This article is for informational purposes only. Australian Wildflower honey is a food product. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
What honey is best for you? The answer is raw honey that is minimally handled, has not been ultra-filtered or processed. This retains all of its natural bioactive compounds which can include life supporting vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, probiotics and active enzymes. Where the honey comes from is also extremely important. You should choose honey from native and natural habitats which are removed from industrial crops and cities to reduce the risk of chemical residue contamination.
Honey has been extensively used as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of numerous diseases [1,2,3,4].
Raw honey demonstrates beneficial effects in many physiological systems, for example, the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory and gastrointestinal systems [5].
Honey might exert antimicrobial and/or antioxidant activities due to its high osmolarity, acidity, generation of H2O2 and NO on exposure to water, as well as the presence of so-called non-peroxide factors like methylglyoxal (MGO) [5]. Furthermore, phenolic compounds, organic acids, enzymes (e.g., diastase, glucose oxidase, and invertase), minerals (e.g., potassium, iron, zinc) and other minor constituents also have potential anti-parasitic, and antidiabetic activities [1].
The antibacterial activity of honey has been associated with the generation of hydrogen peroxide in the case of so-called ‘peroxide honeys’ [6,7,8] or the presence of methylglyoxal (MGO) in so-called ‘non-peroxide honeys’ [9] as well as the activity of bee defensin-1 and other bee-related enzymes alongside high osmolarity and a low pH. Flavonoids and phenolic substances also contribute to the antibacterial effect of both peroxide and non-peroxide honeys [8,9] in addition to their well-documented antioxidant effects [7,10].
Honey has been found to provide beneficial effects to different stages of wound healing (i.e., haemostasis, inflammation, remodeling) and thus to influence positively the natural physiology of wound healing, particularly by reducing oedema and wound exudate [6]. Honey also improves wound healing through the promotion of collagen synthesis, growth of new blood vessels, autolytic stimulation of the growth of fibroblasts cells, epithelial cells and granulation tissue and prevention of scar tissue and keloid formation [7]. Additionally, the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of honey also contribute to its wound remedial effects.
These benefits provide the rationale for honey to be used as a potential antibacterial (and anti-inflammatory) agent in a range of medicinal products.
