How Nobel Prize Winners Helped Honey Research

28 October 2005

Nobel Prize winning scientists Professor Barry Marshall and Dr Robin Warren were looking for answers to stomach ulcers, not arthritis when they discovered it was the nasty little gut bacteria H. pylori, not spicy food or stress that caused ulcers. But developments from their work have impacted on arthritis treatment and showed up previously unknown benefits of honey and bee products.

In the 20 years since Dr Warren made himself ill with a dose of H. pylori to prove his point, new research shows:

• H. pylori greatly increases stomach ulcer risks for people who take NSAID’s for arthritis


• Standard antibiotic treatments for H pylori can have unpleasant side effects
• Anti bacterial Active Manuka Honey and bee venom offers solutions to both.

For those who have both a stomach ulcer and arthritis, treatment choices can be especially complicated. A new study shows:

• H. pylori increases stomach ulcer risks by 61 times for people who take NSAID’s (non steroidal anti inflammatories) for arthritis*


• Even if H. pylori is not present, using NSAID’s significantly increases stomach ulcer risks*


• Standard antibiotic treatments for H pylori can cause diarrhea, yeast infections, and lead to antibiotic resistance


• If you are planning to use NSAID’s, eliminating H Pylori before you begin treatment reduces the possibility of getting an ulcer.
  

Happily, research by world honey expert Dr Peter Molan supported by anecdotal experiences from honey users suggests honey and bee products offer good natural alternatives.

• UMF Active Manuka Honey destroys H. pylori without unpleasant side effects.
  


• Honey with bee venom used as an alternative to NSAID’s avoids hazardous internal bleeding.

H. pylori infection is typically contracted in early childhood, frequently by transmission from mother to child, and the bacteria may remain in the stomach for the rest of the person's life. (Ironically it may have a beneficial effect in protecting against oesophagal cancers, which have increased since antibiotics have been widely given to young children).

In most people H pylori causes no symptoms, but 10 to 15 percent of people will develop an ulcer at some time. In severe cases, bleeding and perforation may occur, or even stomach cancer, which is the world's number two killer among cancers.

The Australian scientist’s discovery, recognised by a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine October 2005, has prompted researchers to examine microbes as the cause of other chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, atherosclerosis and Crohn's disease.

UMF Active Manuka to treat H. pylori

A wild bush New Zealand honey gathered from small white star-like flowers of the Manuka shrub from isolated forest has been found to have unusually high success in killing off stomach ulcer bacteria. Not all Manuka honey has this Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) however, and before you buy you need to be sure it has been independently tested to guarantee antibacterial activity. The UMF trade mark will ensure this testing has been done.

Research carried out by world honey expert Dr Peter Molan, at the Waikato University Honey Research Centre got good results by:

• eating 20g (a heaped teaspoon) of Active Manuka Honey on a small square of bread one hour before meals four times daily, including before going to bed. (The bread was added to ensure the honey stayed in the stomach for longer periods)


• alternatively, take a quarter of a teaspoon an hour on Day One, gradually transferring to a heaped teaspoon four times daily by Day Three

UMF Active Manuka doesn’t kill off “good” stomach bacteria (unlike antibiotics). It can take two months to complete its job compared with two weeks for the antibiotics and can be used in conjunction with antibiotics to reduce digestive upsets. You will notice benefits from the Active Manuka Honey within a couple of days.

Honey with Bee Venom as an alternative to NSAIDs

With the addition of bee venom, honey taken orally offers anti inflammatory as well as soothing digestive benefits. If you’ve experienced stomach upsets using NSAIDs or want to avoid the risk of ulcers and bleeding, 100% natural honey with bee venom may be the answer.


For more information about Helicobacter Pylori read this article by Hans R. Larsen, MSc ChE.

Source:
* H. pylori research conducted at McMaster University and the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong and published:
Huang, Jia-Qing, et al. Role of Helicobacter pylori infection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in peptic-ulcer disease: a meta-analysis. The Lancet, Vol. 359, January 5, 2002, pp. 14-22

* Chan, Francis K.L., et al. Eradication of Helicobacter pylori and risk of peptic ulcers in patients starting long- term treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: a randomised trial. The Lancet, Vol. 359, January 5, 2002, pp. 9-13

* Pounder, Roy E. Helicobacter pylori and NSAIDs – the end of the debate? The Lancet, Vol. 359, January 5, 2002, p, 3 (commentary)

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