PROFOH welcomes study on dilute honey may fight urine infections

Honey and water might be a useful weapon against urine infections in hospital patients, say UK researchers. Scientists at University of Southampton have shown in the lab that diluted honey stops some common bacteria from forming sticky, hard-to-remove layers on surfaces such as plastic. In theory, a honey solution might be useful for flushing urinary catheters to keep them clean while they remain in the bladder. Many more trials would be needed to check it would be safe to use in humans. Honey has been used for centuries as a natural antiseptic. People have used it to treat burns and wounds and many companies now sell a range of “medical grade” honey products that comply with regulatory standards.

The laboratory work, published in the Journal of Clinical Pathology, looked at two common bacteria that can cause urine and bladder infections – E. coli and Proteus mirabilis. Even at low dilution – about 3.3% – the honey solution appeared to stop the bacteria from clustering together and creating layers of known biofilm. Dr Bashir Lwaleed’s team used Manuka honey (made by bees that feed on the nectar of the manuka tree) in their study because this dark – colored honey from Australia and New Zealand is known to have bacterial-fighting properties. They say other types of honey might work too, but they have not tested this Dr Lwaleed said: “Nobody knows exactly how or why honey works as an antibacterial.