Manuka honey (specifically standardized manuka honey), made by bees using only the nectar of flowers from the manuka tree native to Australia and New Zealand, has been widely studied and may have broad antibacterial effects. For example, although controlled clinical trials are lacking, case reports using manuka honey to treat non-healing wounds and ulcers have noted a clearing of infection and an improvement in wound healing, even in wounds that didn’t respond to antibiotics. Findings from other research have also suggested that manuka honey might restore susceptibility in some antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Because manuka honey has a complex chemistry and its antimicrobial actions are thought to be due to multiple effects, bacteria might be less likely to develop a resistance to it. This is an important feature at a time when antibiotic resistance is a growing problem without a clear solution.

Source: Frontiers in Microbiology