Next time you’re feeling a bit ill, you may want to turn to your local bee hive before reaching for the medicine cabinet.
At least that’s the sweet solution put forth by researchers at Sweden’s Lund University, who found that the special bacteria in honeybee stomachs may prove to be a valuable alternative to antibiotics.
The group, who based their research on the incredible results of honey being used as a poultice for injured horses, determined that the lactic acids found in honey straight from the bees stomachs, produce powerfully active antimicrobial compounds that can fight some of the most prevalent strains of human bacteria.
Don’t go reaching for your average store bought honey just yet, the scientists emphasised that these lactic-acid bacteria aren’t found in store-bought honey because of the processing that goes into making it.
Now, don’t panic just yet but far from trekking into the woods to find a swarm of honey bees, raw honey can be found relatively easily. There are a whole range of artisan producers – Plan Bee included- who produce a range of unpasteurised, unfiltered honey to suit your every well-being need.
As well as defeating everyday common infections and complaints these recent findings have huge potential in worldwide humanitarian efforts as well, Tobias Olofsson, of the Medical Microbiology Department of Lund University says that the findings could have huge benefits to developing countries that don’t have access to antibiotics and that if results are as effective in human testing, bees worldwide will well and truly be put to work.
