Meschwitz said that, by disrupting quorum sensing, the virulent behavior of
bacteria is weakened, "rendering the bacteria more susceptible to conventional
antibiotics."
Doctors should prescribe honey first, and antibiotics as a last
resort
Honey is so powerful for destroying bacteria that it should be the first mode of
treatment when treating a bacterial illness. Doctors
should prescribe honey first, since it attacks bacteria from multiple angles. Prescribed antibiotics should
be the "alternative" therapy, or the last
resort.
Honey is more powerful because it prevents the formation of antibiotic-resistant
bacteria. Conventional antibiotics fail because they only target the essential
growth processes of bacteria. This allows bacteria to build up resistance over
time, while the user also destroys the good bacteria in their gut.
Honey works much differently, breaking down the bacteria's communication
processes while dehydrating the bacteria's structures through an osmosis effect.
On top of that, honey is filled with powerful antioxidants in the form of
polyphenols. Meschwitz adds, "Several studies have demonstrated a correlation
between the non-peroxide antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of honey and
the presence of honey phenolics."
Honey is also antiviral, antifungal and full of antioxidants
Not only is honey antibacterial, but it is antiviral and antifungal. These
properties alone make it more powerful than conventional antibiotics. Honey can
target undetected fungal conditions that may be at the root cause of perpetual
illness.
Meschwitz said that her team of researchers has been measuring the level of
antioxidant activity of honey. "We have separated and identified the various
antioxidant polyphenol compounds. In our antibacterial studies, we have been
testing honey's activity against E.
coli, Staphylococcus
aureus and Pseudomonas
aeruginosa,
among others."
While many commercial brands of honey are filtered and fake, the best place to
look for delicious, medicinal, and unfiltered raw honey is at local honeybee
farms.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.sciencedaily.com
http://www.nydailynews.com
http://www.acs.org
http://science.naturalnews.com