save diabetics from amputation

Honey could save diabetics from amputation

May 4, 2009

Spreading honey on a diabetic ulcer could prevent the need to amputate an infected foot, researchers say.

A doctor at the University of Wisconsin who helped about half a dozen of her diabetic patients avoid amputation has launched a controlled trial to promote the widespread use of honey therapy. Honey is great. That's what I've always said. Even the ancient Egyptians used honey to heal wounds.

The therapy involves squeezing a thick layer of honey onto the wound after dead skin and bacteria have been removed.

The honey kills bacteria because it is acidic and avoids the complication of bacterial resistance found with standard antibiotics, Jennifer Eddy, a professor at the University's School of Medicine and Public Health, told AFP.

"This is a tremendously important issue for world health," Eddy said.

Diabetics typically have poor circulation and decreased ability to fight infection and ulcers can be hard to treat. An amputation is performed every 30 seconds somewhere in the world, Eddy said.

"If we can prove that honey promotes healing in diabetic ulcers, we can offer new hopes for many patients, not to mention the cost benefit, and the issue of bacterial resistance. The possibilities are tremendous."

Honey therapy is already used to treat bed sores in New Zealand and as an alternative form of medicine in Europe, but has largely been relegated to history books in the United States.

Eddy first heard of it in medical school when a professor commented that of all the ancient remedies, honey actually seemed to work when he tried it out in the laboratory. Honey could save diabetics from amputation.

She tried honey therapy as a last resort six years ago with a 79-year-old diabetic patient who had developed foot wounds resistant to standard treatments.

"I tried it only after everything else had failed and... we had essentially sent him home to die," she said. "All antibiotics were stopped when we started honey, and his wounds rapidly healed."

Eddy hopes to have the trial completed and the results published by 2008 or 2009.

Dr. Jennifer Eddy says honey therapy can save diabetics from amputations cures diabetic ulcer wounds

Spreading honey on a diabetic ulcer could prevent the need to amputate an infected foot, researchers say.
A doctor at the University of Wisconsin who helped about half a dozen of her diabetic patients avoid amputation has launched a controlled trial to promote the widespread use of honey therapy.
Diabetic patients usually have poor circulation and decreased resistance to fight infection and ulcers developed, become hard to treat. So, as a result the wounds develop rapidly, to prevent further development they have to amputate the affected portions. On an average an amputation is performed every 30 seconds in the world because of this problem.
Dr. Jennifer Eddy, a professor at the University’s School of Medicine and Public Health tested this theory whether honey helped diabetic patients and prevents amputations and found some interesting results. The therapy involved by applying a thick layer of honey on the wound after dead skin and bacteria were removed. This bacteria have become more resistant to normal antibiotics rendering them ineffective and amputation is the only means to prevent further its growth. The honey on the other hand kills bacteria because it is acidic in nature.
Dr. Eddy said this study will be verified with further controlled trials and experiments and if they find the same results, it will be a significant and can help prevent many amputations across the world. It is also available in plenty in nature, so anyone can use it without the worry of high costs in treating these diabetic ulcers.
"If we can prove that honey promotes healing in diabetic ulcers, we can offer new hopes for many patients, not to mention the cost benefit, and the issue of bacterial resistance. The possibilities are tremendous."
In New Zealand, Honey therapy is already used to treat bed sores and is also being using as an alternative medicine in Europe, but in the US, it is not being used widely for health care purposes.
Prof. Eddy tested this idea after she heard this in her medical school from a professor, who commented that honey worked better compared to other ancient remedies in a laboratory situation.
Dr. Eddy wouldn’t have used honey, but she had to as a last resort to cure a 79 year old diabetic patient, who was close to amputation and didn’t respond to standard medications and treatments. He was almost at the verge of death, so she started applying honey therapy for him and his wounds rapidly healed after.
She is going to do more trials and said the results will be published in 2008 or 2009.
It is great news, because many diabetic patients develop these wounds quickly, so instead of amputation, they will definitely welcome such natural remedies. Hope she confirms it with the trials and if so they should give her a Nobel Prize along with her Professor for developing this remedy for diabetic ulcers.

just to share our experiences with you;my husband had three operations on his middle rightfoott toe,no amputation,but the cuse was diabetis;ever since he apply honey on the said toe 'place of operation'(it has been nearly3yrs already),the toe is alway dry and the problem is solved.so far we had travelled3times on the longhaul within this3yrs,i don't have to rush my husband to hospital for the same toe operation,infections resulting into blood poison because of diabetis.thank you very much to dr jenifer eddy.

I took a look at them. You know I had no idea till I posted this thread today, that honey help do anything.

I'm glad I saw this news. I enjoy learning about new things, such as this especially.

There is so many people in our world that has diabetes. This information should help them.

Your links has helped me in knowing that honey also works for other things.

I think I should go and buy some natural honey before they stop selling it.

This is so awesome. Honey heals their sores. People, all across the world can benefit from honey.

A simple sweet taste of honey on your sores and let the healing begin.

The article states that a 79 year old patient had developed foot wounds that was resistant to standard treatments. As soon as they stopped the antibiotics and used honey his wounds healed quickly.

Ok I think this is pertanent as I have first hand experience in this field. My father is a lifelong Apiarist and a proponent of the benifits of honey. About 6 months ago he got cancer on his shin and proceded to use honey which I had viewed the results initially and was impressed. How ever after the initial minor healing it only benifited the cancer a little and was by no means a cure.

He eventually had the cancer cut out of his shin bone and was on the mend, all the time applying honey to the affected area. Yesterday he rung me and said the cancer was back and in full force again.

The interesting thing is the primary cancer was eventually found and was in his throat which spread and was popping out all over his body. Now when I tell people that he has throat cancer they immediately say to me ...oh he must of been a smoker, which is totally wrong as he has never ever smoked a single cigarette as he dispised his father's 30 a day habit from childhood ( who died aged 90 of gangrene of the spine ).

I have mentioned this to quite a few people now and there appears to be a common thread of people getting cancer in the neck, throat and mouth and none have been smokers or drinkers. Its amazing how many people say to me..I had an Aunt/uncle or sister who got cancer in the throat and they never smoked.
 

I imagine this is NATURAL honey and not the processed stuff you get in the grocery store??

Considering that the bees are disappearing .... this news about honey brings me happiness that something good has been found, but sadness because I don't know how much longer we will have the honey and bees

I was thinking the exact same thing. We finally found something extremely good for honey. Helping the diabetics cure their sores. And now are honey bees are disappearing. That’s sad. Wonder, if the two goes together.

Like the powers that be don’t want this cure and have known about it for some time. If this statement is out of line, I'm sorry.

I'm just concerned about our honey bees.

However, maybe just maybe people can raise honeybees on their lands and somehow bring them back.

Honey is great. That's what I've always said. Even the ancient Egyptians used honey to heal wounds.

Honey is a very healthy substitute for sugar as well. You can use it in your tea or coffee or even on your cereal. It has a little different taste, but I actually preserve it. After a long time it actually crystallizes into a ‘sugar like’ substance.
I used to raise bees with my grand father and great uncle. It was very interesting and I know from experience that that it is not hard to increase the size of colonies given a few years. The problem is the infiltration of Africanized Bees as they call them over running and infiltrating our domestic honey bee population. This is the result of another attempt by man to mess around with Gods natural order for our world.
Honeybees were transplanted from Africa (Tanzania) in 1956 to Brazil as part of a breeding program that would allow the European honeybees (EHB) to adapt to the hot South American climate and still maintain their normal production of honey. The African bees made less honey than did the European bees but tolerated the hot climate better. The project was intended to produce bees that made honey as EHB did but tolerated the extreme climate as the African bees did. In 1957, 26 swarms of the imported African bees escaped into the surrounding jungle and started breeding with the local wild bees. The local bees, which interbred with the imported bees, began to take on the more aggressive behaviors of the African honeybee, and became known as AHBs.2–4 Initially, it was assumed that hybridization would occur, but over time, the AHB characteristics have essentially replaced those of the EHB.

Most tantalizingly, honey seems capable of combating the growing scourge of drug-resistant wound infections, including group A streptococcus -- the infamous flesh-eating bug -- and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which in its most severe forms also destroys flesh. These have become alarmingly more common in recent years, with MRSA alone now responsible for half of all skin infections treated in U.S. emergency rooms. So-called superbugs cause thousands of deaths and disfigurements every year, and public health officials are alarmed.

I was thinking if it can heal soars on diabetics, why can’t it heal wounds for any one. So, here is a little bit more about honey and its healing effects.
Historically, honey has been used as a folk remedy in cultures around the world for millennia. It has been prescribed informally as a cure for smallpox, baldness, eye diseases, and indigestion. It’s even been used as a contraceptive. As with most natural “cures” unsupported by scientific studies, I sort of chuckle and sigh when I read about things like this—honey may be a silly substitute for real medicine, but at least it’s not bloodletting. However, in this case, the bees may have the last laugh. It turns out that honey’s properties make it a surprisingly effective cure-all. Or, let’s say, cure-much.

I knew about the bees coming over here from South American and I have been very concerned with this fact. As I knew it was going to mess up our own honey bees. I could not understand why they choose to breed two different types of bees. It’s just makes me wonder. They knew the offspring of these bees became mean. (killer bees) Then they end up here in the US. Now, our honeybees are being taking over and are dying. This fact is sad indeed.

All in all maybe well start using honey more with our diabetics and helping them with their sores. Surely, doctors have now heard about this, and is at least trying it for those patients whose wounds will not heal.
I think it is a very good idea.

soficrow,

I didn't know that honey was good for the digestive tract either until today. Thanks to you, lonewolf and hellmutt, and reading the links provided I have learned a lot here.

"I tried it only after everything else had failed and... we had essentially sent him home to die," she said. "All antibiotics were stopped when we started honey, and his wounds rapidly healed."

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