General health and home remedies

[thatGirl]

I think we're gonna pick up a box of manuka honey packets for the first aid kit.  It's pretty expensive cause it's another Aussie product, but it's supposed to have more antibacterial properties than local raw honey.  I've also read that it may help with stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal problems, ring worm, and although I didn't delve deep, it may be of some use treating cancer and diabetes. 

[thatGirl]

Until I see a quality head to head double blind study showing manuka honey as superior, I will keep using the cheaper stuff.  I am a skeptic, and Australia has done a great job marketing their product, but I have read about a dozen quality studies showing whatever local honey works fine for topical use of bacterial infections/wounds.

Good point.  I just searched PubMed for double blinds and none of the studies are testing honey against honey, it's all manuka vs. common drugs.  It is mentioned that manuka honey has phenolic compounds not found in other raw honeys for additional bacteria fighting power, but as you mentioned, that's probably just the tea tree exudates and I agree that you should be able to just add tea tree oil (okay for external use as a topical, not sure if you should ingest though) to honey for the same effect.  TG will thank you for saving him money- I am a sucker for fancy packaging, but logic is my kryptonite.

I don't know much about it, but my guess is that your right in saying that ingesting honey wouldn't have a physiological effect in treating disease, although I could see that internal ulcers might be healed quicker if honey works as a buffer to your stomach pH while keeping bad bacteria at bay...  This is purely my poor chemistry background speaking, so feel free to ignore me. 

[thatGuy]

You guys are fucked up!

I didn't get any of that but the 'hit thatGuy with the red-hot pitch fork" and good sir, I did not care for it!

[thatGirl]

You guys are fucked up!

I didn't get any of that but the 'hit thatGuy with the red-hot pitch fork" and good sir, I did not care for it!

I suppose that's why lab rats aren't taught to read!  Now, where were we... 

Thanks Walker, I did want a technical run down.  Every now and then I jump into a medical journal article, but as you can see, that stuff's usually way over my head.  I suppose that's why it takes so long to get a medical degree, it's not just about the awesome keggers!

We're well on our way to having burns to treat for our study.  I forgot to tell TG that the plate his breakfast was on this morning had just come out of the oven, ouch!  I suppose the pitchfork idea is better though, so the burns are uniform.  I'll just write today's events off as just deserves!     

[thatGuy]

The first sign that something was amiss was the hot breakfast.