Raw Honey & Healing
– Newest News 2022 –

Dr. Al Danenberg Nutritional Periodontist

June 12, 2022 [printfriendly]

Peek into the newest news for raw honey. You might be surprised.

A paper published in April 2022[1] may turn the medical world upside down.

I’m shouting this out to all who want to listen and learn …

  • Raw Honey is healthy
  • Raw Honey is healing
  • Raw Honey is protective
  • Raw Honey can replace many prescriptions
  • Raw Honey does not cause tooth decay or gum disease

Wow! These are powerful statements. A teaspoon of raw honey is not a teaspoon of sugar – not by a long shot!

When I was lecturing and writing about raw honey and how it could be used as a toothpaste, I was scorned and laughed at by my profession. Most in the dental world still think I am a charlatan to make such an outlandish statement. But the science is out there, and the science is growing.

Sadly, practicing physicians and dentists rarely take a deep dive into the published peer-reviewed literature to learn the newest news, which is based on respected and replicable science. Most health professionals learn what they need to know in medical and dental school, but few go out of their way to think outside of the box and investigate “unusual” methods of treatment.

When it comes to the mouth, I wrote a Blog about honey and its oral benefits. Then in April 2020, a peer-reviewed article showed that honey significantly reduces all pathogens that were investigated in the mouth that cause periodontal disease.

And the newest news about honey was published in a medical paper in Drug Resistance Updates in April 2022. It cited 111 peer-reviewed articles and described in detail that honey is revolutionizing non-conventional wound healing by simultaneously targeting multiple molecular mechanisms.

Of course, there are a few people with specific metabolic and health conditions that might not be able to consume raw honey. You should check with your healthcare professional if you are one of those who should not consume honey.

 

Newest News about Raw Honey[2]

Raw honey has antimicrobial and healing effects.  In fact, conventional medicine has approved honey as a topical method to aid skin wound healing. But there are many other applications of honey beyond topical use. And it is important to understand that pathogenic microbes do not develop resistance to honey, which makes it extremely effective as a medicament for many infectious wounds.[3]

 

Honey Prevents Resistant Bacteria

The reason that honey does not allow microbes to become resistant is because honey possesses multiple mechanisms of antimicrobial activity. A diversity of antimicrobial mechanisms makes it almost impossible for pathogenic microbes to develop resistance. This is a critical fact since an increasing percentage of pathogenic bacteria turn into superbugs. Superbugs are microbes that have become resistant to conventional antimicrobial agents and therefore are extremely difficult to kill. This is reflected by the increased number of hospital-acquired infections with resistant bacteria.

The properties of honey that are responsible for wound healing are based on two main principles: its antimicrobial activity and its pro-healing activity. Because of these principles, honey is revolutionizing wound repair by preventing and treating severe infections and by aiding the healing process.

 

Honey Improves Wound Healing

When honey is applied to active wounds, it “sucks” the water out of colonizing bacteria. Then honey’s acid level and the presence of antimicrobial molecules create an unsuitable environment preventing the invasion and survival of bacteria within the wound.

Two different types of honey exist, depending on the specific types of flowers that the bees pollinate. One type has “peroxide” as its main antimicrobial mode of action The other type has “non-peroxide” as its main mode of antimicrobial action.

In the “peroxide-based” honey group, bees convert the glucose in honey into gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide is highly bactericidal.

In the “non-peroxide-based” honey group, the antimicrobial molecule is methylglyoxal (MGO). Manuka honey is the best-known non-peroxide-based honey. The nectar of the flowers of the Manuka tree contains high amounts of dihydroxyacetone, which bees convert into MGO.

Both honey types contain additional molecules that exert direct antimicrobial effects, including polyphenolic compounds (phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins) and antimicrobial peptides such as bee defensin-1. It is important to note that some lesions respond better to the peroxide-based honeys, and some respond better to Manuka honey.

All these bioavailable chemicals in honey kill more than bacteria. Honey also shows activity against fungi and viruses such as candida albicans, candida auris, herpes simplex virus (cold sores), and varicella-zoster virus (chickenpox and shingles). In addition, honey can eradicate biofilms, which encase and protect microbial colonies. Biofilms make microbes hard to reach with antibiotics.

Besides its antimicrobial properties, honey also has multiple properties that enhance wound healing by restoring the integrity of the injured tissue. Honey …

  • Contains necessary nutrients which cells use for healing
  • Assists in the formation of new blood vessels
  • Enhances the closure and healing of wounds
  • Reduces edema and inflammation
  • Has phenolic compounds which act as antioxidants, scavenging free radicals which protects the wound microenvironment
  • Minimizes scar formation because of honey’s anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and remodeling properties
  • Reduces pain in the wound site

Beside topical wound healing, honey improves healing in oral, abdominal, and subcutaneous wounds.

 

Oral Wounds

Oral mucosal wounds, such as post-extraction sockets, surgical mucosal wounds, or ulcers, generally heal faster than skin wounds with less scar formation. But applying honey to oral wounds has been shown to enhance healing of these wounds.

In many studies reported in the April 2022 published paper, the placement of honey in extraction sockets provided significant benefits compared to sockets without the introduction of honey. Sockets treated with honey experienced …

  • Fewer inflammatory signs such as redness, edema, and halitosis
  • Faster healing
  • Less pain
  • Increased bone formation

In other oral lesions, honey has played an important role:

  • Tonsillectomy patients: Honey helped to lower postoperative pain and improve healing after tonsillectomy in children. Patients using honey had less fever and quicker healing time in the post-surgical period.
  • Cleft palate surgery patients: Patients undergoing Cleft palate surgery had less scar formation and better jaw growth when honey was applied to the healing surgical sites.
  • Cancer patients: For cancer patients, the combination of radio- and chemotherapy can cause a debilitating side effect called mucositis. Mucositis is a painful ulceration in the oral, nasal, and/or esophageal mucosa. Patients experiencing these ulcerations noticed more rapid healing when they applied honey to the lesions. It also was reported that honey showed prophylactic properties by helping prevent oral mucositis. However, a few studies showed that peroxide-type honeys did better than Manuka honey in preventing and managing radio- and chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Also, a few studies showed Manuka honey can be cytotoxic at high concentrations, resulting in slower wound healing.

The oral use of honey logically raises the question, “Could the use of honey in the mouth increase tooth decay because of its low pH and high sugar content?”

The answer is, “No”.

Published peer-reviewed studies do not show an increase of tooth decay or periodontal disease from the use of honey. In fact, honey has repeatedly been shown to decrease the potentially pathogenic bacteria causing tooth decay as well as periodontal disease.

 

Abdominal Wounds

In many abdominal surgical procedures, a frequent complication is abdominal adhesions occurring during the healing process. Several animal studies have shown that applying honey to the surgical site significantly reduced the incidence of abdominal adhesions. Interestingly, oral consumption of honey alone demonstrated similar protective effects on abdominal adhesions as did the application of honey on the surgical site. The anti-adhesive effect of honey might be mediated by increased anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of honey.

 

Subcutaneous Wounds

Lesions and lacerations underneath the skin have been treated with honey successfully. The honey-treated wounds were more likely to heal completely and were less likely to have signs of inflammation like redness or edema than lesions which were allowed to heal without the application of honey. The investigators of several animal studies suggested that the antibacterial effects of subcutaneous honey cleared the affected tissues from bacterial contamination and subsequently aided the wound repair from deeper within the wound. One interesting fact about honey is its ability to diffuse from its application site into deeper wound tissues. This may be a significant factor in healing subcutaneous wounds.

 

Honey’s Healing Mechanisms

Honey can create signals that activate various pathways of repair. Here are a few of the specific healing mechanisms that are stimulated by honey. Honey …

  • Activates a pro-inflammatory response, which is necessary during the early inflammatory phase. Pro-inflammatory stimulation causes the immune system to send out various white blood cells to eliminate the debris in the wound and protect the area against pathogenic bacteria. Then honey suppresses the production of these pro-inflammatory cytokines when the time is right, by downregulating various pathways and thereby reducing inflammation.
  • Stimulates antioxidant pathways which neutralizes the formation of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS).
  • Promotes the creation of blood vessels in the wound.
  • Stimulates the proliferation of new dermal cells to promote tissue regeneration.
  • Creates a pro-healing microenvironment that optimizes scarless wound healing.
  • Has analgesic effects, which reduces pain.
  • Contains components that can trigger the immune system into action when “danger” is encountered.

As I mentioned earlier, the type of honey may influence the healing potential. For example, Manuka honey may be less effective than peroxide-type honeys with cellular migration in the healing process.

 

Conclusions

Honey can kill microbes, target multidrug resistant pathogens, and enhance wound healing. Since honey activates critical signaling pathways, honey plays many additional roles in the prevention of infections and promotion of wound repair.

There have been no reported adverse, harmful, or side effects from the use of honey mentioned in the cited studies in the April 2022 paper. And most of these studies have used various unprocessed raw honeys. However, it must be noted that unprocessed raw honey could have adverse effects because of the possibility of contamination with herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, and bacterial spores.

As I stated above, there are a few people with specific metabolic and health conditions that might not be able to consume raw honey. You should check with your healthcare professional if you are one of those who should not consume honey.

There is a medical-grade honey (MGH), which is processed and tested to prove its safety and efficacy for use in medical wound care. But the processing of MGH may inactive some of the important enzymes in raw, unprocessed honey. Honey consists of over 200 bioactive components, including enzymes, amino acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, organic acids, mineral compounds, and other derivatives from the environment where the nectar was collected. Any commercial processing of honey into MCH might affect these bioactive components.

 

My Personal Use of Honey

I eat honey every day.

I eat Manuka honey, and I eat locally collected raw unprocessed honey. When I have any skin lesions or cuts, I apply honey to the wound. My experience has been that honey has healed my skin wounds quickly and effectively.

In addition, I use honey occasionally as my toothpaste.

After reading this, you may have lots of questions. Maybe I can help you with them. Set up a Free 30-Minite Consultation with me to discuss.

 

[1] https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1368764622000334

[2] https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S1368764622000334

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7693943/

 

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HONEY Ain’t Just Sugar
– 9 Oral Benefits –

Dr. Al Danenberg Nutritional Periodontist

August 22, 2021 [printfriendly]


I thought my dental colleagues were going to laugh me out of my profession when I suggested that raw honey could be used to brush teeth. Several peer-reviewed medical articles have explained how raw honey could be used in the mouth to decrease the pathogens causing tooth decay and gum disease.

Well, the research is clear. Honey ain’t just sugar. And another beauty about honey is that it is an animal-based food, which I include in my modified carnivore diet that I call the Better Belly Blueprint.

In an April 2020 article published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, the authors concluded: “Honey showed a significant antimicrobial activity against all targeted periopathogens. Additional experiments are required to explore the entire antimicrobial spectrum of honey towards all pathogens involved in periodontal disease.”

The authors of this publication researched various databases since January 2019 for well-designed clinical trials and in vitro studies exploring the antimicrobial effects of honey against the bacteria causing periodontal disease. From all the databases, the investigators found 5 randomized controlled clinical trials and 11 well-designed in vitro studies. Manuka honey and multifloral honeys were the most frequently researched varieties.

 

Honey is Complex

Manuka Honey may be the best. As with all raw honey, manuka honey is roughly 80% sugars and 17% water, with the last 3% being comprised of minerals, organic acids, enzymes, etc. Its sugar content is made up of about 31% glucose, 38% fructose, and a mixture of more complex sugars that are harder for the body to breakdown.  Honey contains 4% to 5% fructo-oligosaccharides, which are excellent prebiotics to feed beneficial bacteria in the gut.

All honeys contain about 200 biologically active chemicals. These raw and unfiltered honeys are a good source of amino acids, B vitamins, zinc, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous. But manuka honey has up to four times the nutritional content of all other flower honeys. Most of the pharmacological effects of honey come from polyphenols, which are found in large concentrations in honey.

But manuka honey has concentrations of a unique compound. Manuka has non-peroxide bacteriostatic properties that are the result of methylglyoxal (MGO).[1] This biologically active compound is not present to any great extent in other honeys, and it enhances wound healing and tissue regeneration by its immunomodulatory properties.

In 2017, Niaz et al published a review of the tissue regenerating effects of manuka honey.[2] The authors stated that their research showed, “Manuka honey can inhibit the process of carcinogenesis by controlling different molecular processes and progression of cancer cells.”

 

Honey Kills Microbes[3]

Numerous studies have shown that the antibacterial properties of honey primarily are due to its hydrogen peroxide and methylglyoxal content.[4]

Other bioactive components in honey that assist in its antimicrobial properties are phenols and flavonoids.[5]

In addition, manuka honey has a low water content and a moderate acid level of pH 4.3. These attributes contribute to its significant antibacterial potency.

The “sugar” part of honey also contributes to its medicinal benefit. The high sugar content causes hypertonic conditions around microbes which leads to the lysis and destruction of the microbial cell walls.

 

9 Oral Benefits

  1. Honey exerts antibacterial effects on nearly 60 species and prevents the development of resistant strains of bacteria.[6],[7],[8]
  2. Manuka honey is effective in preventing growth of biofilm organisms, reducing the production of acids, and reducing gingivitis.[9]
  3. Randomized controlled trials indicate honey helps prevent dental caries and gingivitis following orthodontic treatment.[10]
  4. A double-blind, randomized controlled trial demonstrates that manuka honey and other raw honeys are almost as effective as chlorhexidine as a mouthwash.[11]
  5. Manuka honey controls odor and inflammation in wounds secondary to squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.[12]
  6. Honey has cytotoxic effects on cultured oral squamous cell carcinomas.[13]
  7. Multiple reports indicate honey is beneficial in the treatment of radiation induced mucositis in people undergoing curative radiotherapy for their head and neck cancer.[14]
  8. Honey is helpful in treating dry mouth in people undergoing radiation treatment for their head and neck cancer.[15]
  9. Honey enhances wound healing in non-healing or recurrent wounds in the head and neck area after radiotherapy.[16]

As you can see, honey and especially manuka honey wear many hats.[17] It can be a toothpaste, an antibiotic, an antiviral, an antifungal, a regenerative agent, an anti-cancer substance, an antioxidant, a prebiotic, an anti-inflammatory, and so much more.

 

Practical Applications

Toothpaste: Put about 1/2 teaspoon of manuka honey in your mouth and spread it around all your teeth using your tongue. Then use an electric toothbrush as you would normally brush.

Healing oral soft tissue lesions: Swish 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of honey around your mouth for a minute or so, and then swallow. Use as often as necessary.

Lips and corners of mouth: Apply manuka honey to dry lips and sore corners of mouth as needed.

Systemic benefits: Eat about 1/2 teaspoon of honey 2-3 times a day for systemic benefits like improving a cough and cold symptoms from upper respiratory infections, preventing gastric ulcers, and improving digestive symptoms.

A mouthwash: If you feel you need to “freshen” your mouth, swish with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of honey and then swallow.

Dry mouth: If you have dry mouth or xerostomia, swish with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of honey as needed and then swallow.

 

Purchasing Options

The New Zealand government’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) created the first global standard and scientific definition for manuka honey in early 2018.[18] This is the only government-regulated and approved standard for manuka honey in the world.

As of February 5, 2018, all honey labeled as manuka honey and exported from New Zealand is now required to be tested to show that it meets the MPI standard before it can lawfully be exported. The test results from the certifying lab must accompany the export documents for the manuka honey ensuring that product packed in New Zealand is genuine.

There are many manuka honeys for purchase. I usually purchase Manuka Honey from Manuka Health of New Zealand. You should research other brands and make your decision.

Manuka Honey is part of my medicine chest, my kitchen pantry, and my bathroom where I keep my toothbrush, floss, TePe Easy Picks, and toothpaste.

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18210383

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28901255

[3] https://www.hmpgloballearningnetwork.com/site/wounds/article/honey-biologic-wound-dressing

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6613335/

[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30575387/

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Honey%E2%80%93a+remedy+rediscovered+and+its+therapeutic+utility

[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15055885/

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6034044/

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3220139/

[10] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1013905214000327

[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855267/

[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25734464

[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2949736/

[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Topical+application+of+honey+in+the+management+of+chemo%2Fradiotherapy-induced+oral+mucositis%3A+A+systematic+review+and+network+meta-analysis

[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=The+effectiveness+of+thyme+honey+for+the+management+of+treatment-induced+xerostomia+in+head+and+neck+cancer+patients%3A+a+feasibility+randomized+control+trial

[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=The+treatment+of+chronic+wounds+in+the+head+and+neck+area+after+radiotherapy+with+medical+honey

[17] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28901255

[18] https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/17374-manuka-honey-science-definition-infographic

 

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Manuka Honey & Mouth Health

Dr. Al Danenberg Nutritional Periodontist

December 16, 2019 [printfriendly]

 

Manuka Honey & Mouth Health

It’s not just anecdotal; it’s medical science. Raw honey, especially manuka honey, has unique qualities that make it an amazing medicament for the mouth – not to mention the rest of the body.[1] Several recent peer-reviewed articles describe the newest research and come to the same conclusion: manuka honey is at least an adjunctive medicine for the mouth.[2]

Manuka honey wears many hats, especially for wound healing.[3] It can be a toothpaste, an antibiotic, an antiviral, an antifungal, a regenerative agent, an anti-cancer substance, an antioxidant, a prebiotic, an anti-inflammatory, and so much more. I’ll discuss what it is, how it works in the mouth, how to use it, and brands to buy (including the one I use personally).

 

What is Manuka Honey

Manuka honey is a single flower honey, which comes from the manuka tree. It is native to New Zealand and southeastern Australia. To make manuka honey, beekeepers introduce European honeybees to areas that have a large concentration of wild growing manuka trees during their 6-week blooming period. Manuka trees are grown in a relatively pollution-free environment without exposure to industrial chemicals or pesticides.

Manuka honey looks and tastes differently than other honeys. It is thicker than other honeys because of high levels of specific types of proteins. Typically, it has a dark cream or dark brown color, and the flavor is considered to be “more earthy” than other raw honeys.

As with almost all honeys, Manuka honey is roughly 80% sugars and 17% water, with the last bit being comprised of minerals, organic acids, enzymes, etc. Its sugar content is made up of about 31% glucose, 38% fructose, and a mixture of more complex sugars that are harder for the body to breakdown.  Honey contains 4% to 5% fructo-oligosaccharides, which are excellent prebiotics to feed beneficial bacteria in the gut.

All honeys contain about 200 biologically active chemicals. These raw and unfiltered honeys are a good source of amino acids, B vitamins, zinc, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous, but Manuka honey has up to four times the nutritional content of all other flower honeys. Most of the pharmacological effects of honey come from polyphenols, which are found in large concentrations in honey.

But Manuka honey has concentrations of a unique compound. Manuka has non-peroxide bacteriostatic properties that are the result of methylglyoxal (MGO).[4] This biologically active compound is not present to any great extent in other honeys, and it enhances wound healing and tissue regeneration by its immunomodulatory properties.

In 2017, Niaz et al published a review of the tissue regenerating effects of manuka honey.[5] The authors stated that their research showed, “Manuka honey can inhibit the process of carcinogenesis by controlling different molecular processes and progression of cancer cells.”

 

Oral Benefits

More than 100 systemic diseases and more than 500 medications have oral manifestations, with 145 commonly prescribed drugs causing dry mouth. And honey, especially manuka honey, can have beneficial effects on these oral manifestations.

For those of you who are fact-checkers, here are a few peer-reviewed papers proving honey has significant medical applications when used in the mouth:

  • Honey exerts antibacterial effects on nearly 60 species and prevents the development of resistant strains of bacteria. [6],[7],[8]
  • Manuka honey is effective in preventing growth of biofilm organisms, reducing the production of acids, and reducing gingivitis.[9]
  • Randomized controlled trials indicate honey helps prevent dental caries and gingivitis following orthodontic treatment.[10]
  • A double-blind, randomized controlled trial demonstrates that manuka honey and raw honey are as effective as chlorhexidine as a mouthwash.[11]
  • Manuka honey controls odor and inflammation in wounds secondary to squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.[12]
  • Tualang honey has cytotoxic effects on cultured oral squamous cell carcinomas.[13]
  • Multiple reports indicate honey is beneficial in the treatment of radiation induced mucositis in people undergoing curative radiotherapy for their head and neck cancer.[14]
  • Honey is helpful in treating radiation induced xerostomia in people undergoing curative radiotherapy for their head and neck cancer.[15]
  • Honey enhances wound healing in non-healing or recurrent wounds in the head and neck area after radiotherapy.[16]

 

Practical Applications

Because Manuka Honey is thicker than regular honeys, you probably will use smaller amounts.

Toothpaste: Put about 1/2 teaspoon of manuka honey in your mouth and spread it around all your teeth using your tongue. Then use an electric toothbrush as you would normally brush.

Healing oral soft tissue lesions: Swish 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of honey around your mouth for a minute or so, and then swallow. Use as often as necessary.

Lips and corner of mouth: Apply manuka honey to dry lips and sore corners of mouth as needed.

Systemic benefits: Eat about 1/2 teaspoon of honey 2-3 times a day for systemic benefits like improving a cough and cold symptoms from upper respiratory infections, preventing gastric ulcers, and improving digestive symptoms.

A mouthwash: If you feel you need to “freshen” your mouth, swish with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of honey and then swallow.

Dry mouth: If you have dry mouth or xerostomia, swish with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of honey as needed and then swallow.

 

Purchasing Options

The New Zealand government’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) created the first global standard and scientific definition for manuka honey in early 2018.[17] This is the only government-regulated and approved standard for manuka honey in the world.

As of February 5, 2018, all honey labeled as manuka honey and exported from New Zealand is now required to be tested to show that it meets the MPI standard before it can lawfully be exported. The test results from the certifying lab must accompany the export documents for the manuka honey ensuring that product packed in New Zealand is genuine.

 

Brands of Manuka Honey

(NOTE: I do not receive any compensation from any company whose products I recommend.)

My favorite is “Manuka Honey KFactor16” from Wedderspoon[18], which I use personally.

There are other manuka honeys that I have not personally tried but are highly rated by others. They are:

  • Kiva Raw
  • Manuka Doctor Bio Active
  • Comvita Premium
  • Happy Valley Honey
  • Manuka Health 100% Pure
  • Pacific Resources Fancy Grade

Raw honey – especially manuka honey – has been shown to be an effective adjunctive medicament for the mouth. It seems that Mother Nature may know best. Give it a try. I have, and I have been very pleased with the results.

 

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4837971/

[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1349007918300975?via%3Dihub

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28901255

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18210383

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28901255

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Honey%E2%80%93a+remedy+rediscovered+and+its+therapeutic+utility

[7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=The+antimycobacterial+effect+of+honey%3A+an+in+vitro+study

[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6034044/

[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3220139/

[10] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1013905214000327

[11] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855267/

[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25734464

[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2949736/

[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Topical+application+of+honey+in+the+management+of+chemo%2Fradiotherapy-induced+oral+mucositis%3A+A+systematic+review+and+network+meta-analysis

[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=The+effectiveness+of+thyme+honey+for+the+management+of+treatment-induced+xerostomia+in+head+and+neck+cancer+patients%3A+a+feasibility+randomized+control+trial

[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=The+treatment+of+chronic+wounds+in+the+head+and+neck+area+after+radiotherapy+with+medical+honey

[17] https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/17374-manuka-honey-science-definition-infographic

[18] https://wedderspoon.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions

 

 

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Bad Bacteria In My Own Mouth

Alvin H. Danenberg, DDS Nutritional Periodontist
March 27, 2017 [printfriendly]

 

bad bacteria in my own mouthDo I have bad bacteria in my own mouth? If I did, could they be out of control? I wanted to know.

 

A few weeks ago I wrote “Gum Disease: When Bad Bugs Revolt”.  In that article, I described a unique saliva test, which could identify both (1) pathogenic bacteria that could cause serious disease and (2) a specific antibiotic regimen to eradicate them. I was curious about what might be living in my mouth. Could there be levels of bad bacteria in my own mouth that could be potentially harmful? I wanted to find out.

 

My Test & My Retest

To test the bacteria in my mouth, I provided a personal saliva sample like I described in my article “Gum Disease: When Bad Bugs Revolt”. I first used a Soft Pick made by GUM to loosen the dental plaque between my teeth. Then I spit into the sterile specimen jar supplied in the test package. Off it went to PathoGenius Lab for DNA testing.

 

In a few days, the results came back. To my surprise, I had a high percentage of Porphyromonas species. These could be potentially unhealthy in large numbers.

 

Many types of bacteria, including Porphyromonas species, are required for periodontal disease to progress. However, virulent species of Porphyromonas can live inside healthy cells around the tooth root. Also, they can cause a breakdown in the lining of capillaries and then infiltrate into the bloodstream. These species contribute to advanced gum disease and chronic inflammation. Inflammation circulating in the body is a major factor in most chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and many more labeled diseases.

 

Although I had no clinical manifestations of disease, I wanted to experiment on myself. I wanted to determine if I could reduce the concentration of these bacteria in my mouth. My personal clinical study consisted of a sample population of N =1. Certainly, this would not be a statistically significant trial.

 

To reduce these bad bacteria in my own mouth, I considered an antimicrobial program. But, I didn’t want to use an antibiotic that could damage the healthy microbes in my mouth and in my gut. I knew my pharmaceutical choices were limited. So, I chose a natural, biological route – raw Manuka honey with a 75% Manuka pollen count. I have written about the healing benefits of honey in the past, but here is a peer-reviewed article about Manuka honey, periodontal disease, and Porphyromonas gingivalis.

 

My Manuka Honey Regimen

I cleaned my mouth with Manuka honey in the morning and at bedtime. For 30 days, my treatment went like this:

  • I dipped a Soft Pick into the honey and used it between my teeth. I not only was able to scrub off the plaque between my teeth, but I also was able to deposit the honey there.
  • Then, I dipped my electric toothbrush into the honey and brushed into the gum margins around my teeth. This allowed me to get the honey where the bacteria could be hiding.

 

After 30 days of my daily routine, I provided another saliva sample, which I sent to PathoGenius. Then, I waited for the second report from the Lab.

 

The results were encouraging. However, as I mentioned above, the results are not statistically significant because the sample size was only “one”.

 

Specific Porphyromonas species in my mouth decreased from 18% to 8% without the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Importantly, friendly bacteria continued to flourish to maintain a healthy composition of dental plaque. Many species of bacteria must live in a balanced state within dental plaque in order to contribute to health. It is important to understand that dental plaque is healthy until it becomes unhealthy.

 

My Conclusions

Published medical research shows Manuka honey to be effective in healing damaged tissues. Having selected this natural course, I avoided a drug that could have disrupted the delicate balance of my other healthy bacteria. I’m not going to use honey everyday because I don’t have active gum disease. But, I believe that Manuka honey might assist the body in healing disease.

 

 

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