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Honey is not just great for sweetening your tea but it is great for healing as well.  You can use honey to coat your throat to soothe it while it is sore during the cold and flu season.  Honey has been a staple in many diets as far back as biblical times and was used as currency in the Roman Empire.

A new study is suggesting that honey may also be good for those that are suffering from sinusitis, which is an inflammation of the sinuses that can be caused by bacteria, fungus, allergy, or viral infections.

Co-author of the study, Dr. Joseph G. Marson was quoted as stating  that he was not surprised by the natural bacteria fighters that are found in honey.  Honey has been used in all scopes of medicine as a natural anti-microbial dressing for healing wounds.

The researchers studied the activity of honey on bacteria-laden biofilms that are responsible for chronic infections.  Biofilms often reject prescription antibiotics and most over-the-counter remedies. Dr. Marson explains, “Certain bacteria….have found a method of shielding themselves from the activity of anti-microbials by living in substances called biofilm, which cannot be penetrated….”.

The study revealed that some types of honey contain more bacteria-killing agents than others. “Our study has shown that certain honeys, namely the Manuka honey from New Zealand and the Sidr honey from Yemen, have powerful killing action on these bacterial biofilms that is far superior to the most powerful anti-microbials used in medicine today.”

Currently the treatments for sinus infections includes; antibiotics, saline irrigation, antbiotic irrigation, antihistamines, decongestants, and other methods.  Researchers are in the process of creating an application for treating sinus infections using the powerful anti-microbial properties of honey.