Manuka honey could be even better for us than we first thought
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If you haven’t hopped aboard the manuka honey train yet, here’s yet another reason to do so: A recent study has found that its anti-bacterial qualities are so strong it could soon be used to fight hospital infections.
Researchers at Southampton University recently found that using manuka-based solutions to clean hospital equipment effective at reducing the ability of potentially deadly bacteria to accumulate on surfaces by more than 75%.
Apparently this discovery could pretty revolutionary for those particularly at risk of bacterial infections, such as hospital inpatients using a catheter (one in four) or those that regularly suffer from urinary tract infections.
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It could be great news for the NHS, too - damage resulting from using long-term urethra catheters costs it a massive £1 billion a year, and accounts for 2,100 deaths, according to the researchers.
Plenty of us have sung the praises of manuka honey for years now - it’s believed to be a great natural medicine, and thanks to studies like this, a proven antibacterial solution too.
While the Australia and New Zealand-based honey has been used as a health remedy for centuries now, this study was the first to look into the potential of ‘mono-floral’ honey, produced exclusively from the nectar of the manuka tree.
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Dr Bashir Lwaleed, associate professor of health sciences at the University of Southampton, told The Telegraph: “Catheter infection rates can account for a large proportion of hospital acquired infections. It is an area of clinical practice that needs addressing.
“We believe that patients might also benefit from honey’s anti-inflammatory properties, which are generally stronger in dark honeys, such as manuka, and that antibacterial resistance is unlikely to be a factor when honey is used.”
What do you think about this research? Tweet us at @YahooStyleUK.
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