Posted on 07/14/2023 8:09:37 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
The mixture of honey and vinegar, also known as oxymel, has been used as a medical treatment throughout history and now scientists have established that this combination could have modern applications.
Bacterial infections can be difficult to treat, particularly when they are protected within a biofilm. A biofilm is a complex system of bacteria which can attach tightly to surfaces, like flesh in a wound infection. Bacteria which are protected in a biofilm are difficult to kill, and treatments today are not always effective at removing them.
Doctors have utilized this information in medicine today. While they use manuka honey to treat antibiotic resistant infections they only use acetic acid, the active component of vinegar and do not currently combine the two.
Dr. Erin Connelly said, "In our survey of premodern recipes we noticed a pattern of combining honey and vinegar to wash or dress wounds and swellings, and this inspired us to focus on that combination in our analysis."
By comparing the use of vinegar and acetic acid alone, then in combination, the researchers found that it was specifically the combination of the two substances which was best.
"We applied a low dose of honey, that alone didn't kill the bacteria, and a low dose of acetic acid that also could not kill the bacteria alone," according to Dr. Harrison. "These doses are lower than those that wound care nurses currently use on patients. But when we put these low doses together, we saw a large number of bacteria dying which is really exciting."
The researchers also found that some natural vinegars had a greater ability to kill bacteria than an equivalent dose of pure acetic acid. In particular, pomegranate vinegars are interesting candidates; these had strong antibacterial activity and, like acetic acid, had activity when combined with honey.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
I always liked peroxide...let it bubble...clean the wound and cover it lightly. Of course this isn’t a massive wound...
There is a difference though between medical honey and the stuff you use
My veterinary doctor uses for wound healing on animals. It helped speed up a surgical incision healing on our dog.
oops...guess they don’t do that anymore.
You won’t get me beating up Ancient Medicine as I still remember the researcher from Red China who basically cured Malaria in the 1970s, and she succeeded because she took the time to read the ancient manuscripts to FULLY UNDERSTAND the recipe, whereas others tried shortcuts. That got her the Nobel Prize...nothing to sneeze at for Maoist China.
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Yes, take notes because we’re going to need to use these sooner than later.
“...honey and vinegar has been used as a medical treatment throughout history”
It’s always amazing that the old-school, trial-and-error solutions developed millennia ago still prove effective.
Imagine how the government and Big Pharma would have excoriated it if it had been show to be effective against COVID.
Henry V took a clothyard shaft through the face and the arrowhead was embedded in his skull. He survived the surgery to remove the arrowhead and the treatment included the use of honey. I don’t know if vinegar was used, but that story alone convinced me that there must be some antibacterial effects in honey.
Just finished a course of Manuka honey.
The honey is the same manuka honey. The difference is the medical version has a gel added to increase the efficiency..
From HealthLine...With its potent antibacterial properties, Manuka honey offers benefits such as wound healing, cough relief, protection against ulcers, improved digestion, and even better oral health.Fighting against the second wave of COVID-19: Can honeybee products help protect against the pandemic?Manuka honey is a honey native to New Zealand. It’s produced by bees that pollinate the flower Leptospermum scoparium (L.scoparium), commonly known as the Manuka bush.
Manuka honey’s antibacterial properties are what set it apart from traditional honey. It contains methylglyoxal as an active ingredient, likely responsible for these antibacterial effects. Additionally, Manuka honey has antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant benefits.
It has traditionally been used for wound healing, soothing sore throats, preventing tooth decay, and improving digestive issues.
Normal honey on a wound works from releasing hydrogen peroxide at the spot of moisture.
Thanks for that tidbit!
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Honey has atomic (not molecular) arsenic that kills bacteria. I did a study on honey years ago.
I have heard that bacteria cannot survive in a high sugar environment and that putting straight sugar on an infected skin would will kill the bacteria.
Actually the honey makes peroxide. It has been known for some time now that when honey mixes with water (like the natural water in your body) it produces A slow release of peroxide. Pouring pure peroxide on a wound kills a lot of the good skin cells along with the infection, so hospitals have stopped using it on wounds. But the peroxide produced by the honey keeps on steadily slowly releasing small amounts over a long period with good results, even less scaring.
It’s use goes all the way back to the Egyptians
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