• Antiseptic lozenges such as Cepacol, Dequandin, Diflam and Strepsils are routinely brought for sore throats, but evidence suggest that these may often prove ineffective against Group A Streptococcal infections. 

 A study was undertaken to confirm this hypothesis. The minimum inhibitory concentration of honey (MIC) is the smallest amount that will inhibit the growth of a microorganism after overnight incubation. It was found that Manuka Honey had a much lower MIC than Rewarewa Honey, making it a more affective and superior at fighting infection.

  The MIC of Manuka honey was also compared with the following throat lozenges: Strepsils, Dequadin and Cepacol. Only Cepacol had a lower MIC value.

•  Antiviral Effects of Manuka Honey…

 Recently, a study has been carried out to investigate the effectiveness of Manuka honey as a therapeutic antiviral agent against Adenovirus and the Herpes Simplex virus. Results from this thesis showed that:

1. Manuka honey was capable of lowering the severity of the effects of the virus by delaying the onset 
2. The antiviral effect of the honey increased with the concentration of honey used and time the virus 

• Proven to be Orally Effective…

As Manuka Honey has many antibacterial properties, it stands to reason that it could be used to treat oral infections. Of course for honey to be orally effective it needs to remain active in the target area- therefore our Honeysucker lozenges may lengthen the time the honey is present in the mouth.

• Honeysuckers can Banish Bad Breath…

Honey lozenges may also help with the prevention of bad breath, as another study has shown honey to rapidly remove malodor from infected wounds (Molan, 2001). It is suggested that the bacteria involved in generating the smell associated with bad breath would use the sugars in the honey as a energy source rather than amino acids, thereby producing non-smelling lactic acid as a byproduct rather than the smelly amines and sulphuric compounds.

• Manuka Honey had Anti-inflammatory Properties

One study has also specifically investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of honey in the throat, (Ozlugedik et al., 2006). In this study, 60 children who had just had their tonsils surgically removed were given either 5ml of honey every hour or a placebo as well as acetaminophen pain relief. Pain scores in children given honey were significantly lower two days after surgery than in the non-honey group, and the number of painkiller doses during the first seven days was significantly reduced in the honey group.

• Honey may also help with the clearance of infections because of its ability to stimulate the immune system… 

Animal studies have shown that long-term ingestion of 10% honey in rats increases neutrophil phagtocytosis levels compared with animals fed a non-honey diet (Chepulis, 2007)

Another study showed that the ingestion of honey stimulates antibody production during primary and secondary immune responses in mice(Al Waili and Haq, 2004).