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Crohn's disease and Manuka honey
I have Crohn’s disease and am taking steroid medication which I want to reduce. I have heard that Manuka honey may help. Do you have an advice on this?
Crohn’s disease describes a chronic inflammation of the intestinal wall. It is most common in the lowest portion of the small intestine but can occur in any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus.
It affects both sexes equally, often runs in families with a history of ulcerative colitis and is most likely to strike before the age of 30. Nobody has identified a single cause, but the three main possibilities are infection, poor diet or a dysfunction of the immune system.
If the trigger is infection, then Manuka honey, which is made in New Zealand by bees which collect their nectar from the native tea tree, is going to be a very powerful weapon in reducing this painful inflammation.
While all untreated honeys contain hydrogen peroxide - a chemical that is so deadly to bacteria it was once used to clean wounds in hospital - Manuka honey has an extra special and as yet unnamed ingredient which honey researchers are simply calling a phytochemical. This agent is even more potent and has outperformed hydrogen peroxide in lab tests.
Researchers at the University of Wales have also discovered another amazing healing property of honey. When they grew human cells in the presence of honey, they found that even weak dilutions triggered the production of a type of immune cell called a monocyte. These are the cells that release growth chemicals that then stimulate skin cells to regenerate and close an open wound. In other wounds, honey doesn’t just help with healing, it actively encourages it.
*You can buy Manuka honey and associated products from good health stores, but make sure you are buying a brand that has been tested and proven to contain the active ingredients because many do not. Those that have will make a point of saying so on the label. Look out, for example, for the Manuka honey range from the Comvita Company of New Zealand (0208-961 4410) or visit www.comvita.com.