Peter Molan, Ph.D., likes to tell the story of the 20-year old wound infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, an abscess oozed in an English woman’s armpit long after it had been drained. Nothing seemed to help, and the pain prevented her from working. Then in August of 1999, she read about the remarkable wound-healing properties of honey. She convinced doctors to apply some to the dressing to her arm, and a month later the wound healed. Now’s she’s back at work. Novel as this treatment sounds, it would have inspired yawns among doctors in ancient Egypt. Honey has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of medical problems like wounds, burns, cataracts, skin ulcers, and scrapes. Molam believes honey helps wounds in several ways. However, some as-yet-unknown ingredient reduce inflammation, while others, perhaps amino acids and vitamin C, speed the growth of healthy tissue. This is one sweet Health Mystery.
