(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- You’ve heard of putting butter on a burn to
help ease the pain and promote healing, but what about honey as a remedy?
Researchers from New Zealand believe the sweet substance may be even more
effective at treating moderate burns than the gauze and film dressings
commonly used by doctors today. Their findings come from a review of 19
clinical trials involving more than 2,500 patients with various types of
wounds. While honey appeared to work for burns, it didn’t have much effect
on surgical wounds, leg ulcers, lacerations or grazes.
How does honey get the job done? The investigators cite honey’s
antibacterial effects, although it may also help remove dead tissue and
provide a favorable environment for healthy new tissue to grow.
The researchers stop far short of recommending hospitals and doctors abandon
current treatments, but they do believe their findings are worth more study.
“Health services should invest in treatments that have been shown to work,”
study author Dr. Andrew Jull, of the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the
University of Auckland, was quoted as saying. “But, we will keep monitoring
new research to try and establish the effect of honey.”
SOURCE: Cochrane Researchers, published online October 7, 2008
