Powers of honey hailed in fight against infection

As well as being a tasty treat, honey could be used to help fight infections, they said.

Scientists said that honey has a combination of weapons to beat infection including hydrogen peroxide, acidity, high sugar concentration and polyphenols – all of which actively kill bacterial cells.

It also has an “osmotic effect”, which means it draws water from bacterial cells which and kills them.

Dr Susan Meschwitz, assistant professor in chemistry at Salve Regina University in the US, said: “The unique property of honey lies in its ability to fight infection on multiple levels, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop resistance.”

She will tell the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Dallas, Texas, that a large number of studies have confirmed the antimicrobial properties of the natural sweetener.

Health experts have warned of the “catastrophic threat” of people becoming resistant to antibiotics, saying that in just 20 years’ time routine operations could become deadly if we lose the ability to fight infection.