Beehive Buzz: Manuka Honey as a Sinus Rinse

Honeybee at a manuka flower.

Honeybee foraging on a manuka flower by Kathy Keatley Garvey, UC ANR.

Sharon sent in this question about the safety of a certain type of honey, “Is it ok to use Manuka honey as a sinus rinse or do you risk botulism when doing so? I would appreciate any information you have on this subject.”

Let us look at the benefits of Manuka honey. WebMD reports, “Manuka honey is made in Australia and New Zealand by bees that pollinate the native leptospermum scoparium bush (also known as a tea tree). Advocates say it can treat wound infections and other conditions.”

This is one reason that Manuka honey is beneficial according to WebMD, “Hydrogen peroxide gives most honey its antibiotic quality. But some types, including Manuka honey, also have unique antibacterial qualities.”

The National of Medicine posted a study, Manuka honey sinus irrigation for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis: a randomized controlled trial in April 2017. The Background of this published study documented, “Manuka honey (MH) has been shown in vitro to be effective against biofilm-producing bacteria.”

With respect to botulism and honey, only infants 18 months old and younger are susceptible to botulism from honey. After 18 months, the risk of botulism is minimal due to natural resistance developing in the gut of infants to these pathogens causing botulism.

A cause of adult botulism is from “homemade foods that have been improperly canned, preserved, or fermented. Though uncommon, store-bought foods also can be contaminated with botulinum toxin” as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So, the answer to Sharon’s concern is that it is OK for adults to use Manuka honey safely as a sinus rinse. Infants would still be susceptible to botulism from eating Manuka honey or any other type of honey.

If you want to contact “Beehive Buzz,” please send your questions and pictures to Keith Hawkins, Area Horticulture Agent (AHA), 318.264.2448 or khawkins@agcenter.lsu.edu . Also, you can be on the “beemail” email list by emailing your request to the address above.

“This work has been supported, in part, by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Renewable Resources Extension Act Award, Accession Number 1011417.”

6/20/2023 9:10:41 PM
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